If you want to set off either of the Ricks — Santorum and Perry — in the GOP race, all you have to do is whisper something about Teh Gay.
First up, the former senator of Pennsylvania once again shows that when he thinks about gay people, all he can come up with is what they must be doing in bed. At an event at a Christian college in Iowa earlier this week he was asked how same-sex marriage would have any impact on straight marriage.
Santorum then said that if same sex marriage was legalized then “their sexual activity” would be seen as “equal” to heterosexual relationships and it would be taught in schools.
“Really- wow- um okay, well let’s see if we can have a discussion. We can flesh out some, well, let’s look at what’s going to be taught in our schools because now we have same sex couples being the same and their sexual activity being seen as equal and being affirmed by society as heterosexual couples and their activity,” Santorum said.
Note how he immediately goes to the sex. There’s no discussion about stability or common good or even raising kids — gay parents exist, you know — or any of the hundreds of things that people do outside of having sex. But Mr. Santorum just can’t get beyond that. It’s kind of creepy; he’s more obsessed with other peoples’ sex lives than any candidate for president ought to be.
Next up is Rick Perry, the manly governor of Texas. Yesterday the White House announced in a memo that the State Department would help pursue greater equality in countries where gay and lesbian citizens lives are threatened.
“I am deeply concerned by the violence and discrimination targeting LGBT persons around the world,” President Obama said in the memo. “Whether it is passing laws that criminalize LGBT status, beating citizens simply for joining peaceful LGBT pride celebrations, or killing men, women, and children for their perceived sexual orientation.”
And, as noted above, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told the UN in Geneva that the United States would stand up for gay rights around the world.
That was enough for Mr. Perry to launch an attack.
“Promoting special rights for gays in foreign countries is not in America’s interests and not worth a dime of taxpayers’ money,” he said. “But there is a troubling trend here beyond the national security nonsense inherent in this silly idea. This is just the most recent example of an administration at war with people of faith in this country. Investing tax dollars promoting a lifestyle many Americas of faith find so deeply objectionable is wrong.”
Do I really have to detail again why protecting the rights of people regardless of their sexual orientation is not “promoting special rights”? After all, since the laws of this country deprive gay people of many of their rights already, even if we got the mythical “special rights,” we’d just be catching up to the rest of the country. And do I have to explain again that standing up for the rights of gay people is not an assault on faith, since there are a number of religious groups of all denominations, including Christians, who welcome and support their gay and lesbian congregants? As much as he might not like it, Mr. Perry has to remember that America is not one great big Jesus-shouting megachurch.
Neither of these Ricks can see beyond the end of their dicks when it comes to the rights of the LGBT community. It really makes you wonder if they have the judgment and maturity to be entrusted with the leadership of the free world. Hell, I wouldn’t trust them around a Boy Scout troop.
