Is a Politician's Sexual Orientation Newsworthy?

SIX DAYS AFTER being busted for DUI after leaving a gay bar, California state senator Roy Ashburn told the media that he is gay.

Rumors had floated for years that the divorced father was gay but the media never reported them. Should they have?

A columnist asked Ashburn, who has been adamant in his opposition to gay rights, about his orientation in 2009. Ashburn answered, "Why would that be anyone's business? I think there are certain subjects that are simply not relevant and this is one of them. It has no bearing on the job I do."

Should the media simply report the denial? Or should they further investigate if they think the person is lying?

This situation has popped up numerous times in recent years, most famously with former New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey. The media did not report rumors of homosexuality then either.

With issues like gay marriage and partner rights being debated in legislatures around the country, does the public have the right to know the orientation of their elected officials?