Herman Cain, Republican presidential
candidate, insisted on Tuesday that gay people choose their
sexuality.
Cain made his remarks during an
appearance on the ABC daytime talk show The View.
Co-host Joy Behar began a question by
referring to Cain's opposition to gay marriage and his belief that
“Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” the policy which ended on September 20
that banned gay and bisexual troops from serving openly, should be
reinstated, then remarked on how he believed being gay is a choice.
“To think that gay is a choice, I
don't know how to respond to that,” Behar said. “I mean, I don't
think anybody in this world wants to be gay considering all the
vilification that is brought upon someone who is gay. Why would you
choose that?”
“Well, you show me the science that
says that it's not and I could be persuaded,” Cain responded.
“Right now It's my opinion against the opinions of others who feel
differently. That's just a difference of opinion.” (The video is
embedded in the right panel of this page.)
R. Clarke Cooper, executive director of
gay GOP group Log Cabin Republicans, immediately offered to show Cain
the science.
“If Herman Cain truly wants to see
the science proving that sexual orientation is not a choice, Log
Cabin Republicans would be happy to show it to him. The claim that a
person chooses to be gay or lesbian has been discredited by every
major professional medical organization, starting with the American
Psychological Association and the American Medical Association. An
individual's orientation is no more a choice than the color of his
skin or whether he is left-handed, and too many people have been hurt
because of failed attempts to change the way they were born,”
Cooper wrote in a statement.
In a Twitter message, Chris R. Barron,
the chairman of GOProud, another gay Republican group, took a swipe
at Cooper for saying Cain was wrong.
“Who hasn't Log Cabin 'Republicans'
attacked in the GOP field?” Barron messaged. “@LogCabinGOP His
campaign would be stronger without sniping from left wingers like you
all.”
Moments later he added: “its
disgusting that a group that CLAIMS to be Republican does the left's
bidding so willingly.”