Iowa lawmaker says gay relationships threaten health of his family
- A Republican senator from northern Iowa said homosexual lifestyles pose a health risk to him and his family in comments that drew a sharp rebuke from an openly gay Democratic senator.
To see the fool - NEWS VIDEO: http://www.kcci.com/news/politics/Senator-makes-controversial-comments-on-gay-lifestyle/-/9356970/19786994/-/lr1b9yz/-/index.html
"This is something I campaigned on. It's a part of why I'm here as a senator today," Sen. Dennis Guth said on the Senate floor Wednesday.
Guth, of Klemme, said the media has "bamboozled" the public into a growing acceptance of gay relationships and argues his family faces "health risks" because of sexually transmitted infections he said are associated with a gay lifestyle.
"The media, for the most part, has bamboozled us into thinking that having a relationship outside of the boundaries of monogamous, heterosexual marriage is positive, happy and fulfilling," he said. Guth then compared the choice of smoking to what he said was the choice of being gay. - "There
are health risks that my family incurs because of the increase of
sexually transmitted infections that this lifestyle invites. For
example, there are more and more medical tests required before giving
blood, or giving birth," he said.
Guth's comments were quickly condemned by Sen. Matt McCoy, of Des Moines, who said Guth was using "warmed-over rhetoric that has been invented by the Christian-right extremist groups." McCoy said being gay isn't a choice, but "you certainly can choose to be ignorant."
"What I heard today was ignorant," McCoy said.
McCoy told KCCI that he was surprised by the comments.
