Huckabee Wants to Be Everybody's President Despite Their "Lifestyle"

Talk show host Tyra Banks questioned Republican presidential candidate and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee about homosexuality and gay marriage in an interview scheduled to air on The Tyra Banks Show on Friday, February 29.

In response to whether he wanted the gay vote, Huckabee responded, "Sure, I want every vote. Seriously, I want to be president of everybody. And I can disagree with people over a choice they make in their life or a over a lifestyle and still be their president." The rest of Huckabee's answers about gay issues follow.

TYRA BANKS: I know that you are a preacher; do you believe that homosexuality is immoral?

GOVERNOR HUCKABEE: Well, I think a lot of things in our lives are missing the mark. The word sin means missing the mark. It doesn't mean that a person has committed murder. I miss the mark if I don't tell the whole truth. I miss the mark in a lot of ways. I think that we were created to have relationships with someone of the opposite gender, that how's we reproduce, that's how we live our lives. So I think sometimes if you say is it a sin or immoral and people think you're making these terrible statements about somebody. I've had people who are gay that worked on my staff. It's not like I'm some homophobe. If you ask me, Is it the normal pathway? I don't think so. But, you know, I respect that people have different views about that.

TYRA BANKS: Do you want the gay vote?

GOVERNOR HUCKABEE: Sure, I want every vote. Seriously, I want to be president of everybody. And I can disagree with people over a choice they make in their life or a over a lifestyle and still be their president and still say I want to keep you free, I want to keep your country safe, I want to make your taxes lower not higher. I want to solve some issues like the problems we have in education and rebuild our health care system, and I think whether a person is straight or gay, they want a president who is solving issues, not just pointing out differences among people.

TYRA BANKS: What if they say, "I want to vote for you, Governor Huckabee, but I'm a gay man and I want to marry my man"? What do you say to that?

GOVERNOR HUCKABEE: To change the definitions of institutions like marriage is beyond saying if people want to live a life that's different than others, that's fine, but when you redefine basic institutions of marriage, government, whatever they may be, that's when we really should have a pretty thorough public discussion about it.

TYRA BANKS: You're open to a public discussion, at least?

GOVERNOR HUCKABEE: I think we're having that. Whether or not we should change the rules and marriage and redefine it someway, I'm not comfortable with that.

TYRA BANKS: Comfortable or opposed?

GOVERNOR HUCKABEE: Opposed. I think it's something that is not a good thing. I go back to the point the a marriage ought to be, the context in which two people not only have, they may not have children but have the capacity and ultimately to train replacements and create the kind of environment in which people are able to thrive.

TYRA BANKS: I'm asking you so many questions about this because I love the gays and the gays love me. And I know I cannot walk down the street here in New York City if I didn't press that issue and truly ask you that.

GOVERNOR HUCKABEE: I think you should. I think people will respect my views on that; I respect theirs. The great thing about America is, we can have totally different viewpoints and we can do it without having animosity and hatred. This is one of the great countries where you can have sharp disagreements without killing each other over it. That's where I think we need to celebrate what is great about America, and that is, we all don't have to agree. (The Advocate)