This afternoon Anthony Weiner announced his resignation as New York's Representaive of the 9th Congressional District.
He apologized to Huma, his wife, his neighbors and his constituents once again for "the personal mistakes I have made and the embarassment I have caused." Weiner went on to say:
''I had hoped to be able to continue the work that the citizens of my district elected me to do. To fight for the middle class and those struggling to make it. Unfortunately, the distraction that I have created has made that impossible. So, today I am announcing my resignation from Congress, so my neighbors can get back to work, my neighbors can choose a new Representative and my wife and I can continue to heal from the damage I have caused.''
He thanked those around him and promised to continue "to give voice to the many who simply did not have one."
As had happened in a previous press conference, there was at least one raucous heckler who tried to turn the event into a circus by calling him a ''pervert'' and yelling out a question about the size of his manhood.
Representative Weiner's resignation means the loss of a strong advocate for gay and lesbian equality. Several prominent Democrats asked Weiner to step down, and in doing so broke ties with a fierce champion of civil rights and "progressive" causes.
Read more about his sponsorship of many pro-LGBT bills and the events that led to his stepping down.
