GOP candidate Tim Pawlenty: Loves Gaga, does not think you're born that way
Mon. July 11, 2011 11:49 PM by GoPride.com News Staff
Washington, D.C. -
Republican Presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty, the former governor of Minnesota, said that while he's a big fan of Lady Gaga and her song "Born This Way," he doesn't actually think that gays and lesbians are born that way.
Pawlenty talked about the issue at the end of a long interview with David Gregory on NBC's "Meet the Press":
GREGORY: You've notably said that you're a big fan of Lady Gaga, and even the song "Born This Way." There's a lot of debate about a gay marriage pledge in Iowa. And related to that, I wonder, do you agree with some of those who are behind that, that being gay is a choice?
PAWLENTY: Well, I have two teenage daughters who listen to Lady Gaga, so I'm subjected to it. And it has some good qualities to it. But as to, as to gay marriage, I'm in support of traditional marriage as between a man and a woman. I have not supported the issues of allowing gay couples to have the same benefits and public employment as traditional couples. And so this is an issue in Iowa and across the whole country. But I've stood in favor or traditional marriage and traditional relationships in that regard.
GREGORY: Is being gay a choice?
PAWLENTY: Well, the science in that regard is in dispute. I mean, the scientists work on that and try to figure out if it's behavioral…
GREGORY: Right.
PAWLENTY: …of if it's partly genetic.
GREGORY: What do you think?
PAWLENTY: Well, I defer to the scientists in that regard.
GREGORY: So you, you think it's not a choice.
PAWLENTY: Well, there is no…
GREGORY: That you are, as Lady Gaga says, you're born that way.
PAWLENTY: There's no scientific conclusion that it's genetic. We don't know that. So we don't know to what extent, you know, it's behavioral, and that's something that's been debated by scientists for a long time. But as I understand the science, there's no current conclusion that it's genetic.
Pawlenty talked about the issue at the end of a long interview with David Gregory on NBC's "Meet the Press":
GREGORY: You've notably said that you're a big fan of Lady Gaga, and even the song "Born This Way." There's a lot of debate about a gay marriage pledge in Iowa. And related to that, I wonder, do you agree with some of those who are behind that, that being gay is a choice?
PAWLENTY: Well, I have two teenage daughters who listen to Lady Gaga, so I'm subjected to it. And it has some good qualities to it. But as to, as to gay marriage, I'm in support of traditional marriage as between a man and a woman. I have not supported the issues of allowing gay couples to have the same benefits and public employment as traditional couples. And so this is an issue in Iowa and across the whole country. But I've stood in favor or traditional marriage and traditional relationships in that regard.
GREGORY: Is being gay a choice?
PAWLENTY: Well, the science in that regard is in dispute. I mean, the scientists work on that and try to figure out if it's behavioral…
GREGORY: Right.
PAWLENTY: …of if it's partly genetic.
GREGORY: What do you think?
PAWLENTY: Well, I defer to the scientists in that regard.
GREGORY: So you, you think it's not a choice.
PAWLENTY: Well, there is no…
GREGORY: That you are, as Lady Gaga says, you're born that way.
PAWLENTY: There's no scientific conclusion that it's genetic. We don't know that. So we don't know to what extent, you know, it's behavioral, and that's something that's been debated by scientists for a long time. But as I understand the science, there's no current conclusion that it's genetic.