Perry: Being gay is similar to being alcoholic: Damn I feel so drunk!
Fresh off a suburban Denver fundraiser with a $5,000 per person price tag, Texas Gov.Rick Perry became the fourth
GOP candidate to sign the National Organization for Marriage’s anti-marriage equality pledge.
Of course, Perry’s position on marriage for gays and lesbians is nothing new. In a 2008 book, he wrote:
Even if an alcoholic is powerless over alcohol once it enters his body, he still makes a choice to drink. And, even if someone is attracted to a person of the same sex, he or she still makes a choice to engage in sexual activity with someone of the same gender.
Even before Perry signed the pledge to support a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, Brad Clark, executive director of One Colorado, had this to say about Perry’s book, via email:
“Comments like Perry’s simply perpetuate biased untruths and fuel the fires of hatred against gay and lesbian people. Every major medical and psychological association in this country has refuted and rejected comparisons between being gay and alcoholism. Perry’s beliefs are extreme and out-of-touch with everyday people who know, love, and accept their gay and lesbian neighbors, co-workers, and friends for who they are.”
“We have a real problem with that pledge,” One Colorado’s communications managerJess Cook Woodrum told the Colorado Independent.
She said that while it may seem smart to play to the fringes now, she’s not sure anyone can be elected president with such anti-equality views.
“We’re seeing a real sea change in public opinion on these issues. … Eighty percent of Americans supported the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, but now even some of theRepublicans are talking about going back to that,” Cook Woodrum said.
“I think a pro-equality Republican could receive across the board support, but I think taking these real anti-gay positions will prove problematic when they get to the general election. It will be a real problem for them if they continue with these real anti-gay positions.”
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