Calling Rick Perry Stupid, Is An Insult To Stupid People

Texas Governor Rick Perry, a possible 2016 presidential candidate, on Monday defended his recent comparison of being gay to alcoholism.

Perry, a Republican, made his comments on Wednesday during an appearance in San Francisco.

When asked whether he believes being gay is a disorder, Perry answered: “Whether or not you feel compelled to follow a particular lifestyle or not, you have the ability to decide not to do that. I may have the genetic coding that I'm inclined to be an alcoholic, but I have the desire not to do that, and I look at the homosexual issue the same way.”

During an interview on CNBC's Squawk Box, host Joe Kernan called the comments “offensive.”

“I don't think gay marriage leads to cirrhosis of the liver or domestic violence or DWIs,” Kernan said. “I don't see how that's similar.”

“I understand people have different opinions about that,” Perry said.

“But in terms of changing the behavior of someone, you wouldn't think that someone who's heterosexual, that you couldn't change them into a homosexual, or someone who is homosexual, you don't think that there should be therapy to try to change them into a heterosexual?” Kernan asked.

“You know, I don't know,” Perry answered. “The fact is, we'll leave that to the psychologists and the doctors.”

Perry added that he was opposed to the federal government having a role in deciding whether gay couples should be allowed to marry, prompting Right Wing Watch to remind readers that Perry said the same thing in 2011, then announced his support for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution limiting marriage to heterosexual unions.

“Now it seems that Perry has reversed himself once again and is going back to his original position … or, maybe he just doesn't understand how the Federal Marriage Amendment would work,” Brian Tashman noted.