Tom Kean Jr, a Republican congressman who disappeared from the Capitol for nearly four months with little explanation, re-emerged on Tuesday and said that he was absent while dealing with depression.
“Several months ago, due to health concerns, I entered the hospital for some testing. I did not believe that this would result in a long-term stay. I was given the diagnosis of depression,” Kean said in a speech on the floor of the House Tuesday morning.
Kean, who represents a swing district in New Jersey, had last voted on 5 March before disappearing, with his office in late April saying only that he was dealing with a “personal health matter” and would be back “soon”.
In the first comments he has made since returning to Washington DC, the congressman did not say directly why he had kept his mental health struggles private, but described himself as a “private person by nature”, and indicated that the treatment for depression took longer than expected.
Y’all. This man was dealing with depression, is public about it, and is reducing the stigma around it by being open about it. And y’all have nothing but ableist platitudes because he’s a republican? God that’s so fucked and some shameful hyperpartisan bullshit. I’m sick of republican bullshit, too. You know, the republican bullshit of downplaying mental health, denying things like depression exist, resisting treatment personally and for others, perpetuating stigma of men suffering depression by telling them to “man up”, etc. And you know what? When a republican learns to fight all that bullshit, I fucking welcome it. How the fuck do y’all expect the world to become a better place when you reject good things happening? A republican doesn’t wake up one day and say “ah beans, I really should stop supporting evil and oppressive policies by empowering the already rich and powerful and focus on tearing down systems of oppression built by previous legislators”. The change starts with shit like this.
Meh, he’s probably lying cuz he’s a republican politician. He was mia for months. I appreciate your positive thinking, but I’m not giving him any fucking slack. Let’s see how this plays out.