Former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel, now seeking the Republican nomination for governor, told local NBC affiliate 11 Alive that not only does she disapprove of marriage equality or domestic partnerships, she would also consider outlawing adoption by gay men and lesbians. “Do I think that gay parents is in the best interest of the child? No,” she said.
Reporter Doug Richards pressed for a reason. Handel’s answers are telling:
Q: Do you know any gay couples with children?
A: Not that I’m aware of.
Q: So you think gay couples are less qualified to function as parents than straight couples?
A: I think that for a child to be in a household—in a family in a household with a situation where the parents are not married, as in one man and one woman, is not the best household for a child.
Q: Is it better or worse than a single parent household?
A: Doug, I’m really trying to be straightforward with you but I’m not going to debate all the nuances. I’ve made it abundantly clear that I think that marriage is between a man and a woman. And that’s what I believe, and I don’t know what more you would like me to add to that.
Q: I guess I want to know why you think gay parents aren’t as legitimate as heterosexual parents.
A: Because I don’t.
In a way, I’m heartened that the right seems to be falling back onto the “because I said so” argument. It is further proof there are no real arguments to be made for their position. (Several years ago, too, when running for a county office, Handel wrote a “sponsorship” check to the gay group Log Cabin Republicans—indicating that her stance on LGBT issues, whatever it may be, is more about politics than the reality of LGBT lives.)
In related news, France’s highest court of criminal and civil matters last week ruled that a second-parent adoption granted by DeKalb County, Georgia, should be recognized in France.
Nancy Polikoff notes that this is not only good news in France, where courts have long been against adoption by gay men and lesbians, but also for Georgia, where it might be the first-ever second-parent adoption.
More proof that Handel is behind the times.
Oh my. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by this. I was born and raised in Macon, Ga. and most of my family still lives there. It is amazing to me that “Because I said so” is tolerated as an actually reason to defend ones position.
OK, so it’s bad for children to be raised by gay parents because… we’re not married? Well gee, how ’bout letting us get married then?? Oh wait, “marriage” is only between a man and a woman, so there’s no way we can get married, therefore by default we are bad parents and…. ARRRGGGGHHHHHHHHH!
People like her piss me off.