Rick Perry Explains 'Sin of Homosexuality' to 14-Year-Old Girl (VIDEO)
Texas Gov. Rick Perry was grilled on a couple of big issues in a Decorah, Iowa town hall meeting on Sunday, Dec. 18, and had to explain to a 14-year-old girl that his opposition on allowing gays to serve openly in the military stems from his Christian faith.
During the town hall discussion, the Republican presidential candidate was first faced with a debate on hydraulic fracturing (fracking), which environmental groups are claiming pollutes groundwater through its method of natural gas extraction. The matter arose from a question Perry had answered previously about the Keystone XL pipeline project, in which the governor commented on domestic energy sources.
After a debate with a 22-year-old Luther College student about fracking, Perry spoke with members of the crowd, including a 14-year-old bisexual girl who asked the Texas governor and presidential hopeful to explain why he opposed gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military and “defending our rights.”
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Previously, Perry released an ad titled “Strong” in which he proclaimed that he is not ashamed of his Christian faith, and that he would fight Obama’s “war on religion” by opposing the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," which previously barred gay members of the armed forces from serving openly.
When prompted by the teen, Rebecka Green, Perry explained that his position was a matter of faith – he believes that homosexuality is a sin, and he cannot be in support of it, especially if he is elected to be commander in chief and has to make the best decisions for the U.S. Army. He clarified, however, that he also sees himself as a sinner, and that he “hates the sin but loves the sinner.”
After the conversation, Green told reporters, "Nobody should be able to tell somebody who they can or cannot love. I just don’t agree with it."
Todd Green, the girl's father, who is a professor at Luther College, accompanied his daughter to the debate and stood by her side. He shared with reporters after witnessing Perry's discussion with the girl: "He seemed to get that backward. Christians are not being persecuted in the United States of America. They've been in a position of dominance and power and privilege throughout the history of the United States of America. LGBT persons have not."
The video in which Gov. Perry responds to Green's question about gays serving in the military is below:
