Texas Gov. Rick Perry was asked about his views on homosexuality while in San Francisco and he compared it to alcoholism.
Perry appeared at the Commonwealth Club at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins hotel and was asked if he thought homosexuality was a disorder.
“I may have the genetic coding that I’m inclined to be an alcoholic,” Perry replied, reports CBS San Francisco. “But I have the desire not to do that, and I look at the homosexual issue the same way.”
The local station noted that some in the audience gasped when Perry responded.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Greg Dalton brought up the question after Perry commented on the Texas Republican Party’s recent decision to support “reparative therapy,” which is a widely criticized process that is supposed to reverse someone’s sexual orientation. A member of the audience asked him about it and Perry said he wasn’t sure if the therapy worked.
Perry, who is a name often considered for the Republican 2016 Presidential nomination, was not on hand to talk about homosexuality. The real point of his appearance was supposed to be on energy independence and the economic relationship between the two biggest states in the country, Texas and California.
In addition, Perry believes that policies focused on fighting climate change will “strangle” the economy. He said that those who believe climate change is a real threat think, “You either believe this all the way, or you're a Neanderthal.”
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