As ThinkProgress
previously reported, a commenter on the gay right’s blog Joe My God left a comment yesterday saying “all faggots must die.” After some investigation, the blog’s author Joseph Jervis determined that the commenter’s IP address appeared “to resolve to the neighborhood of
GOP U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss’ Atlanta office.” Tonight, Chambliss confirmed that his office was the source of this hate speech:
U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss’ office has determined it was indeed the source of a highly publicized homosexual-bashing slur on an Internet site.
But in a statement, Chambliss’ office said it has not discovered exactly who was behind the slur, and has turned the matter over to the Senate sergeant at arms. The office employs 42 people.
“The (sergeant at arms) has worked side by side with our personnel to determine whether the comment in question emanated from our office. That appears to be the case,” an unsigned statement from Chambliss’ press office read.
“There has not been a determination as to who posted the comment,” the statement read. “That part of the review is ongoing, and is now in the hands of the Senate sergeant at arms.”
Chambliss’ decision to involve the Senate’s chief law enforcement officer is a good sign that whoever was responsible for the hate speech will be disciplined. But this step is cold comfort to the thousands of gay and lesbian Americans denied the opportunity to serve their country by Chambliss’ anti-gay voting record. If the senator truly wants to demonstrate that bigotry has no place in his office, he should start by reversing his
unconscionable vote to continue Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell.
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