September 23, 2011 10:42 AM

Republican Gay rights group demands apology from Santorum

By
Lucy Madison
Topics
Campaign 2012

Republican presidential candidate former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, answers a question during a debate, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011, in Orlando, Fla.

(Credit: Pool,AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Members of the conservative gay rights group GOProud are demanding an apology from Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum for what they call his disrespectful comments directed at a gay soldier in Thursday night's GOP presidential debate.

"Tonight, Rick Santorum disrespected our brave men and women in uniform, and he owes Stephen Hill, the gay soldier who asked him the question about Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal, an immediate apology," said GOProud's Christopher Barron and Jimmy LaSalvia in a Thursday night press release.

During the Fox News/Google-sponsored debate, which took place in Orlando, Florida, a gay soldier deployed in Iraq asked the candidates if they would take measures to "circumvent" the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," if elected president.

Some audience members audibly booed the soldier -- a moment the GOP candidates on stage chose to ignore.

GOProud also noted that Santorum, who answered the question, declined to thank the soldier for his service, and called the repeal of DADT "social experimentation" - and "tragic."

"I would say any type of sexual activity has absolutely no place in the military," Santorum responded. "And the fact that they're making a point to include it as a provision within the military that we are going to recognize a group of people and give them a special privilege to -- and removing 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' I think tries to inject social policy into the military. And the military's job is to do one thing, and that is to defend our country."

He added: "What we're doing is playing social experimentation with our military right now. And that's tragic."

GOProud blasted Santorum for being "blinded by his anti-gay bigotry," and pointed out that the former two-term Pennsylvania senator had never served in the military.

"That brave gay soldier is doing something Rick Santorum has never done - put his life on the line to defend our freedoms and our way of life. It is telling that Rick Santorum is so blinded by his anti-gay bigotry that he couldn't even bring himself to thank that gay soldier for his service," they wrote. "Stephen Hill is serving our country in Iraq, fighting a war Senator Santorum says he supports. How can Senator Santorum claim to support this war if he doesn't support the brave men and women who are fighting it?"


Add a Comment See all 246 Comments
by Normus September 25, 2011 2:26 PM EDT
One of Santorum's few remarks that I agree with; the military is not some gay singles dating service. Along those lines, the sexual orientation of a soldier should have no bearing whatsoever, regardless if it is normal(1) or deviant(2) - so shut the hell up, grab your rifle, and fall in, soldier.

(1) "normal" refers to the natural reproductive functionality of human male and female sexual organs.
(2) just because it fits or feels good doesn't mean it is "normal"; goats, sheep, or watermelons would all be considered a deviation from "normal."
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by Guitfiddel September 24, 2011 6:21 PM EDT
Members of the conservative gay rights group GOProud are demanding an apology? WHAT?!!!

That would be like the "Black Skin Heads" (if there was such a thing) demanding an apology from the Klan! How ridiculous is it to be Gay and Right Wing? That's kinda' like being a bunch of stupid hens rallying for Colonel Saunders right to sell FRIED CHICKEN isn't it? GOProud should apologize to the Gay Community instead of expecting an apology....talk about LOONY!!
Reply to this comment
by Guitfiddel September 24, 2011 6:17 PM EDT
Members of the conservative gay rights group GOProud are demanding an apology? WHAT?!!!

That would be like the "Black Skin Heads" (if there was such a thing) demanding an apology from the Klan! How ridiculous is it to be Gay and Right Wing? That's kinda' like being a bunch of stupid hens rallying for Colonel Saunders right to sell FRIED CHICKEN isn't it? GOProud should apologize to the Gay Community instead of expecting an apology....talk about LOONY!!
Reply to this comment
by Hlloona September 24, 2011 10:03 AM EDT
What no one seems to understand is that IF homosexuals were honest instead of being liars who commit fraud to illegally, join the military,a fact the homosexual soldier lamented by prefacing his question with the statement to the effect, I had (someone hold a gun to his head) to lie to keep my job, which is but a lie on top of the enlistment lie to begin with. Therefore, I say again, had they been honest and not join in the first place there wouldn't be any homosexuals in the military, problem solved. BTW, The same would be true for illegal aliens who don't respect our law, and to compound matters the Obama regime ignores our laws and constitution whenever he feels like it, so without consequences the lawlessness will continue.
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by ge556 September 24, 2011 11:39 AM EDT
Having no homosexuals in the military would not solve the problem, which is bigotry.
by Dgunner September 24, 2011 8:14 AM EDT
I never knew if a gay soldier was beside me or not in my decade of service becuase it was kept secret in thoise days.I know for a fact "There is no such thing as predjudice in a foxhole during a firefight".AS for the underground parites and meeting places of the 60s and 70s I never saw one or even heard of them until the 80s.That is how concerned I was and still am with this whole DADT program.This country may have SEALs that are gay but would never tell then again there isn't any test for gayness that im aware of.I knoiw a lot of males who think flowers are pretty and take the moral high ground and they wouldn't have any problem putting your head in bucket and carrying up the high ground with them . Does this make them well trained or pshycos?I guess you have to decide your country trained them.
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by billholahan September 24, 2011 7:06 AM EDT
Why does Santorum say that gay people are getting SPECIAL priviliges? Since when does being treated equally turn into something special? Santorum is right that sex and sexuality are not the main purpose of our military, but this tenet applies equally to both men and women regardless of orientation.

Can we blame Santorum's disrespect on his ignorance? Either way, he is wrong and will never be chosen as a candidate, and will never be elected to the presidency. What a waste of money!
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by Excalibrationist September 24, 2011 6:25 AM EDT
Well, I guess Santorum is licked, eh?
: (
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by Jaylah54 September 24, 2011 3:26 AM EDT
Rick Santorum has a lot more than that to apologize for. (Like taking up space and wasting perfectly good oxygen.)
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by slappy-mcjohnson September 24, 2011 1:15 AM EDT
by TakeNoBull1

uh Mortarman the point is that Santorum actually agrees with the audience that the US marines etc do not need a bunch of homos, trans sexuals, and etc in the barracks and showers.

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You both are freakin' homophobes!

I served with homosexuals, and never had an advance from one of them. As far as I knew, they had no interest in heteros.

They did care about serving the country, though, and were willing to put their lives on the line to defend your freedom of speech, even if it's against them.

Hell, if you ever showered in gym in school, you almost certainly showered with a gay guy or two. Did any of you suddenly turn gay? Were you traumatized? Or did you mind your own damn business?


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Reply to this comment
by slappy-mcjohnson September 24, 2011 1:17 AM EDT
And before you say you aren't afraid of gays, look up the other meanings of the suffix "-phobe".
by rennin1 September 24, 2011 1:12 PM EDT
Homophobia is a myth created by liberals to foist the gay agenda onto the rest of our society. The word 'homophobia' did not even exist before 1955 and is a political term not a clincal one.
by slappy-mcjohnson September 24, 2011 1:01 AM EDT
by Mortarman29_1SG September 24, 2011 12:14 AM EDT
Discriminating on behavior...there is nothing wrong with that.

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Being gay is not "behavior" any more than your being heterosexual is "behavior". It's nature.

Do you alert your neighbors when you have sex, and indicate that you're having it with your wife, or do YOU prefer privacy?

Keep your f'in nose out of other peoples' private lives. Jesus would do that, too, but of course you have no clue who He was.


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