Rick Perry compares homosexuality to alcoholism

K1052

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Aug 21, 2003
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http://m.sfgate.com/politics/article/In-S-F-Rick-Perry-compares-homosexuality-to-5546544.php

"Whether or not you feel compelled to follow a particular lifestyle or not, you have the ability to decide not to do that," 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 the same way."

The large crowd gathered at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins hotel on Nob Hill included many Perry supporters. But the comment still drew a murmur of disbelief.

Yet more insightful commentary from the good Governor of Texas. His wisdom seemingly knows no bounds....not even reason or tact.
 

alzan

Diamond Member
May 21, 2003
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He's ill-informed. Whether it's willful or accidental for far more learned people than I to discover.

There are many reasons I'm glad I don't live in Texas; Perry and his "reasoning" skills are close to the top of the list.
 
Feb 16, 2005
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ahh good, "El Capitán Shit For Brains" has spouted off some more useless drivel. He needs a good ball-peen hammer to the frontal lobe.
 
Feb 6, 2007
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Technically what he said is correct. There's a genetic basis for alcoholism and there's a genetic basis for homosexuality, and both are tied to behavior; you can be an alcoholic and refuse to drink, and you can be a homosexual and refuse to engage in sexual activity. This is true. However, where the analogy falls down is that alcoholism and alcohol abuse can have a strong negative impact on a person's ability to live a productive life; alcohol abuse damages the body and can lead to diseases of the liver, heart, brain and kidneys, it can cause problems in personal relationships and damage one's ability to hold down productive employment. None of that is true for homosexual relationships. Being gay doesn't lead to cirrhosis. A lesbian relationship isn't going to cause chronic absenteeism at work due to "gay hangovers." No one gets impaired from driving under the influence of "the gay." There's plenty of valid reasons why we should work to prevent alcohol abuse, and not a single one transfers over into preventing loving relationships between consenting adults. It's an utterly useless analogy.
 

nehalem256

Lifer
Apr 13, 2012
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Technically what he said is correct. There's a genetic basis for alcoholism and there's a genetic basis for homosexuality, and both are tied to behavior; you can be an alcoholic and refuse to drink, and you can be a homosexual and refuse to engage in sexual activity. This is true. However, where the analogy falls down is that alcoholism and alcohol abuse can have a strong negative impact on a person's ability to live a productive life; alcohol abuse damages the body and can lead to diseases of the liver, heart, brain and kidneys, it can cause problems in personal relationships and damage one's ability to hold down productive employment. None of that is true for homosexual relationships. Being gay doesn't lead to cirrhosis. A lesbian relationship isn't going to cause chronic absenteeism at work due to "gay hangovers." No one gets impaired from driving under the influence of "the gay." There's plenty of valid reasons why we should work to prevent alcohol abuse, and not a single one transfers over into preventing loving relationships between consenting adults. It's an utterly useless analogy.

1/5 gay men in the US have HIV.

Gay men are something like 50-100x more likely to contract HIV than a straight person.
 

Genx87

Lifer
Apr 8, 2002
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Is this where he brings up treatment for teh gay like alcoholism? I heard Tejas embraced that policy last week lol
 
Feb 6, 2007
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1/5 gay men in the US have HIV.

Gay men are something like 50-100x more likely to contract HIV than a straight person.

One of the best tools for preventing the spread of sexually transmitted infections is encouraging long-term, monogamous relationships such as marriage; even if both partners in the relationship end up infected, by remaining monogamous they don't infect others. I'll jot you down as being in support of gay marriage owing to your concerns about helping stem the spread of HIV in the gay community.
 

ElFenix

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"Whether or not you feel compelled to follow a particular lifestyle or not, you have the ability to decide not to do that," Perry said
he would know. scuttlebutt has it he's fallen off the wagon a couple times.
 

nehalem256

Lifer
Apr 13, 2012
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One of the best tools for preventing the spread of sexually transmitted infections is encouraging long-term, monogamous relationships such as marriage; even if both partners in the relationship end up infected, by remaining monogamous they don't infect others. I'll jot you down as being in support of gay marriage owing to your concerns about helping stem the spread of HIV in the gay community.

Somehow I doubt that gay men who engage in a "swinger" lifestyle are just going to suddenly become monogamous because same-sex marriage becomes legal.

You might also try reading what some gay same-sex marriage supporters think about monogamous marriage. In short monogamy and marriage are not synonymous.

Not to mention that screwing around from 18-30, then getting married leads ample time to catch HIV.
 

K1052

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Aug 21, 2003
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Is this where he brings up treatment for teh gay like alcoholism? I heard Tejas embraced that policy last week lol

The Texas GOP made it a plank in their platform recently.

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/06/texas-republicans-reparative-therapy-gays-107567.html

Under the new plank, the Texas GOP recognizes "the legitimacy and efficacy of counseling, which offers reparative therapy and treatment for those patients seeking healing and wholeness from their homosexual lifestyle."
 

shira

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Jan 12, 2005
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1/5 gay men in the US have HIV.

Gay men are something like 50-100x more likely to contract HIV than a straight person.
About 8400 people a year die from AIDs in the U.S. About 88,000 people a year die from alcohol-related illnesses in the U.S.

So I assume your conclusion is that people who drink alcohol shouldn't be allowed to marry.
 

dank69

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Oct 6, 2009
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stan%20south%20park.jpg
 

ElFenix

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the funny part, by comparing it to alcoholism, which is an inherent trait people have no control over other than their own ability not to imbibe, he's basically admitted that homosexuality is an inherent trait that people have no control over. that's way more progressive than claiming that gay can be cured. in one sentence he's given lie to the texas GOP's platform on "teh gay!"
 
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justoh

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Jun 11, 2013
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How could 1/5 of gay men have hiv in the us, when only a million americans have hiv, according to the cdc?
 

brycejones

Lifer
Oct 18, 2005
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Another day, another ignorant statement on sexuality from the crazy conservative wing of the GOP.
 

ElFenix

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How could 1/5 of gay men have hiv in the us, when only a million americans have hiv, according to the cdc?

To get these numbers, CDC teams visited bars, dance clubs, and other venues frequented by gay and bisexual men in the 21 cities with the highest number of AIDS cases.
i think there's a bit of a selection bias there. they went to high-risk places, and in those high-risk places, 1 in 5 MSM have the hiv.