George Santos to gays at the RNC: 'Just come out of the closet boys'

Santos, the gay Republican expelled from the House of Representatives last year, took the comedic post seriously, crafting a serious video response to the satire that urged closeted LGBTQ+ conservatives to come out.

“So Grindr executives are calling the RNC convention ‘Grindr’s Super Bowl.' I’m openly gay, no qualms about it, proud conservative Republican,” he said. “Let me tell you something: Just come out of the closet boys! Come on, it’s fun! You can be gay and conservative. Grindr is always outing you anyways based on the hits. And guess who’s in town? It’s all you conservatives. Bye!”

While there's no other confirmation of the quote from The Halfway Post, many regular Grindr users in Milwaukee have noticed an uptick in right-wing men looking for hookups since the RNC began on Monday. Some posted screenshots from profiles of men seemingly in the military with bios like "Masc for masc" and “Taken. Here for a week. Looking to see what I’m missing."

Some online expressed frustration that members of the party campaigning on rolling back LGBTQ+ rights are trying to secretly be part of queer life, while others just expressed pity.

Santos himself is "out" in more ways than one — he made history by becoming the sixth member to ever be kicked out of the U.S. House of Representatives in December, halfway through his first term representing New York’s Third Congressional District. His expulsion followed a detailed investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which uncovered extensive evidence of alleged misconduct, including campaign finance violations and misrepresentation of his background.

Santos was accused of defrauding donors by fabricating significant parts of his resume and personal history, as well as misusing campaign funds for personal expenses — including on luxury designer goods and OnlyFans subscriptions.