State Sen. Steve Gallardo (D-Phoenix) openly disclosed that he was gay, just a week after the veto of Senate Bill 1062, a bill that would have disabled LGBT rights in Arizona if it had been signed into law. Still feeling the after-burn of the proposed bill, which gained protests from civil-rights backers, business leaders, and clergymen, Gallardo decided to publicly voice his sexual orientation.

"I am gay, I'm a Latino, I'm a state senator and it's OK," Gallardo said, then added that he was not bullied into making his announcement, and also stated that his decision to speak freely had little to do with his political future, insisting that his "orientation is bigger than political ambitions."

"In the middle of that discussion, it dawned on me that this bill affects me directly, and seeing all the people come to the Capitol protesting and rallying around this bill solidified my thought and that it's time for me to stand up and say, 'This is who I am,'" Gallardo, 45, said.

Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed the Senate Bill 1062 after days of contemplation; the bill would have offered legal defense to businesses and individuals facing discrimination lawsuits, if they were able to prove their actions were purposed by "sincerely held beliefs." The legalized discriminatory bill was thinly cloaked under the guise of religious freedom.

"Two weeks ago was a difference, Feb. 19 was an actual game changer," Gallardo told a small number of reporters, referring to the date the Senate debated and passed SB 1062.

Prior to his announcement, Gallardo spent the weekend contemplating how he would publicly share information that was well-known to his family for a very long time.

Senate's minority whip, Gallardo, has been a frank critic of the GOP, though he never made any distinct waves when it came to gay rights. Gallardo, instead, focused his energy on immigration rights, overturning SB 1070 (also known as the "show me your papers" bill), pushing for election reform, and the promotion of disclosure laws and tighter campaigns. The fourth-generation Arizonan began his political career as an appointee to the Arizona Civil Rights Advisory Board.

Gallardo has joined Sen. Robert Meza (D-Phoenix) and Rep. Demion Clinco (D-Tucson), becoming the third openly gay member of the Legislature. Also, U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, a Democrat, has said she is bisexual.

The Senator, who served in the state House of Representatives from 2003 to 2009 and has been a state senator since 2011, has stated that he wants to share the struggles that he's felt coming out as gay with members of the LGBT community, and express the power that comes with acceptance.

Gallardo intends to serve out the duration of the legislative session; and just two weeks ago, the two-term senator announced he would run for the Democratic nomination for the District 7 seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Ed Pastor (D-Ariz), who is retiring from the U.S. Congress after 11 terms in office. Gallardo is one of three announced Democratic candidates for that seat, joining state Representative Ruben Gallego and Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox.

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