Gay Republican Seeks To Unseat Incumbent Representative

The North Vernon Plain Dealer & Sun reports that Jennings county native Brent Mullikin, who is gay and Republican, plans to challenge incumbent Republican State Representative Billy Bright in the 69th House District in the 2006 primary election. Reporter Liam Rich says, "[Mullikin] is not your run-of-the-mill baseball cap but rather a loudly flamboyant and wildly colorful, extra tall gentleman’s top hat that one cannot help but be intrigued by and instinctively drawn towards." A self-described "charismatic Reaganite", the story reports that "Mullikin believes it is time for a little innovation in order to remedy the blights of today’s day and age that would have left our forefathers dumbfounded."

Mullikin's opponent, Representative Billy Bright, supports a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriages and opposes amending Indiana's civil rights law to prohibit discrimination of gays and lesbians. Mullikin does not believe that he's being gay will hinder his electoral chances. “Society is becoming more and more accepting of homosexuals,” he said. “(Plus) I’m friendly. What you see is what you get. Most people like that.” He went on to say that “homosexuals are all inclusive,” and that they don’t understand blind animosity nor discrimination. They abhor them both, actually, he said the story reported.

A 1983 graduate of Jennings County High School, Mullikin attended Indiana University in Bloomington where he was active in student government politics. He left after his third year due to financial constraints and entered the workforce. The report said: "Mullikin is a Roman Catholic and considers his faith to be very deep. He would also like to see prayer back in the classroom, but due to our Constitutional restraints it is against the law. The minute the law starts bending for one faith, it begins impeding and discriminating against another, he said.
'It’s all gray area,' Mullikin says, 'and gray area is what I love to work with!'”

Mullikin has already launched a door-to-door campaign according to the report. If you would like to contact Mullikin, you can reach him at 812-346-4280 before 11:00 p.m., or you can e-mail him at brentmullikin@yahoo.com.