Openly gay former Massachusetts state Rep. Jarrett Barrios participated in a forum at Harvard University, accompanied by other LGBT leaders, on the viability of openly gay elected officials. After a student’s question suggested that straight allies might be the best people to advance the LGBT movement, the forum evolved into a broader discussion on the role of LGBT elected officals.

Barrios, for one, took issue with the idea that openly gay lawmakers aren’t the best people to speak on behalf of the community, according to the Bay Windows.

“What does it say when a gay person who’s grown up their lives in the closet, afraid to say what they are, finally comes out, runs for office, and then runs from the issue? It reaffirms everything in straight people’s minds about our lack of self esteem and our closeted-ness and our inability to speak up for ourselves, which is why it is when you poll Americans, Americans who know gay people, and they still don’t support ENDA, for example, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, ’Oh, I didn’t realize they were discriminated against,’ is what they say, ’because my gay friends never told me, or my gay family member never said it was an issue,’” he said.

“This is as much an issue for gay people with their family and friends in the larger political sphere as it is for elected gay people standing up for these people in the corridors of power.”

Massachusetts state Rep. Liz Malia and Connecticut state Rep. Jason Bartlett joined Barrios on the panel. Bartlett, who came out recently while already in office, claimed that his first responsibility is to his constituents, not the broader gay community.

“But in my district, for me to get re-elected, my bonding issue’s more important, my earmarks are more important, my environmental record’s more important. I represent my district,” he said.

Connecticut State Rep. Jason Bartlett publicly came out today during a meeting with The News-Times. The announcement makes Bartlett the state’s first and only openly LGBT African American state legislator.

Gordon Fox, the Rhode Island state House of Representatives’ Majority Leader, came out in 2004 — making him the nation’s first black gay state legislator.

Bartlett, a Democrat, claims that he has been open about his sexuality with his family, but decided that now was the right time to make it public.

“For me the decision came down to why not now,” he told the paper. “To me this is about having a conversation with my larger family – the people of Greater Danbury who voted for me.”

Bartlett said rumors about his sexual orientation had circulated during past political campaigns.