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Then-School Board Member Bao Nguyen speaking out in 2013 in favor of allowing LGBT OC Viets to march in the Tet Parade.
Garden Grove Mayor Bao Nguyen, who is expected to run for the 46th Congressional district for Congress being vacated by Loretta Sanchez, chose the occasion of the first official visit of openly gay U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius to Orange County to thank him for his work on behalf of the Vietnamese people — and , from one gay man to another. for his leadership and as a leading gay political figure.
The news is just an aside in the coverage by the Los Angeles Times of the event (which is worth reading on its own right for multiple reasons):
Garden Grove Mayor Bao Nguyen, who is gay, thanked Osius for his influence as an openly gay ambassador in Hanoi.
He called Osius’ work “crucial because young people in the U.S. and young people in Vietnam want to see each other succeed. What’s missing is that Vietnam’s leaders must recognize the trauma and suffering Vietnamese Americans and the Vietnamese people have endured.”
“But that doesn’t mean we take the extreme position of all or nothing in negotiating,” he added. “If you don’t think you can change, or you can’t heal, there’s no point in being at the table.”
If you blinked while you were reading, you could have missed the reference. Or a reader could have easily suspected — as this author did — that the Times reporter was basing his story on personal knowledge of matters outside of the public record, or was making unsubstantiated inferences.
But no — OJB has confirmed that the disclosure was intentional. (The failure of the media to pick up on it, other than a slightly less glancing reference in the Weekly conveying Bao’s desire to be a role model, presumably was not.) In its own way, it was one of those small events that contribute to the earth-shattering sea change in public awareness and acceptance of gays and lesbians — coming soon to a Vietnamese community near you!
There will be time later on to assess the political implications of this for the 46th CD race, where Bao is likely to be competing among Democrats with Lou Correa and Jordan Brandman. (Both would lose critical support — including presumably that of Rep. Loretta Sanchez — if they allowed Bao to be gay-baited.) For now, let’s just say that the race for the 46th just became a much bigger deal than it was before.
Long-time Orange County LGBT activist Jeff LeTourneau — who, in the interest of full disclosure, is this author’s brother-in-law and the husband of a gay Southeast Asian man who has coincidentally been completing his own “coming out to the home culture” process in the past year — was asked for and provided the following statement about this event.
It is statistically proven that the single most empowering thing an LGBT person can do is to come out. This is particularly true when it applies to public officials. Not only do they serve as a positive role model for the community, but they are in a unique position to change laws and policies, while making it much more difficult for those remaining homophobes like Scott Peotter to continue their incessant demonizing of our community for no other reason than their personal political gain.
(Neither LeTourneau nor anyone else in the LGBT community solicited this story, incidentally. I called him out of concern that the Times reporter had spoken out of turn. LeTourneau, who has been in discussions with Bao about his public role as a gay Vietnamese politician for some time, confirmed that Bao was coming out, leading to this story. A second disclosure: my daughter has been, and probably still is, Bao’s campaign treasurer — something that has not affected a word in this story outside of this very sentence.)
Bao’s decision to be “out and proud” — to go beyond being a supporter of the right of VROC (“Vietnamese Rainbow OC”) to march in the Tet Parade to someone who might now openly be a member — is both gutsier and more consequential than one might think. Much of the Vietnamese community — much like many other immigrant ethnic communities — has been publicly antagonistic to homosexuality, although there have been many differences within it even among those who publicly disapprove about how to deal with it privately, ranging from acceptance to acceptance if it is kept hidden to expulsion from public homes and ostracism in public. What this action may mean to people in VROC — and to future LGBT youth who might become a part of it — in incalculable.
Beyond that, it forces a greater change in the Vietnamese-American community that might be immediately apparent. It’s like a sudden and unexpected checkmate. What do they do in this situation? Public rally against the Mayor on account of his sexual orientation? Not likely, at a time when they don’t need the negative publicity it would bring. Mutter and grouse behind his back? They’re entitled to do so, if they must, but the absence of protest — like the absence of strong public protest to the Tet Parade — simply attests to its ineffectuality. The more culturally conservative Vietnamese-Americans don’t have to like that Bao, and many more like him in the future, are openly gay — but they do have to tolerate it. (And they also have to tolerate negative responses to whatever bigotry they may express, as Scott Peotter can presumably explain to them.) That — like last month’s Obergefell decision barring states from refusing to recognize same-sex marriage, is only fair. And they will get used to it — and be better for it.
