Gayle Ruzicka apologizes for racy photo spread in Vanity Fair

Her fans are demanding she resign. Even her followers insist she be arrested. Either way, nearly all agree that Gayle Ruzicka, president of the Utah Eagle Forum, should fly the coop.

Known throughout Utah for her organized attacks against anti-family causes, Ruzicka had built up a reputation over the past decade as a defender of the moral majority in Utah. As president of the conservative interest group Utah Eagle Forum, Ruzicka had led the charge against a wide host of liberal issues and causes, including the homosexual agenda in particular. Her long and storied career however is quickly unraveling as Ruzicka comes under fire herself – due to her recent pictures in Vanity Fair.

A recent spread in Vanity Fair shows Ruzicka posing topless, with her bare back exposed but her front covered with a bedsheet. The photo shoot, which appeared in the April 28th issues of Vanity Fair, was taken by well-known celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz. While the pictures were originally meant to portray a more artistic and playful side of Ruzicka, the pictures have caused widespread controversy and a firestorm of a backlash from her fan.

“It’s outrageous!” yelled homemaker Sharlene Johnson. “Stay-at-home moms and homemakers across Utah look to Gayle as a role model! And how does she thank us for supporting her conservative ideals … by taking these [edited] filthy pictures? It’s a disgrace. She certainly didn’t think about the children.”

Karolyn Hansen, owner of a Provo-based scrapbooking supply store, echoed similar sentiments. “I used to rely on Gayle to be my moral compass. She said ‘we need to stick it to the gays,’ and I listened. I didn’t even judge her when her son died of a drug overdose and she tried to cover it up in the media. But posing naked in Vanity Fair? That just crosses the line.”

In response to the backlash against the tasteless pictures, Ruzicka made the following statement: “I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be ‘artistic’ and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed. I never intended for any of this to happen and I apologize to my fans who I care so deeply about. Oh, and I hate gay people.”

It was unclear as of press time whether Ruzicka would be stepping down as president.

More Utah news at The Regal Seagull