January 12, 2009

Blackwell: Gay 'Compulsion' Can be 'Restrained'

@ 3:54 pm by Michael O'Brien

Former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, a leading candidate for the chairmanship of the Republican National Committee (RNC), is coming under fire Monday for making remarks this summer that gays and lesbians suffer from a "compulsion" that can be "restrained."

"You can choose to restrain that compulsion," Blackwell told radio host Michelangelo Signorile, a gay and lesbian advocate, this summer during the Republican National Convention. "And so I think in fact you don't have to give in to the compulsion to be homosexual."

"I've never had to make the choice because I've never had the urge to be other than a heterosexual," Blackwell added, "but if in fact I had the urge to be something else I could have in fact suppressed that urge."

Another RNC chairman candidate, Chip Saltsman, saw his bid derailed after circulating a CD to RNC voters that critics said was racially insensitive toward President-elect Obama.

Listen to audio of the interview here.

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18 Comments »

1. So the GOP isn't shrinking into the party of southern white guys after all — it's remaining the party of northern AND southern black AND white homophobes.

   Those gays, they sure do bring people together!

   Comment by K — January 12, 2009 @ 5:09 pm

2. When reminded that getting it on with two chicks was considered 'engaging in homosexual activity', Blackwell asked if he could amend his comment.

   Comment by Jay Severin Has A Small Pen1s — January 12, 2009 @ 5:13 pm

3. Apparently, Mr. Blackwell can't restrain the compulsion to be stupid…

   Comment by BobN — January 12, 2009 @ 5:23 pm

4. I love it. Keep it up GOP. I'll throw my shovel away cause you have your own dump truck.

   Comment by dave — January 12, 2009 @ 5:43 pm

5. I suppose the urge to steal elections is a stronger urge for Mr. Blackwell than the sexual urge. After all he couldn't stop himself from stealing the 2004 election for Bush.

   With any luck, Blackwell will be prosecuted for it while he's chairman of the Republican party.

   Comment by Frank — January 12, 2009 @ 5:48 pm

6. I'd love to believe that the GOP obsession with guns, god and gays is going to doom them, but after the Bush election and re-election, I take nothing for granted. People are by and large stupid and/or lazy.

   Comment by Gus — January 12, 2009 @ 6:05 pm

7. What a dolt.

   Comment by John — January 12, 2009 @ 7:30 pm

8. Obama's action proves what even the most homophobic among us can't deny: 1) continuing political pressure toward equal rights is essential, and 2) political pressure pays off. Folks, it's only a matter of time until anti-gay laws will seem as archaic to our kids as Jim Crow laws seem to us. If Republicans want to get back in the game, they had better look around and see what's happening, especially in the younger generation. Dustbin of history, anyone?

   Comment by Jim — January 12, 2009 @ 8:35 pm

9. What an ignorant buffoon. Reminds me of why I don't plan to vote repub anytime soon.

   Comment by john — January 12, 2009 @ 10:43 pm

10. This is why GLBT folks and Black folks cannot allow the GOP to divide and conquer us. The GOP thinks this is the only way to peel off the Black vote.

    Not this time.

    Comment by Craig Hickman — January 12, 2009 @ 11:18 pm

11. Yeah, straight people suffer from the same compulsion - it's called sexual desire

    Comment by Josh — January 13, 2009 @ 8:06 am

12. Oh my god the republican party is hilarious, and stupid, mostly both.

    This man shoudl be honored, for his stupidity, which makes people laugh, and laughter heals everything (including TEH GAY DISEASE!!?!?!?!)

    Seriously, I wholeheartedly support this moron, for anything, especially drag vaudeville.

    Comment by KilgoreTrout XL — January 13, 2009 @ 10:24 am

13. Its too bad that Mr. Blackwell can't suppress his compulsion to act like an idiot.

    Comment by burt hoovis — January 13, 2009 @ 7:03 pm

14. frank, do tell, how did blackwell 'steal' the election for bush? And how could he be prosecuted for it?

    Comment by ceanf — January 13, 2009 @ 10:54 pm

15. Jim, if you are against 'anti-gay' laws, and by that i am assuming you are referring to anti gay marriage laws and CA's recent prop 8, then do you also support polygamy? If gays are allowed to marry because it is their right, then the state cannot deny that very same right to a polygamist and his wives. And for that matter, the state cannot deny any form of marriage, no matter how un-traditional it may seem. If you do not support a polygamist's right to legally marry multiple wives under the law, while at the same time supporting a mans right to marry another man, or a woman's right to marry another woman, then you would be a hypocrite. I would hope that you are not a hypocrite and that you support a polygamist's right to marry whomever he/she wishes.

    Comment by joan — January 13, 2009 @ 11:08 pm

16. At 60 years of age, I suppose it would make no sense for us to ask Blackwell to prove his statement by resisting the urge to engage in heterosexual activity for the rest of his life.

    Comment by josephdietrich — January 14, 2009 @ 1:33 am

17. "You can choose to restrain that compulsion…."

    Hey, why would I want to?

    Corey Mondello
    Boston, Massachusetts
    http://www.CoreyMondello.com

    Comment by Corey Mondello — January 14, 2009 @ 7:18 am

18. Joan; there are plenty of secular reasons for not allowing polygamy at the moment (though morally I have no problem with it); rewriting the US tax code from the ground up isn't really feasible right now.

    Your straw man is on fire.

    Comment by mouse — January 24, 2009 @ 4:14 pm

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