But if this is — contrary to Neil Armstrong’s first step on the moon 66 years less one week ago — one small step for humanity, it is one giant leap for a man. Those of us who have known Bao over the years have always known that he was, to some extent, a prisoner to his secret — the sort of thing that can distort someone (although he seems to have weathered it quite well.) Now he’s no longer bound. He’s just what he is. And that’s great.
Bao is now entirely free. For the second time in your life: welcome to freedom, Mr. Mayor!
Bao, at his victory celebration last Nov. 30, with a bevy of beauty queens who had come to celebrate with him, looking suave.
Expect more news from Garden Grove tomorrow, as (word has it) the council comes out unanimously against Poseidon! (unless I’ve been misinformed.)
Jordan gay-baiting Bao? I can’t see it, but… how hilarious would that be.
In his case it would probably be more along the lines of allowing it to be done on his behalf. Or maybe not. As I’ve said, I’m not convinced that he has any sexual orientation at all. He keeps it a mystery, so a mystery it is to me.
I can see that.
that would be great news
If Bao plans to run for Loretta’s seat count me as Team Bao!!
How disappointing that after a few hundred days Bao is thinking about moving on. There is SO SO much to be done in GG after years of cronyism and self serving leaders.
Is this kid so power hungry he jumps on the cycle? BAD MOVE. He needs a mentor to teach him about AGTIAGT, paitence and leadership.
That’s one way to look at it … but we need to have a progressive, someone we can be proud of, in Loretta’s seat… and so far he would be the only one. And he could probably win.
If he does, Chris Phan for Mayor!
The incumbent will have been in this seat for 20 years. Her successor, if she does leave, might be as well. That’s not something that Bao planned — but it happened. If he doesn’t take it now, it won’t likely be around in 2018.
In any event, meanwhile he will be able to serve out his term as Mayor, so you needn’t get overdramatic. And if he does go to Congress, he’s not going to forget Garden Grove — in fact he would probably be able to be more influential on its behalf than as Mayor.
Aside from that, your anonymous attacks on him — given the significant likelihood that you are working with or (perhaps as a solo initiaitive) on behalf of one of his rivals — are really out of line. He has disappointed you and he needs a mentor to teach him patience? What a crock, coming from someone firing from darkness. I’ll say this under my own name: Jordan Brandman has all sorts of mentors — and it certainly hasn’t helped him become a good public servant as opposed to a self-serving and ethically challenged tool of the rich.
I know but in this “Kardashian” age of Dem politics in California, I am frightened by the prospects and results.
I for one, believe Loretta will bow out before 2016. The DIFI seat is the target (I believe).
Stay and do the job you promised and were elected to do Bao.
Don’t expect your future comments to show up without being vetted. You do seem so very frightened of … “this ‘Kardashian’ age of Dem politics”? How clever.
Note to whoever just wrote in dishing anonymous dirt on Correa: your credibility is lacking, so your comment has been trashed. If you have something you can attribute to yourself, rather than using this blog to make charges on your anonymous behalf, then you can try again. I’m not going to hold my breath, though.
Feel free to “screen out” whatever debatable comment you wish. I can’t stop you.
I like Bao. I voted for him.
Your strange almost obsessive insistance that anything that counters your article is an “attack” is disapointing and indicative of where you stand.
I do agree that Loretta (like Broadwater and Miguel Pulido) have worn out her welcome and a fresh face would be nice. So we can agree on that.
I laugh at your assertion that I must be some kind of opposion operative…Bao has not even announced yet. I just what politicans (especially that I vote for) to try and do what yhey set out to do. In Nguuen’s case if thats go to Congress and he didn’t tell us I guess I’ll have to live with that.
Sorry. On the bus…..IPAD sucky sucky today (or my fingers) LOL.
I was misinformed on the GG council’s strong unanimous opposition to POSeidon…. I’ll have to remember the dude who told me that can be over-optimistic.
They’re going to be looking at their letter of opposition again in two weeks, and modifying it a little. Bao and Beard were strong; Bui and Jones had cold feet and wanted to soften the letter a little; Phan, disappointingly, kept silent.
Speakers were 2 to 1 against Poseidon and for their letter of opposition. Tyler from Irvine was particularly great, so were others. The pro-Poseidon people were about ten folks clustered in the back – VP Maloni, two union leaders (Medrano natch), Lou Correa, Cathy Green, Cavecche, and the new leader of the OC Young Dems. They didn’t ask for GG’s support, or try to make their case so much, they just begged for them to put this letter aside and do nothing, and wait for events to take their course. So I guess it MUST be a big deal for a city to come out in opposition. I will keep on Phan.
