Rebecca Kleefisch's gay uncle doubts
she's sorry for likening gay marriage to marrying a dog or a table,
The
Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel reported.
“I was incredibly disappointed,”
Chris Pfauser, who's been in an openly gay relationship with Rob Gow
for 28 years, said.
The GOP candidate for Wisconsin
lieutenant governor apologized for her remarks on Thursday.
Kleefisch, the running mate of gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker,
made her remarks before winning the Republican primary on Sept. 14,
but Wisconsin-based gay rights group Fair Wisconsin admonished her
comments in a recent email to backers.
Speaking on Christian-based radio WVCY
in January, Kleefisch objected to Wisconsin's domestic partnership
law signed by Governor Jim Doyle. The gay-inclusive law offers
registered couples 43 rights, most of which center around estate
planning and hospital visitation rights.
Kleefisch said the state can't afford
to “just be handing out money to anyone. This is a slippery slope.
In addition to that, at what point are we going to OK marrying
inanimate objects? Can I marry this table, or this, you know, clock?
Can we marry dogs? This is ridiculous.”
In a statement issued Thursday,
Kleefisch apologized “for my poor choice of words.”
“My comments were meant to relay my
concern with redefining marriage,” she said. “I never intended
to sound insensitive, and have the utmost respect for all people.”
Forty-six-year-old Pfauser said his
niece's remarks prompted him to give $500 to the Democratic candidate
running against Walker, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barett.
“She must finally be feeling the
pressure,” he said. “Unfortunately, I don't think she really
means it.”