Fallout Continues For Romney’s, Perry’s Anti-Gay Comments
It seems like more and more Americans are calling out the GOP presidential hopefuls on gay rights issues. EDGE reported in a
Dec. 7 article that Michele Bachmann went head-to-head against two high school students and debated gay marriage while she was campaigning in Iowa. Then, during a book signing in South Carolina, the GOP hopeful faced an 8-year-old boy who told her, "Miss Bachmann, my mommy's gay but she doesn't need any fixing."
In addition, a college student called out Rick Santorum's views on gay marriage, causing the politician to lose his cool and become visibly upset.
This week, Rick Perry and Mitt Romney were the candidates under fire. After releasing an ant-gay ad on YouTube last week, Perry headed to Iowa to continue his campaign and gave a speech in the small city of Ames, which is about 30 miles north of Des Moines.
While Perry was finishing his speech, an audience member screamed, "Why do you hate gay people so much?" Another person then yelled, "Go back to Texas," reported the Des Moines Register in a Dec. 11 article.
According to a Dec. 11 article by the LGBTQ Nation, another heckler yelled, "Why are you demonizing gay and lesbian people?"
One of the hecklers was Jason Armet, 24, a Marine veteran from the Iraq war. He yelled to Perry, "Why can't gays compete in the military?"
Armet, who is also an English major at Iowa State University, says he is straight and has served in Iraq in 2007 and 2008. He says he found Perry's ad to be "extremely offensive" and "insulting" to service members, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Mitt Romney also felt some pressure from the LGBT community. While visiting New Hampshire, Romney went to a local diner and sat next to Bob Garon, a 63-year-old Vietnam veteran, the Associated Press reported in a Dec. 13 article.
Sitting in the booth across from Garon was his husband, Bob Lemire.
Romney asked Garon about his tour in Vietnam, while cameras and reports honed in on the two men. Instead of answering the politician's question, Garon asked if Romney would support efforts to repeal the New Hampshire law that legalized gay marriage in the state.
Romney said he would back the repeal because he believes marriage is between a man and a woman.
"OK, that means if you were in the White House, you would not support any form of legislation that would change that so a serviceman would be entitled to any benefits like a man and a woman?" Garon asked.
"A veteran and a spouse would not be entitled to any burial benefits, or medical benefits, or anything that the serviceman has devoted his time and effort to his country, and you just don't support equality in terms of same-sex marriage?"
"The Defense of Marriage Act that exists in Washington today defines benefits, whether for veterans or non-veterans as between married spouses and for me that's a man and a woman," Romney responded. "We apparently disagree on that."
Romney's aide interfered and told the governor that he had to leave for an interview with Fox News Channel.
"Oh, I guess the question was too hot," Garon said.
"No, I gave you the answer," Romney responded. Garon wished him good luck and said, "You're going to need it."
Watch the confrontation below: