Late Thoughts on Bill Richardson's "Choice" Answer
Two weeks ago on August 9th, LOGO hosted their forum for the Democratic presidential candidates. One by one, each candidate was interviewed by a panel made up of two journalists, Jonathan Capehart and Margaret Carlson; President of the Human Rights Campaign, Joe Solmonese; and musician and singer, Melissa Etheridge.
Six Democratic presidential candidates were in attendance, including Obama, Clinton, and Edwards, as well as Bill Richardson, who slipped up considerably on a question from Etheridge:
"Do you think homosexuality is a choice or is it biological?"
Richardson's reply: "It's a choice, it's..."
Etheridge: "I don't know if you understand the question. Do you think...... a homosexual is born that way, or do you think that around 7th grade we go "oh I want to be gay" ?
Richardson: "You know, uh, I'm not a scientist...."
Anyone with a basic understanding of gay rights should have immediately seen that Richardson had said something he shouldn't have. His answer rightly brought stirs, whispering, and maybe a few odd laughs from the audience as Etheridge appeared very taken aback and gave him a chance to hear the question again to make sure he wasn't confused. He wasn't.
The idea that a person chooses to be homosexual is truly reprehensible. It is offensive to the gay community as a whole to say that we have chosen to be gay because that implies that we could choose to be heterosexual at any time. Following this line of thought, you find the argument that gays shouldn't have equal rights because gay is not something inherent like race or sex, not to mention ridiculous things like Exodus International.
The most perplexing thing about Richardson's answer is his voting record. Like his staff points out in his "Statement Clarifying Answer From HRC Forum" Richardson has supported a slew of very important, powerful pieces of legislation in his home state of New Mexico.
From the press release:
Governor Bill Richardson has an accomplished record fighting for the rights of all Americans. Since taking office, Governor Richardson has:
- Expanded anti-discrimination laws to include sexual orientation. [Senate Bill SB 28, 2003 Legislature]
- Signed into law the state's first hate crimes legislation for acts including those based on sexual orientation. [SB 38, 2003 Legislature]
- Provided state health insurance for domestic partnerships. [Executive Order 03 010]
- Signed the Billy Griego HIV and AIDS Act, which was designed to ensure that consumers are the focus of the funding and services provided in all the state's HIV and AIDS cases. [Senate Bill 314, 2005 Legislature]
- Created the state's first HIV and AIDS Policy Commission charged with reviewing and making recommendations on state HIV and AIDS policies. The commission also studies and makes recommendations on all factors affecting the availability, quality and accessibility of health services for persons with HIV and AIDS. [Senate Bill 313, 2005 Legislature]
- Called a Special Session of the NM State Legislature to push for Domestic Partnerships Legislation, among other issues, after it failed by one vote in the Senate during the Regular Session. Governor Richardson has pledged to push for the legislation again during the next Legislative Session.
Obviously he supports a large number of gay rights issues and should be commended. But there still seems to be a disconnect. Despite a rephrasing of his answer and a press release, it still remains unclear how he feels about that very simple question that Etheridge posed.
Logo has made the entire forum available online, organized by both issue and candidate.
Posted by Zac James
Labels: 2008 Presidential Election, celebrity, television
This entry was posted
on Saturday, August 25, 2007 at 7:09 PM.
Want to discuss? Leave a comment below.
ByLate indeed!! Two weeks after the fact, you are just now posting on this subject. And when you do, you don't take the totality of what Governor Richardson said, or what others said. The very next day, Joe Solmonese, the President of the HRC, told the Blade that he spoke to Richardson “for a long time” this morning. Solmonese said he now believes that Richardson understands homosexuality is innate.
“I wish his delivery would have been as good as his record.” Solmonese said.
Then, Rep. Barney Frank issued the following statement:
"Governor Bill Richardson's apology for the mistake he made in saying
that sexual orientation is a choice did not surprise me, because he
has been a strong supporter of our right to be treated fairly
throughout his public career. It is especially relevant that he voted
consistently on our side from the start of his Congressional career in
the 1980s, when the issue of LGBT rights had far less support even
from Democrats that it has today. I regret Gov. Richardson's
misstatement - as I sometimes regret one or two of my own - but his
error in the pressure of a debate should not detract from his very
strong record in defense of equality for all Americans, including
those of us who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender."
Finally, Eric Bauman, Chair of the Los Angeles Democratic Party and a member of the LGBT community, issued the following statement:
"Wag the Blog Redux: OK, so an exhausted presidential candidate slips and
says he thinks being gay is a choice. Minutes later he steps back and says
that the bottom line is all people are equal under the law and should be so
treated.
I ponder the importance of the question, the answer and reality.
Here are some simple facts:
As Governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson has enacted and fought for an
historic expansion of laws to recognize and protect LGBT citizens of New
Mexico.
Bill Richardson regularly talks about his LGBT record and plans in
presidential forums, big and small, gay and not.
Bill Richardson is not running to be arbiter-in-chief of how people become
lesbian or gay. He is running to be a President of the United States for
every American. Period. Regardless of sexual orientation or other
characteristic.
Having said all of that, it is high time we focus not on trivial
slips-of-the-tongue and minor policy differences, but rather on the fact
that seven years of GOP dominance in Washington has created an America so
divided, so frustrated, so angry that the winds of change are blowing at
category five.
I have not personally decided who I will support, but let me assure you,
I'll take Bill Richardson over any of the lightweights running on the other
side.
At a time of chaos at home and abroad, any one of the Democratic candidates
go a long way towards bridging the divides among us, restoring our standing
in the world, bringing our troops home, restoring our economy, providing
healthcare for every American, facing the challenge of climate change, and
yes, expanding the rights, responsibilities and protections for LGBT
Americans.
Eric C. Bauman
Chair, Los Angeles County Democratic Party"
Governor Richardson made a mistake, he has apologized for his mistake, and said he believes a person's sexual orientation is biological. Regardless, his solid record as a staunch defender of equality for all Americans, especially those in the LGBT community, earns Governor Richardson a pass this time around.
Give him the pass as others have, and move on to much more pressing issues facing the community.
By
I think it is wrong to post part of a press release from the Richardson campaign, and not the whole release on this issue, especially when the balance of the release was Governor Richardson's apology:
"Let me be clear -- I do not believe that sexual orientation or gender identity happen by choice," Governor Richardson said. "But I'm not a scientist, and the point I was trying to make is that no matter how it happens, we are all equal and should be treated that way under the law. That is what I believe, that is what I have spent my career fighting for. I ask that people look at my record and my actions and they will see I have been a true supporter of the LGBT community."
By
Thank you for your comments.
I'm sorry if you think the whole press release should have been included, but I choose to include what I did for a reason. I believe that the part of the release that you just quoted still does not clarify his opinion clearly. He still chooses to use his "not a scientist" phrase even when we're not asking him to be one.
I think that it's hard to argue that it was a simple slip when he repeated his answer 10 seconds later.
I don't mean to gang up on Richardson, or to make something out of nothing. I merely wanted to shine a light on the comment.
I don't question Richardson's support for the gay community and I never did. The issue is that words like those have meaning, and there is no excuse to not simply say that gays and lesbians are born gay and lesbian.
By
Zac,
With all due respect, you're falling into the trap the right-wing, gay-hating crowd wants you to. They want us to get into this debate over whether homosexuality is a choice or whether it is genetic, because it does two things: 1) It detracts from the real debate which is actually changing policy regarding gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgendered persons, and 2) much more importantly, it obscures the fact that there is no Constitutional basis for discriminating against anyone because of their sexual orientation.
If you had bothered to actually read the Constitution of the United States of America, you would realize that the 9th amendment specifies that the enumeration of certain rights in the Constitution shall not be construed to deny or disparage other rights retained by the people. Properly read (and I understand its a long road toward getting this done) it means that EVERYTHING is a right unless government is specifically empowered to restrict it. There is no Constitutional provision that allows the Federal Government to discriminate against persons based upon sexual orientation, and the 14th amendment bars the States from violating anyone's Federal Constitutional rights.
This is where the argument should be, not on whether it is genetic or a choice.
Governor Richardson has got it right, both in what he said and in what he's done. He is the ONLY Democratic candidate who can legitimately make that claim, so I suggest you look at these candidates a whole lot more closely and reconsider your position.
By
Please read this before you tune me out I love you.The sad thing is in this country is because I choose to believe that the God of the Bible said that he made Adam and Eve. that I am called a hater I love people I dont love there sin. I dont love it when I sin. If I over eat, if I gossip If I cheat on my wife, if I Lie, steal, Put anything above God that is a sin. I love God and people: gay people, lesbian people, fat people, those that cheat, steal ect. I'm not a right wing hater because I choose to believe the Bible to be true. I fear God that is why I try not to sin in anyway but when I do I ask forgiveness and according to the bible which I try to live by I have forgiveness, If I were to cheat on my wife continually, if I were to lie continually, then according to what the bible says which I set my standard then I wouldnt go to heaven. I have several brothers and we have all have some kind of sexual abuse when we were little, we have all struggled in some way because of being sexually abused. I have talked with several people that have struggled and are miserable because they are gay and everyone of them had somebody abusing them in some way when they were little. My little brother actually contracted aids he was struggling not to participate in a gay relationship but fell into it one time and then got aids. He knows that he wasnt born that way but someone messed him up by abusing him when he was little. Please listen Anyone gay or not if they dont accept Jesus in there hearts and live by the bible will not see God. Dont settle for less I have been into temptation in alot of areas but I love God and fear Him.
I'm not a hater God knows more than me I believe what He says.
By
Which part of "Let me be clear -- I do not believe that sexual orientation or gender identity happen by choice," Governor Richardson said." did you not understand?
The man doesn't believe that sexual orientation is a choice. Period. Yes he screwed up at the debate.
The gay community has forever asked the world to be open-minded and not judge us. We also need to remain open-minded and nonjudgmental when someone's ACTIONS in office for years show that he is very supportive of the gay community.
Let's turn our ire where it is really deserved, like Huckabee saying AIDS patients need to be quarantined and so on.
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