It is the latest sharp turn in the career of a charismatic local politician who at one time appeared destined for higher office in the Bay State. The episode, observers and Barrios defenders say, also illustrates the pressures on nonprofit groups to continue fund-raising through a difficult economy.
“Jarrett was an innocent victim of a larger debate within the gay community about corporate funding,’’ said Phil Johnston, a former Democratic Party state chairman and longtime Barrios supporter. “A lot of major nonprofits are doing the same thing.’’
Other liberal-leaning groups also endorsed the telecom merger after receiving money from AT&T, including the NAACP and the National Education Association, according to Politico, which first broke the story of Barrios’s resignation. His endorsement letter was cosigned by Justin Nelson, president of the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
Barrios did not respond to messages yesterday. On his Facebook page, he said that it had been a “tough weekend’’ but that he had made the right decision. “Now I will begin the next several weeks to work with board on managing the transition,’’ he wrote. “To my friends, thank you for the outpouring of support. Truly overwhelming.’’
Barrios, 41, a Harvard graduate, is one of the Bay State’s best known advocates for gay rights. The Cambridge Democrat was elected to the Massachusetts House in 1998 and then in 2002 became the first openly gay man and first Latino to win a seat in the Senate. He was outspoken in the debate to preserve gay marriage rights in Massachusetts and was one of the first elected officials in the country to marry his partner, former Al Gore spokesman Doug Hattaway. Barrios announced last year the couple would divorce.
