ME-SEN: Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner admits using 'indefensible' antigay slurs in unearthed Reddit posts [View all]
A progressive U.S. Senate candidate in Maine, who has already apologized for earlier misogynistic and racially insensitive remarks and said he did not realize that a tattoo on his chest resembled a Nazi SS emblem, is again under scrutiny, this time for anti-LGBTQ+ comments.
In an interview on Wednesday afternoon with The Advocate, Graham Platner, a 41-year-old Marine and Army veteran running in Maine’s Democratic primary, seeking to become the nominee to challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, confirmed that he authored a series of Reddit comments that include homophobic slurs, anti-LGBTQ+ jokes, and sexually explicit stories denigrating gay men.
The existence of the comments, posted under the handle P-Hustle between 2016 and 2021, has not previously been reported. The Advocate obtained the posts independently this week. The revelations come on the same day Platner is scheduled to hold a town hall in Ogunquit, a seaside resort long known as one of New England’s most prominent LGBTQ+ destinations, featuring a thriving gay community and Pride celebrations that draw visitors from across the region.
“I have no reason to deny [that the posts are mine],” Platner said in a Zoom interview. “I made a lot of comments over the years and talked a lot of shit on the internet. I have no reason to doubt that at some point I used language that I would not be using today.”
https://www.advocate.com/politics/graham-platner-homophobic-posts#toggle-gdpr
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