Armistead Maupin: 'We Give Our Families Too Much Slack When They Vote for Homophobes'

Writer Armistead Maupin told the UK's Pink News that he's "outraged" over GOP presidential candidates using homophobia to rally their base, and said LGBT people need to let families members know it does matter when they vote for them.

"I'm outraged that there are currently major candidates for President of the United States who are using homophobia to rally their base," said the Tales of the City author. "I'm pissed off at my Republican family back in North Carolina, several of whom came to my wedding, but who went right back and are voting for homophobes and acting like it doesn't matter. It does matter and it's time for the queers in this country to start saying so to their families. I think we've all cut them too much slack for far too long."

Maupin also said that writing Tales of the City helped him realize his role in the world as a gay man.

"I came out in the course of writing Tales of The City and realized that part of my function was to be very clear and very public as a gay man," he said. "I'm prouder of that than anything I've else done."