Dixon says child abuse led to gay past

The 2016 race for governor received a shakeup over the weekend when Sen. Bob Dixon, R-Springfield, answered questions about his gay past.

According to St. Louis Public Radio, Dixon responded to queries about his past with an email statement that blamed child abuse for his “teenage confusion.” The report states Dixon had previously acknowledged he lived several years as a young, gay man.

He is currently a married father of three, who had announced on July 20 his candidacy for governor alongside his family in front of his Springfield home.

A 2009 local blog post from Jim Lee cites a 1992 article in the Springfield News-Leader where former Rep. Jean Dixon said her son Bob lived as a homosexual for about five years before a religious experience caused him to change.

Read more from St. Louis Public Radio.