Pennsylvania Governor: Gay Marriage Is Like Incest
Pennsylvania’s Republican Governor Tom Corbett explains his opposition to same-sex marriage:
(CNN) - Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett’s stance on same-sex marriage is no secret, after bringing a legal challenge against a county clerk who tried to sign marriage licenses for same-sex couples. Friday, Corbett went a step further, comparing gay marriage to a union between siblings.
In an interview with CNN affiliate WHP-TV, Corbett was answering a question about comments made by a member of his legal team who had compared same-sex marriage to the marriage of 12 year-olds, with both unions being illegal.
Corbett, a Republican, said that “It was an inappropriate analogy. I think a much better analogy would have been brother and sister, don’t you?”
The national gay and lesbian group Human Rights Campaign was quick to condemn Corbett’s comment. “Corbett’s extremist views are inaccurate, dangerous, and gravely insulting to committed and loving gay and lesbian couples,” the HRC said in a statement.
Corbett quickly tried to backtrack:
“I explained that current Pennsylvania statute delineates categories of individuals unable to obtain a marriage license. As an example, I cited siblings as one such category, which is clearly defined in state law. My intent was to provide an example of these categories.”
As a matter of current Pennsylvania law, Corbett is correct, but that doesn’t make his attempt to equate same-sex marriage and incest is any less idiotic.
Here’s the video:
One cannot be surprised by this. A large chunk of the GOP, particularly in leadership positions (less so voters, IMO), has real issues understanding the concept of consent.
Mmm, if he were really just trying to delineate categories (of individuals whose marriage is illegal under state law), then why wasn’t his legal team’s analogy apt?
I guess he’s trying to gin up the votes in the “T” part of the state (what’s left after the Philly and Pittsburgh areas are removed). Or as James Carville said, there’s Philly on one side, Pittsburgh on the other, and Alabama in between.
I can just imagine:
WHP-TV: Governor, are you sure you want to stand by those appallingly stupid remarks you made equating gay marriage to that of 12 years olds getting married?
GOVERNOR: Well, I’m more impaired than you know. I meant to say “It was an inappropriate analogy. I think a much better analogy would have been brother and sister, don’t you”?
“Idiotic” does not really properly express what a vile and hateful remark this was.
Governor? What do you know about either? Is this the voice of experience talking?
@Franklin: Can someone explain the downvote? I’m just asking how his backtracking explanation could possibly make any sense.
Well at least you have a sense of humor …
Nutty politician inserts foot in mouth, attempts to remove via typical backtracking, fails miserably and has provided opposition with choice fodder in next election.
Why does this not surprise me?
@Franklin:
Again his backtrack:
If the report is correct, the original statement from a member of his legal team compared same-sex marriage to the marriage of 12 year-olds. The Governor said that using 12 year-olds was inapproprate while using a “brother and a sister” was appropriate for statutory reasons.
Does that mean it’s legal for 12 year-olds to marry in Pennsylvania?
@Franklin: Franklin – It’s simple. You get a downvote for the same reason that the governor gets criticized: because it doesn’t matter whether something is true, only whether it’s inoffensive. Corbett is guilty of a “hate fact”.
Using that “logic”, rape is similar to shoplifting and murder is similar to theft….after all, they’re all illegal…
@An Interested Party: Yes! You’ve hit upon the definition of the word “similar”. Like but not identical Cars are like bicycles and trucks in that they all get you places. Cars are legally more like trucks in that they require a license. Gay marriage is like incest and minor marriages in that they’re all illegal. Gay marriage is more like incest in that the participants are consenting adults. Gay marriage is also like marriage, but not identical.
@Pinky: Oh, pardon me…a better example of a “hate fact” would be that a sizeable number of Republicans in the House of Representatives are like terrorists in that they are willing to cause serious damage to this country if their demands are not met…
No. Per this website same-sex is LEGAL in 13 States and DC.
http://www.freedomtomarry.org/states/
See this site to find out where to live if you and your cousin want to get hitched.
http://www.cousincouples.com/?page=states
Then there is Oedipus…
@An Interested Party: That’s more an example of the “old tone”, the kind of nasty partisan speech that we were supposed to move past after the Giffords shooting. But that was never going to last longer than the first time the Democrats were challenged about something.
I think it tells you how much things have changed that PA Republicans are running away from that comment and my lifelong Republican neighbor snorted and said, “I can’t wait to vote him out.”
Ahhh, so all the mess that is going on in Washington right now is just “the Democrats being challenged about something”? Funny how only conservative hacks like you see the situation that way…I believe you wrote something recently about being so partisan as to be mentally disturbed…you should seek medical attention immediately…
@Pinky: I could be wrong, but I think some people are just misunderstanding my statement – Mr. Bernius is apparently the only one who did understand what I was getting at. I am simply attacking his so-called excuse/clarification.
The offensiveness and inappropriateness is obvious, and therefore I have not elaborated on the why and how. But in case you (Pinky) are not clear, the analogy doesn’t make sense because incest involves questions of consent (even among adults due to their relationship since birth) and also genetics if they were to produce offspring. Those are not applicable to gay marriage.