Palin: Being Gay a (Bad) Choice

This post was submitted by Corey, a Georgetown student who blogs quite a bit on politics, gender issues, and queer/gay studies stuff.

Maybe John McCain is right, and Sarah Palin is a different kind of politician. After all, most politicians talk a lot and say nothing; Sarah Palin, on the other hand, rarely speaks without a script and usually says way too much when she does.

In responding to a question from Katie Couric, which relates to recent inquiries on her church trying to "convert" gay people into freedom-loving heterosexuals, Palin tried her best to dance around the issue without actually making a point. She says that she's not sure if someone with a queer orientation "can pray it away," and suggests uncertainly about whether or not one should want to make that prayer. She also says that one of her closest friends is a gay woman. (I initially felt bad for this woman, but then realized that in a state with a population of around 6, you probably take what friends you can get.)

She goes on to say that this gay friend "happens to have made a choice that isn’t a choice that I have made. But I am not going to judge people." However, what is obvious to anyone who hasn't been living in a plastic bubble for ten years is that that statement is a judgment itself.

As you may recall from the Democratic primary, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson suggested at a Human Rights Campaign forum that a queer orientation was a "choice." There was a good deal of frustration and outrage, which I felt was justified. I was volunteering for Richardson at the time and was pretty upset by the whole thing, but I did not stop supporting Richardson because of that comment. To his credit, the governor did not suggest that being gay was a bad choice, and his policy positions and support of the gay community over the years did not reflect such an opinion, either.

Palin, on the other hand, not only thinks that being gay is a choice people make - she seems to think that it is a sinful and morally repugnant choice, a conclusion that can be drawn from her response here and her religious and political history. Although Palin has tried her best to avoid actually talking about any policy, ever, I think we can all guess what kind of civil rights Palin would like to extend to a group that she feels can, and should, rejoin the majority if only they'd so choose. No one would say jailing murderers is unconstitutional; if they want to enjoy our freedoms, they should choose not to murder people. In Palin's view, it might as well be the same for gays.

But I say, judge away, Palin - you have until November 4th. And if after that day your judgment still matters, I am going to fly to Alaska, rescue your token gay friend, and drive until we reach Canada. Or maybe Russia.