Bachmanns: Gays in Bondage, Need Discipline

Gay people are "barbarians" who need to be "educated" and "disciplined," in the opinion of Marcus Bachmann, the husband of Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann.

Marcus Bachmann (pictured), a clinical therapist, made the statements last year on a syndicated religious radio talk show. ThinkProgress.org's LGBT page has posted audio of the remarks, characterized as theoretical advice to parents who think one of their children may be gay.

"We have to understand: Barbarians need to be educated," Bachmann says in the clip. "They need to be disciplined. Just because someone feels it or thinks it doesn't mean that we are supposed to go down that road. That's what is called the sinful nature. We have a responsibility as parents and as authority figures not to encourage such thoughts and feelings from moving into the action steps. ...

"And let's face it: what is our culture, what is our public education system doing today? They are giving full, wide-open doors to children, not only giving encouragement to think it but to encourage action steps. That's why when we understand what truly is the percentage of homosexuals in this country, it is small. But by these open doors, I can see and we are experiencing, that it is starting to increase."

The remarks are consistent with other statements Bachmann and his wife, a congresswoman from Minnesota, have made about gays. Michele Bachmann, who has a lesbian stepsister, has referred to homosexuality as "bondage" and "dysfunction," and claimed that encouraging young people to be tolerant of gays is "child abuse." She has also said that being gay is "from Satan."

Marcus Bachmann runs the Bachmann and Associates mental health clinic in Minnesota; it touts its therapies as "Christian counseling." It was recently revealed that the despite Michele Bachmann's vocal stands against government social programs, the clinic has accepted federal and state funding.