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)
