James E. West was the mayor of Spokane, WA, and was well-known for his homophobia. While he was in the legislature he supported a bill banning gay people from working in schools and day care programs. He also proposed a wackadoodle bill banning sex between any unmarried people under the age of 18.
The local paper got a tip that Jim West was Cobra82, a persona on gay.com. He was accused of offering city internships to young gay men in exchange for sex. This story outed him as a gay man, which led this anti-gay zealot to present himself as being persecuted for being gay, asking “Do others who desire to be out but are having similar struggles now live in greater fear because of this brutal outing?”
There were also allegations that he sexually abused a man when he was a young Boy Scout. The allegations were denied and the accuser’s criminal history was used to discount his claims.
He was not prosecuted, but the people of Spokane recalled him from office.
- Kitsap Sun: Anti-gay rights mayor in pedophilia scandal
- PBS Frontline: The Outing of Mayor Jim West
- Seattle Times: Spokane Mayor Recalled after internet sex scandal
12 May 2005
05 May 2005