Civil Rights vs. Rick Perry (A response)

 In response to: Eternal Drought.

Sam, I wholeheartedly agree with your post. I currently share a home with my sister and her wife, and through this I have become more passionate and knowledgeable about gay civil rights. The experiences they have had while obtaining a civil union, employment rights, and now a new baby are atrocious. Thus, like you, imagining a day where intolerance is obliterated and civil rights are finally celebrated in our narrow-minded state seems almost impossible.

I enjoyed the article you posted about Rick Perry and his opinion on gay marriage in New York. His lackluster level of “support” was not shocking, however I was surprised that he didn’t oppose the statute more ardently due to his history of defending the marriage between man and woman. This led me to research his response more in depth, and as of today he has realized the “faults” in his comment and has corrected them. In a radio interview with the conservative advocacy group, Family Research Council, Perry remarked:

“I probably needed to add a few words after that ‘it’s fine with me, and that it’s fine with me that a state is using their sovereign rights to decide an issue. Obviously, gay marriage is not fine with me. My stance hasn’t changed.” (Source.)

However, this elitism (as you suggested) can turn into a much larger problem. Even though Perry still claims that gay marriage is not okay, his original comment on New York established a much more moderate platform. This drew many reactions from adamant conservatives, though, so personally it seems like his radio interview was a defensive reaction (perhaps he thought God would smite him if for one second he believed that homosexuality was not a incorrigible sin?). Anyway, his federalism is a great political move, because he has made himself more attractive to those that are conservative but who are against anti-gay bigotry. Horrifyingly, this might actually win him some votes. If so, justice won't be raining in Texas any time soon. This "eternal drought" will continue.