CNBC Host Corners Rick Perry for Comparing Homosexuality to Alcoholism

Outgoing Texas Governor Rick Perry defended his recent comparison of homosexuals to alcoholics on CNBC’s Sqwuak Box Monday morning, as host Joe Kernan called the comments “offensive,” even to him as a conservative.

“I have a really high bar for what I would take offense to, but that would exceed the bar for me on being an offensive comment,” Kernan said. “I don’t think gay marriage leads to cirrhosis of the liver or domestic violence or DWIs. I don’t see how that’s similar.”

“I understand people have different opinions about that,” Perry said, adding that the issue should be left up to the states.

“But in terms of changing the behavior of someone,” Kernan said, “you wouldn’t think that someone who’s heterosexual, that you couldn’t change them into a homosexual, or someone who is homosexual, you don’t think that there should be therapy to try to change them into a heterosexual?”

“You know, I don’t know,” Perry replied. “The fact is, we’ll leave that to the psychologists and the doctors.”

“The psychologists they’ve already weighed in,” Kernan countered. “They’ve dismissed the idea that sexual orientation is a mental disorder. …It just seems like the Republican Party is going to be forever behind the curve on this issue.”

Watch the video below, via CNBC:

[h/t Talking Points Memo]

[Image via screengrab]

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