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When I see and hear Rick Santorum on the campaign trail, I can’t get past his rampant homophobia. I try. I try to hear the rest of his mostly nonsensical (as in makes no sense) right-wing political rhetoric, especially since I used to interview the guy when I was a talk show host years ago on WHP in Harrisburg, PA, but I always come back to his hatred of gays.

I can’t stand people who can’t stand people for no reason. And Santorum can’t stand gays. He never fully explains why. What possible harm could Bob marrying Bruce bring to Santorum or his family? Before I can begin to take anything this guy says seriously, I have to have an answer to that question. From the miniscule gay population in this country I need to know one negative consequence the gay community has wrought in the personal life of Rick Santorum. ONE! That’s not asking too much.

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He’s never cited a single example as far as I know. Was there an incident at some obscure rest stop? Did he wander into a gay bar by mistake and flee in horror? Did some aging queen make a suggestive remark? Its OK Rick…get it off your chest. Surely Barney Frank didn’t drill a peephole in Santorum’s office bathroom when Rick was a congressman. Maybe a homosexual cast a lascivious glance at his pooch. In Santorumville homosexuality is analogous to bestiality among other abhorrent practices and nosey Rick wants to park his cot in your bedroom so he can keep an eye on your constitutionally unprotected (so he claims) private sex practices. Government in your bedroom? Odd stance for an arch conservative.

When I was in my late teens, I worked for an American Health studios outlet on Hollywood Blvd. There were a number of gay members. Many were closeted actors; some names you would recognize even to this day. And yes, some of them asked me out to lunch or dinner or to a party…just like guys are always asking girls out. And just like the gals, who turn down most such requests, I respectfully declined all the invitations. And once it became clear that I wasn’t ‘available’ I interacted with the gay clientele the same way I interacted with the straight clientele because, believe it or not Mr. Santorum, as much as you obsess on gay sex, homosexuals have lives that include activities that aren’t sexual in nature.

I got along fine with every member, regardless of his sexual proclivities. We didn’t talk sex. We mostly talked about how tough it was for my clients to be gay and how many times these perfectly bright and decent men were threatened, intimidated and oft-times beaten. I don’t know if Santorum has ever beaten a gay person, but his verbal attacks have given those who so desire, permission to do so. Because when high-profile leaders legitimize hate, that’s the tacit signal to abuse the target of that leaders loathing in any fashion that suits clueless thugs, up to and including beatings and in the extreme, murder.

Santorum always insists he has no problem with homosexuals just homosexual acts. Something like that consummate cop out of hate the sin, love the sinner or variations thereof. The latter attributed to the bible or Aesop or Gandhi’s autobiography – take your pick.

No, I couldn’t vote for Santorum even if I suddenly fell and hit my head and registered as a Republican. I don’t know what happened to him. As I remember, when we talked on my show at WHP, he was perfectly reasonable even when we disagreed. Never once did he mention the gay issue.

I don’t know what happened to him.



