A family divided.

Over the past decade, Alan Keyes had been quite the prolific campaigner. He ran for the Republican nomination for President in 1996 and 2000. He was also the sacrificial lamb GOP candidate for U.S. Senate in the state of Illinois in 2004. He was soundly defeated by Barack Obama in that race

Despite the string of political defeats over the past 10-plus years, Keyes has captured the attention of many moral conservatives. Whether it’s his hard-line stance on the sanctity of life or his frankness in declaring the homosexual lifestyle as hedonistic, Keyes has maintained the ability to speak in a manner which continually eludes many mainstream politicians. I for one have applauded Mr. Keyes for his willingness to not compromise his principles for the sake of gaining political power.

Since Keyes’ defeat in the ’04 Illinois Senate race, I must admit I’ve paid little attention to both his political and personal exploits.

I guess that’s how I missed the February 2005 Washington Post article detailing the strained relationship between Keyes and his daughter, Maya.


Maya Keyes loves her father and mother. She put off college and moved from the family home in Darnestown to Chicago to be with her dad on a grand adventure. Even though she disagrees with him on "almost everything" political, she worked hard for his quixotic and losing campaign for the U.S. Senate.

Now Maya Keyes -- liberal, lesbian and a little lost -- finds herself out on her own. She says her parents -- conservative commentator and perennial candidate Alan Keyes and his wife, Jocelyn -- threw her out of their house, refused to pay her college tuition and stopped speaking to her.


Unfortunately I haven’t heard Alan Keyes’ side of the story, other than a prepared statement to whoever contacted his office to inquire about his daughter.


"My daughter is an adult, and she is responsible for her own actions. What she chooses to do has nothing to do with my work or political activities."


Despite the strained relations, Maya is able to maintain a healthy respect for her father.


"I disagree with nearly all his views, but he's very honest and has a lot of integrity."


What isn’t specifically addressed is if Maya feels she has lost her parents’ love. In a situation like this I am quite certain that Alan Keyes, while strongly disagreeing with his daughter’s choices in life, is still able to maintain that unconditional parental love. However, it’s quite the balancing act for parents to explain to their children that they are still loved while at the same time being abhorred by their actions.

Whatever the situation with the Keyes family, Alan has been put into a no-win situation. For condemning his daughter’s homosexuality, he’s called a bigot. But if he were to advocate Maya’s lifestyle choice while voicing disapproval for all others, he’d be labeled a hypocrite.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Keyes family in the hope that they soon reconcile.