Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett has
apologized for comparing gay marriage to incest.
The Republican governor angered
marriage equality advocates with his remarks made Friday morning
during an appearance on Harrisburg's WHP-TV.
Corbett was asked about a statement his
lawyers made in a recent court filing to stop a county clerk from
issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples. The lawyers
argued that licenses issued to gay couples are invalid because such
couples – like “12-year-olds” – can't marry.
“It was an inappropriate analogy, you
know. I think a much better analogy would have been brother and
sister, don't you?” Corbett, an opponent of marriage equality,
answered with a smile.
“I don't know,” the anchor
responded.
(Watch
video of the interview at our video library.)
Corbett, a former state attorney
general, added that he does not believe a pending challenge to the
state's marriage ban belongs in federal court.
Ted Martin of Equality Pennsylvania,
the state's largest LGBT rights advocate, called Corbett's remarks
“shocking and hurtful.”
“Gov. Corbett's comments aren't
simply offensive; they're out of touch,” Martin said.
Within hours, Corbett apologized in a
written statement.
“My words were not intended to offend
anyone,” he
wrote. “If they did, I apologize.”
“I explained that current
Pennsylvania statute delineates categories of individuals unable to
obtain a marriage license. As an example, I cited siblings as one
such category, which is clearly defined in state law. My intent was
to provide an example of these categories.”
(Related: Gay
marriage bill introduced in Pennsylvania House.)