Christian Group Asks Cuomo For Apology Over Gay Marriage Comments
A Protestant Christian group that opposes gay marriage has asked New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to apologize for calling their view "anti-American," during a panel discussion last week.
Rev. Jason McGuire, executive director of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedom has urged the governor to apologize for his comments in an open letter.
“It is not a bigoted statement to say that children need a mother and a father. I contend that many of the issues our state is struggling with can be traced back to absentee fathers, a general lack of parental involvement and the breakdown of the family: low graduation rates, out-of-wedlock births, runaway welfare and Medicaid costs, even the spread of sexually-transmitted diseases," McGuire wrote.
“Governor, you were elected to represent all New Yorkers, but your recent comments attack half of the state you lead and the nation you call home. Retract your comments and apologize to millions of New Yorkers and other proud Americans you have offended,” he added.
The letter comes in response to the remarks Cuomo made at a panel discussion presented by the New York Times. The event gave an in depth look at how the marriage equality act passed through the Republican controlled senate this past summer.
In the question and answer period, Cuomo accused gay marriage opponents of discrimination.
“Ultimately, there was no answer by the opposition,” said Cuomo. “There isn’t. There really isn’t. And as soon as you ask the question and you probe the answer, the only answer is, ‘I want to discriminate against gay people.’ And that is anti-New York. It’s also anti-American.”
Cuomo signed the marriage of quality act into law in June and has previously said clerks who don't want to perform same sex marriages should resign.
The governor has yet to respond to the request.
