CITIZEN SAM
Continued from page 20
just turns to me and says, “I think we’re going
to get along great!” It turns out he was gay, too
(laughs).
JO: Have you ever resented being born gay? Ever
wished you were born straight?
SA: I’ve never resented it but, yeah, there were
times when I wished I were born straight; grow-
ing up in a small town where I didn’t know any-
one else gay. I didn’t even know what the con-
cept was, really. And I definitely didn’t know
anyone who felt like I did. So, yeah, there were
times when it was just incredibly lonely. And be-
ing teased was, well, you know, hard to bear. It’s
just … this was back in the 70’s, and you’re com-
pletely alone … it was mortifying being called
“faggot.” Yeah, it was mortifying.
JO: Knowing all you know now, would you run
for mayor again?
SA: Absolutely. This has got to be one of the best
public service jobs in the entire world. We have
a city that has high expectations, plus a willing-
ness to roll up our sleeves to meet and exceed
those expectations. There is no more wonderful-
ly challenging job than being mayor of this city. I
love this job because I love the people in this city.
It’s a combination of high expectations and very
participatory residents. Which is great! I love it!
JO: What’s your approach to working in a job
that invites constant public criticism?
SA: For me, it’s about keeping an ear open to all
of it. Because even if the intent is malicious, I’m
still looking to test my assumptions and make
sure I have as clear a picture of something as I
possibly can. That I’ve thought about all the po-
tential questions and potential answers, and that
they’re as accurate as they can be.
You have to be tough in this job, but, I’m on
guard and my staff is on guard for making sure
I have a clear understanding of what is going
on. You have to listen to the criticism. Even the
meanest, most vicious criticism you still have to
listen and ask, “Have it I got it right?”
JO: How did it feel when you learned that [for-
mer Just Out owner/editor] Marty Davis had
called on you to resign?
SA: Of course it was very disappointing.
But … you know, I am very understand-
ing of everybody’s reaction to that issue. I
made a mistake. I lied. And, so while her call
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November 2012
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