I’m stunned that Rick Perry allowed himself to be drawn into a discussion of homosexuality in an appearance before the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco, in the nation’s most gay-friendly city. I thought he was far too seasoned a politician to make that kind of blunder. Apparently not. Here’s what Perry said:
“I may have the genetic coding that I’m inclined to be an alcoholic, but I have the desire not to do that. And I look at the homosexual issue in the same way.”
Perhaps this should not come as a suprise because it reflects the thinking of the Texas Republican Party at large, which recently adopted a party platform that supports the legality of gay-conversion therapy. That platform reads, “We recognize the legitimacy and value of counseling which offers reparative therapy and treatment to patients who are seeking escape from the homosexual lifestyle. No laws or executive orders shall be imposed to limit or restrict access to this type of therapy.”
As a presumed candidate for president, Perry should know that reparative therapy is a discredited idea. This is completely off-the-wall nutty. Alcoholism is a disease. It can be treated. Being gay is not a disease. This just makes Texas–and Texans–look ridiculous.