GREAT.
Phan doesnt want to rock the boat. He knows the kleptocrats are in charge and he doesnt want to be left out so he stays silent which he can do due to his short time in elected office. Jones isnt so lucky. He knows his baby the water park on harbor is fucked for eternity and he is in the pockets of those pushing poseiden. Bui is following ones’ lead in hopes of drawing from the poseiden well in the future.
I am not sure Bao was ever “in the closet” and as a close friend where you would get that idea. I never knew him to have a “great secret” as you put it or that it was harmful to anyone. That it offensive, then again so is your whole article, especially the headline.
Not sure what was offensive about Greg’s article; I kind of suspected he was gay but never knew him to publicly say it. This is a GOOD thing for a politician to do. Why must everyone bitch so much.
Kiue Linh: Why does your email address indicate a Latino surname? Are you offended on Bao’s behalf? Because I happen to know that he isn’t offended, so if that’s it you can relax. If you’re offended because of the attention-getting and somewhat playful first word, please feel the warmth of the heavy sigh that I am casting your way.
Vern: people bitch for many reasons, but when they do so anonymously it’s usually to score political points.
His assumption that it was some terrible secret and painful maybe????
This read quite sensational to me. Reading way more into a small thing than some “wave” of change everyone pretends it is.
Look carefully Diamond. She is married and is a friend of Bao’s and mine and nearly everyone else associated with him socially. BACK OFF. GROSS.
Then maybe you both should talk to Bao about this.
There are different levels of being “out.” “Out to your friends” is not the same as “out to the public.” Based on what you are saying, it would have been fine to refer to him as gay prior to the Ambassador’s visit. It would not have been; it would have been publicly outing him against his wishes. I presume that, as his close friends, you would both agree — right?
Go Bao
We support you at Lambda Law and the ‘lil Onion’!! Keep up the good fight.
Want to see a great OC Mayor in action? This is the very patient Garden Grove Mayor Bao, trying to lead his council through a proposed (and strongly recommended by GG staff) “disapproval” of the Poseidon project. START at 2:13:25 to hear Mayor ProTem Steve Jones basically say “Why should Garden Grove take any sort of leadership on this?” and then see how Bao deals with him, and the equally infuriating Phat Bui… up until at least 2:25. (Special bonus: at 2:29, after being outvoted 4-1 by a council who wants to put off this hard decision until next meeting, Bao says “I feel like a certain other Mayor … maybe the one from Anaheim.”)
[Ed. Note: We feel uneasy about publishing this comment, which came to us late Saturday afternoon. The name and the e-mail address are both obviously faked and the IP address likely discardable; it could easily be a political “hit” from a supporter of another candidate. We asked Bao’s campaign for a reply, but did not receive one. (We’re not positive that the message was received. But, because the anonymous criticism is substantive and not clearly defamatory (as the with allegations of criminal sexual behavior by various targets that we often receive and spike), we’re publishing it. While we doubt the allegations, we consider them “in-bounds,” even if only barely so. We’ll feature Bao’s campaign’s denial of these assertions, should one arrive, in proximity to this comment.]
Bao coming out of the closet was not an act of bravery. He is an opportunist. He doesn’t care about anyone but himself. Several years ago when I was a college kid, I did some voter outreached activities with Bao. When I shared with him the various advocacy activities I was doing with the lgbtq community, he belittled me for supporting gay rights and marriage. He was a gay man engaging in gay bashing. I was really hurt by Bao’s reaction to my advocacy work. I’d hope he would mature and grow up to be a better person, but unfortunately he has gotten worst over the years. Check his history, he never cared for gay rights until he came into politics and needed to gain more votes to feed his ego and ambitions. He has belittled and disrespected the Vietnamese voters who made him mayor. He knows the Vietnamese community will not re-elect him to be mayor again. He must “go federal” now before everyone sees his true character and he falls out of the political limelight. While he is relatively new to working as an elected officially, he has already demonstrated that he has a weak morale compass and that he has no problems abusing taxpayer money and wasting government resources for personal gain when he called an on duty sergeant to his house to address his personal ambitions and to lobby for political support. I hope the good voters of Orange County will come to see the truth that Bao is a self-serving corrupt politician and that they save their vote for someone who genuinely cares about serving the best interest of the community.