Chris Barron, chairman of gay GOP group
GOProud, thinks talk of Michele Bachmann's “ex-gay” links is
“silly season.”
Bachmann ran for cover as allegations
surfaced that the Christian counseling center run by her husband,
Marcus Bachmann, practices “reparative” therapy, a discredited
pseudo-science that supporters say offers hope for people with
unwanted same-sex attractions. Mr.
Bachmann has denied the claims.
The Minnesota representative stopped
talking about gay rights soon after she officially declared her
candidacy for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination.
Michele Bachmann refused to talk about
the allegations when asked by ABC News.
Bachmann and former Pennsylvania
Senator Rick Santorum are the GOP field's most vociferous opponents
of gay rights.
Even so, GOProud says it is “committed
to defeating Barack Obama in 2012” and has requested a meeting with
Bachmann.
In
an interview with gay glossy The Advocate, Barron
suggested that Bachmann might not believe gay people can be “cured”
through prayer.
“I have absolutely no idea. None
whatsoever,” Barron answered when asked about Bachmann's position
on “reparative” therapy. “I'll be totally honest with you, I
think this whole conversation about reparative therapy is just silly
season. I don't believe in reparative therapy. I don't think many
serious people believe in reparative therapy.”
He went on to state gay rights groups
such as the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) are simply exploiting the
issue to raise funds, and he went on to chide HRC for going
after Bachmann.
“If they are really worried about
Michele Bachmann, the best thing they can do is shut up,” Barron
said. “Because every time they go out and attack Michele Bachmann
it makes her more popular among conservatives, not less popular.”