Santorum again talks homosexuality with the press

Sen. Rick Santorum would advise his children to resist any "temptations" of homosexuality, according to an interview published Tuesday. In the interview with GQ, Santorum, R-Pa., was asked what he would do if one of his six children told him of gay urges. "I would treat it like I would any other thing my child comes to me with," Santorum answered. "Try to deal with it in a loving, supportive way." He continued: "You try to point out to them what is the right thing to do. And we have many temptations to do things we shouldn't do. That doesn't mean we have to give in to those temptations. I have temptations, as we all do, all the time, to do things we shouldn't do. Whether we have that disposition because of environmental factors, genetic factors, whatever, it doesn't mean you have to submit. We are people of free will and free choices." The GQ interview focused largely on comments Santorum made to The Associated Press in April, when he said he has "no problem with homosexuality--I have a problem with homosexual acts" and compared homosexuality to bigamy, polygamy, incest and adultery. Following those comments, Santorum was targeted by gay rights groups, Democrats, and some Republicans. Some urged him to step down from his leadership post in the Senate, where he is the third-ranking Republican. He survived the flap and is widely viewed as laying the groundwork to pursue the post of Senate majority leader as early as 2006.