Rick Perry Compares Homosexuality to Alcoholism: You Can ‘Decide Not to Do That’

Outgoing Texas Governor Rick Perry compared homosexuality to alcoholism before a San Francisco crowd Wednesday night.

At an event hosted by the non-partisan Commonwealth Club of California, Perry was asked about “reparative therapy,” in which “ex-gay” therapies can supposedly cure homosexuality. The practice has been denounced by the American Psychological Association, but was adopted this month into the Texas GOP platform.

RELATED: GOP Candidate Supports Stoning Gay People to Death

“Whether or not you feel compelled to follow a particular lifestyle or not, you have the ability to decide not to do that,” Perry replied. “I may have the genetic coding that I’m inclined to be an alcoholic, but I have the desire not to do that, and I look at the homosexual issue the same way.”

According to those present, the comment elicited some murmurs from the audience.

Watch the clip below (it autoplays, so you don’t have a choice) via KPIX:

[h/t SFGate]

[Image via screengrab]

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