Via ABC:
“Just when you thought Barack Obama couldn’t get any more out of touch with America’s values, AP reports his administration wants to make foreign aid decisions based on gay rights. This administration’s war on traditional American values must stop,” Perry said in the statement. “Promoting special rights for gays in foreign countries is not in America’s interests and not worth a dime of taxpayers’ money.”
The sad thing is, Perry is correct: “traditional American values” have been anti-gay rights. The sadder thing is, however, is that Perry would like to keep it that way (or, perhaps even sadder, he thinks that presenting that message will help him win votes in Iowa).
Perry was objecting to the following:
In a memorandum released today, Obama said foreign aid should be used by U.S. agencies operating abroad to “promote and protect the human rights of LGBT persons,” including combating the criminalization of LGBT status or conduct by foreign governments, along with protecting LGBT asylum seekers and refugees.
“I am deeply concerned by the violence and discrimination targeting LGBT persons around the world, whether it is passing laws that criminalize LGBT status, beating citizens simply for joining peaceful LGBT pride celebrations, or killing men, women, and children for their perceived sexual orientation,” Obama said in the memo.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today equated gay rights with women’s rights during a speech in Geneva.
Apparently Perry is arguing that human rights are irrelevant if the humans in question are homosexual.
