Hartlzer: You Shouldn't be Offended By My Homophobic Statements

Submitted by BigTom on June 30, 2011 - 3:00pm

Vicky Hartzler took a considerable amount of heat for comparing gay marriage to polygamy, incest and three-year-olds driving cars, but she would really prefer that people not take offense to those stances.

At a town hall meeting in Butler, Mo., she was asked by a young man who is gay about her position on gay marriage. In response, she said that she is not trying to change the law, and he shouldn't feel bad about her stance:

ALEX: The 2004 amendment to ban same-sex marriage…in combination with the statement you made earlier this month where you said…allowing same-sex marriage would start us down a slippery slope toward things like sanctioned incest and bestiality. How do you think…

HARTZLER: No, no, no, you misunder…. That was a mis… a misunderstanding of the quote…. That was really taken out of context.

ALEX: How do you think that makes young people, like me, who are gay feel about ourselves, to come up in a society that to us seems like it doesn’t value us in the same way straight people are valued?

HARTZLER: We’re not the ones changing the policy. Ok, so you shouldn’t feel bad at all.

ALEX: Why shouldn’t I feel bad if there’s an amendment, if you champion an amendment prohibiting me from…

HARTZLER: Right now it has been the law of the land for a long time. Marriage is between a man and a woman. All we did in 2004 is just put that in the constitution. So we’re not changing policy at all. And, anyway, so you shouldn’t feel bad. Anyway, It was nice to meet you guys.