Portland’s first openly-gay mayor Sam Adams has said he will not resign from his position after facing harsh criticism for an affair he had with an 18 year old intern in 2005.  Although the relationship was considered to be legal, Adams denied its existence throughout his campaign, and denounced it as a smear against him.

However, Adams revealed last week that that he had a consensual relationship with the then-18-year-old legislative intern named Beau Breedlove.  Adams said that they met when Breedlove was 17, but that they were not involved in a physical relationship until after Breedlove turned 18.

Commissioner Randy Leonard received a phone call from Adams at 8 am today that said, “Regardless of what you think about me and regardless of what you think about the veracity of what I’m saying, I deserve due process and I’m going to stay on.”

Hundreds of supporters rallied in Portland Friday night in support of the mayor, including Dan Savage, Seattle’s widely syndicated sex columnist and LGBT rights advocate.

Adams is currently under investigation by the attorney general’s office.

A video of the rally after the jump… Continue reading ‘Portland Mayor Sam Adams decides to stay in office after controversy’