Vice Presidential Candidate Wrongly Argues that Sexual Orienation is a “Choice”

Washington, DC – Today, the National Stonewall Democrats issued the following statement in response by accusations from Governor Sarah Palin that sexual orientation is a choice:

“John McCain chose a poor running mate, but he did not choose his sexual orientation. This is another example of why we need a pro-equality President like Barack Obama in the White House. For Governor Palin to suggest that individuals randomly choose their sexual orientation based on nothing but a whim is wrong and it repeats the talking points of the anti-gay special interests which continue to control the McCain/Palin campaign and the Republican Party. ”  – Jon Hoadley, Executive Director

Governor Palin asserted that sexual orientation is a choice – a fact disputed by the majority of the scientific community – in a response to a question posed by Katie Couric of CBS News. Couric asked Palin to comment on her views regarding sexual orientation in light of revelations that Governor Palin’s church continues to promote harmful “converstion therapy” for gay Americans.

Palin responded: “But what you’re talking about, I think, value here, what my position is on homosexuality and you can pray it away, because I think that was the title that was listed on that bulletin. …  And you know, I don’t know what prayers are worthy of being prayed and I don’t know what prayers are going to be answered or not answered. But as for homosexuality, I am not going to judge Americans and the decisions that they make in their adult personal relationships. I have one of my absolute best friends for the last 30 years who happens to be gay, and I love her dearly, and she is not my ‘gay friend,’ she is one of my best friends, who happens to have made a choice that isn’t a choice that I have made. But I’m not going to judge people.”

CBS News released the interview portion quoted above late Tuesday evening.

                         A PATTERN OF DISCRIMINATION

– As Governor, Palin currently supports the efforts of radical activists to strip Alaska residents – specifically state workers – of the most basic domestic partner benefits.

– It was only when the Alaska Attorney General warned Palin that the Republican position of stripping domestic partnership benefits was unconstitutional (in light of a recent Alaska Supreme Court ruling) that Palin reluctantly vetoed legislation that would have defied the court ruling. Palin quickly moved on to support an alternate strategy to strip domestic partner benefits by placing an anti-equality amendment onto the state ballot.

– When Alaska had the opportunity to extend the freedom to marry to all Alaskan couples, Palin joined with radical efforts to scapegoat same-sex couples in order to scare voters on this issue. In 1998, Palin championed a constitutional amendment that deeply discriminated against same-sex couples in the Alaska constitution. The passage of this amendment, with the full support of Palin, kicked-off a wave of discrimination by encouraging Republicans and radical activists in other states to place similar measures on state ballots for the next decade to come.

                    An Anti-Equality Advocate from Day One

– The FIRST piece of legislation signed by Governor Palin was done at the request of radical, anti-LGBT groups.

– Palin squandered over $1.2 million of taxpayer money to place an anti-LGBT “vanity” vote before voters at the request of radical anti-LGBT activists – including Focus on the Family, the Concerned Women of America and the Family Research Council. The ballot language asked voters if they supported Republican efforts to strip existing benefits for LGBT state employees. As a non-biding initiative, the measure had no influence on Alaska law. As the only question on the ballot, Palin willingly wasted over $1.2 million in state money to promote the talking points of anti-LGBT activists.

               MCCAIN/PALIN: A TICKET SQUARELY AGAINST EQUALITY

– The McCain/Palin ticket SUPPORTS anti-marriage amendments pending before voters in Arizona, California and Florida. In fact, when asked by the Family Research Council to star in an anti-LGBT ad in 2006, Senator McCain said yes. When Arizona voters rejected his pleas by defeating the initiative, Senator McCain again offered his name to efforts to once again place an initiative on the Arizona ballot in 2008.

– The McCain/Palin ticket OPPOSES the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

– The McCain/Palin ticket OPPOSES federal hate crimes legislation.

– The McCain/Palin ticket OPPOSES the Uniting American Families Act, which would unite families headed by same-sex couples where one spouse is an American citizen.

– The McCain/Palin ticket OPPOSES the repeal of the failed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue” policy which has dismissed over 12,500 servicemembers. At a time when our military asks Americans for their service, the McCain/Palin ticket believes that millions of Americans should be barred from offering their patriotism simply because of who they are.

National Stonewall Democrats is the national voice of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and allied Democrats, with more than 90 local chapters across the nation. Stonewall Democrats works to elect more pro-equality Democrats regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity – and to improve the Democratic Party on issues important to LGBT Democrats.

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 For more information, see: www.stonewalldemocrats.org