Gay Groups Ask Senate GOP to Reconsider Santorum Post After 'insensitive' Remarks

AP ^ | 4/21/03 | Lara Jakes Jordan

[Jean S]

WASHINGTON (AP) - Gay-rights groups, fuming over Sen. Rick Santorum's comparison of homosexuality to bigamy, polygamy, incest and adultery, urged Republican leaders Monday to consider removing the Pennsylvania lawmaker from the GOP Senate leadership.

A coalition of groups in Washington and Pennsylvania compared Santorum's remarks to those by those last December by former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott about Strom Thurmond's 1948 segregationist campaign for the presidency. Shortly afterward, Lott was forced to resign as Republican Senate leader.

Santorum is chairman of the GOP conference in the Senate, third in his party's leadership, behind Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee and Assistant Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

"We're urging the Republican leadership to condemn the remarks. They were stunning in their sensitivity, and they're the same types of remarks that sparked outrage toward Sen. Lott," said David Smith, a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay advocacy organization. "We would ask that the leadership reconsider his standing within the conference leadership."

In an interview with The Associated Press, Santorum criticized homosexuality while discussing a pending Supreme Court case over a Texas sodomy law.

"If the Supreme Court says that you have the right to consensual (gay) sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to polygamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultery. You have the right to anything," Santorum, R-Pa., said in the interview, published Monday.

Santorum's spokeswoman did not have an immediate comment to the criticism from the gay rights groups. The White House did not immediately return a call seeking comment, and a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Frist declined comment.

Lott resigned his post in December after making remarks at a 100th birthday celebration for Thurmond that were widely considered racially insensitive and condemned by the White House. Lott later apologized.

Among the groups condemning Santorum's remarks were the Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights, the Pennsylvania Log Cabin Republicans, OutFront, and the Pennsylvania Gender Rights Coalition.

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On the Net:

Sen. Rick Santorum: http://santorum.senate.gov/

Human Rights Campaign: http://www.hrc.org/

AP-ES-04-21-03 1715EDT

[Consort]

Okay, everyone who thinks gays want attention from the GOP just so they can support our tax policies and other conservative issues, what do you have to say now?

The trick is to NOT rally the groups we disagree with to turn out at election time to vote for the other party. That's how elections are won or lost.

[johnb838]

I don't think Rick Santorum blows with the wind the way Trent Lott does. I hope he would tell these people that he calls 'em like he see's 'em.

[WOSG]

Yes, he is right and the Gay lobby knows it, at least wrt bigamy, polygamy and adultery. This came up in Romer v. Evans, by SC Justice Scalia.


Headline should be "Gay lobby attacks Sen Santorum for making valid legal comments about gay legal rights"

[SwinneySwitch]

"Among the groups condemning Santorum's remarks were the Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights, the Pennsylvania Log Cabin Republicans, OutFront, and the Pennsylvania Gender Rights Coalition."

Why the Pennsylvania groups?

[Paul Atreides]

Do I feel a chill-wind from the free-speech crowd?

[RAT Patrol]

Hi ya, Consort. I applaud your goals but not your methods. Besides, on a strictly strategic argument, there are far fewer gays that Republicans can either woo to vote GOP or prevent from voting RAT than there are social conservatives who will either stay home or vote 3rd party if we don't have people like Santorum taking a stand. We have to stand for something; don't we? This issue goes to the heart of our lives and involves our children. You will never get compromise from people on issues involving their kids. Not from me anyway.

[RAT Patrol]

Only liberal dissent has value, apparently.

[Jean S]

Why the Pennsylvania groups?

Santorum is one of Pennsylvania's senators.

[RushLake]

Among the groups condemning Santorum's remarks were the Center for Lesbian and Gay Civil Rights, the Pennsylvania Log Cabin Republicans, OutFront, and the Pennsylvania Gender Rights Coalition.

And I understand that they reached their decision on their position in a meeting held in a public restroom at a rest area along I-75.

[raybbr]

They were stunning in their sensitivity, and they're the same types of remarks that sparked outrage toward Sen. Lott," said David Smith, a spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay advocacy organization.

This guy should be grateful that Santorum is so sensitive to their needs. Now, were he insensitive, that would be different.

[cynicom]

Bush chose Frist, a weenie, to replace Lott, a wussie. There are MEN that should be doing the job.

[judgeandjury]

Gay-rights groups, fuming over Sen. Rick Santorum's comparison of homosexuality to bigamy, polygamy, incest and adultery,...

A coalition of groups in Washington and Pennsylvania compared Santorum's remarks to those by those last December by former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott...

So, gay-rights groups, who are unhappy that Santorum made a distasteful comparison regarding them, turn right around and make a distasteful comparison of their own about Santorum. Typical hypocrites.

[judgeandjury]

The trick is to NOT rally the groups we disagree with to turn out at election time to vote for the other party. That's how elections are won or lost.

If we assume that they are single issue voters.

[lugsoul]

From a legal standpoint: bigamy and polygamy no - incest no - adultery yes

[rovenstinez]

They suffer so much. Poor things. We must really feel sorry for them. So disgusting that anyone would say something mean and awful about the such wonderful human beings. We need to be nice to gays. They need our compassionate understanding, they are the only group in the world that is maligned, misrepresented, and singled out and disliked. Huh? Born again Christians take 100X more rap, and they aren't bawling in their spilt milk. Go get a life!!

[Jorge]

While I agree with most of what Rick Santorum said...and have always liked him....I think this was a politically stupid thing to say.
I bet he ends up apologizing.

[HumanaeVitae]

"If the Supreme Court says that you have the right to consensual (gay) sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to polygamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultery. You have the right to anything,"

Rick, you're a good man and you're speaking the truth. Don't back down! The left-wing media simply doesn't have the power that it used to. Get Dr. Laura, Limbaugh, anyone you can to back you on this.

Send a message to the cultural-Bolsheviks that things have changed.

[SunStar]

A coalition of groups in Washington and Pennsylvania compared Santorum's remarks to those by those last December by former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott about Strom Thurmond's 1948 segregationist campaign for the presidency.

Nice try, soddomites. You are not an entire race of people. You are sexual deviants. Your agenda cannot ever be compared to the civil rights movement!