As for those who feel that a family man and a conservative senator would be unlikely to engage in such acts, Mr. Humphreys\u2019s research says otherwise. As a former Episcopal priest and closeted gay man himself, he was surprised when he interviewed his subjects to learn that most of them were married; their houses were just a little bit nicer than most, their yards better kept. They were well educated, worked longer hours, tended to be active in the church and the community but, unexpectedly, were usually politically and socially conservative, and quite vocal about it.<\/p>\n
In other words, not only did these men have nice families, they had nice families who seemed to believe what the fathers loudly preached about the sanctity of marriage. Mr. Humphreys called this paradox \u201cthe breastplate of righteousness.\u201d\u009d The more a man had to lose by having a secret life, the more he acquired the trappings of respectability: \u201cHis armor has a particularly shiny quality, a refulgence, which tends to blind the audience to certain of his practices. To others in his everyday world, he is not only normal but righteous \u201d\u201d an exemplar of good behavior and right thinking.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n
Mr. Humphreys even anticipated the vehement denials of men who are outed: \u201cThe secret offender may well believe he is more righteous than the next man, hence his shock and outrage, his disbelieving indignation, when he is discovered and discredited.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n