Pawlenty: Science 'In Dispute' Over Whether Gays 'Born This Way'

Pawlenty: Science ‘In Dispute’ Over Whether Gays ‘Born This Way’

Wingnuts • July 2011 • Views: 1,291

This morning on Meet The Press, David Gregory pressed GOP presidential candidate Gov. Tim Pawlenty about his recent remarks that he likes Lady Gaga’s song “Born This Way,” asking if he believes being gay is a choice. Pawlenty responded that he thinks the science is still “in dispute”:

GREGORY: Is being gay a choice?

PAWLENTY: Well, the science in that regard is in dispute. I mean, scientists work on that and try to figure out if it’s behavioral or if it’s partly genetic –

GREGORY: What do you think?

PAWLENTY: Well, I defer to the scientists in that regard.

GREGORY: So you think it’s not a choice? That you are, as Lady Gaga says, you’re born that way.

PAWLENTY: There’s no scientific conclusion that it’s genetic. We don’t know that.

TP has the video.

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8 comments

Lidane Mon, Jul 11, 2011 4:21:45am

The only thing in dispute is how much of an unelectable, boring douche T-Paw is.

Lord Baron Viscount Duke Earl Count Planckton Mon, Jul 11, 2011 5:46:18am

Orientation is not determined by a single factor, so in a very narrow sense he has a point - it’s not necessarily genetic. Of course, “genetic/choice” is a false dichotomy in the first place. So what if it’s not genetic but developmental? Still not a choice. So he is using “uncertainty” for demagogic purposes.

aagcobb Mon, Jul 11, 2011 6:11:43am

T-Paw better hurry up and sign the Pledge that Bachmann and frothy mix signed if he wants the bad crazy socon votes he’ll need to win Iowa. It insists there is no evidence that homosexuality is genetic.

Obdicut Mon, Jul 11, 2011 8:39:38am

re: #2 Sergey Romanov

And even if it was a choice— so what? It’s still behavior that harms no one else. It still should be no concern of government or busybodies.

EiMitch Mon, Jul 11, 2011 8:54:50am

Pawlenty is implying that homosexuality is a choice, while staying cowardly vague to appear “rational” and “open-minded.”

Earth to T-Paw: This double-talk might work with fellow politicians, but you’re not fooling anyone in the real world.

There isn’t a single credible study linking homosexuality to environmental factors. At least, not after you’re born. There isn’t a single shred of scientific proof that straight people can be “recruited” into becoming gay, nor that gay people can be “cured.”

Why is this too much for religious right to accept? Because this implies that god made gays gay, thus rendering the anti-gay parts of the bible complete bs. And no part of the bible is bs.

SpaceJesus Mon, Jul 11, 2011 9:53:52am

is the conservative strategy one of just saying the most ridiculous things so that eventually everybody is so callous to their stupidity that we don’t notice anymore or something

Prononymous, rogue demon hunter Mon, Jul 11, 2011 10:26:36am

T-Paw telling others what science says. Thanks for the morning LOL.

The Force Ghost of a Flea Mon, Jul 11, 2011 10:40:55am

Science isn’t magical truth-divining, and scientists aren’t augurs in white lab-coats. It doesn’t follow from “not everyone thinks homosexuality is genetic” that the other option is “it’s totally a choice.” Between chromosomes and free will there’s a dozen other developmental and biological factors—to say nothing of the relatively new construct of epigenetics.

I’d like to believe he’s just ignorant, but this smacks of weasel-y and cynical appropriation of shell of empiricism with full knowledge that there’s no meaningful underpinning.

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