Elizabeth Edwards better be careful lest she overshadow her husband John’s campaign. The beautiful 58-year old attorney sat down with Salon to again come out to show some love for the gays. While we all know that Lizzy supports gay marriage – her husband, meanwhile, goes for civil unions – few people understand exactly what motivates her fight. And some of you may be surprised to hear she’s inspired by one of the most virulent homophobes in history:
I remember hearing [former GOP Sen. Rick] Santorum ranting about how homosexual marriage threatens heterosexual marriage. I could be wrong, but I think heterosexual marriage is threatened more by heterosexuals. I don’t know why gay marriage challenges my marriage in any way.
We’re sure Santorum is thrilled to hear that.
Edwards goes on to use her husband’s religion to defend his discriminatory stance on gay marriage:
Well, I think it’s a struggle for him, having grown up in a Southern Baptist church where it was pounded into him. I was raised a Methodist in military churches. Poverty was talked about; I don’t remember homosexuality ever being mentioned. And I don’t think that Christians who aren’t engaged in a political campaign ever talk about it. They talk about poverty and other issues talked about in the Bible. But in churches, in political season, there’s plenty of ginning up this issue.
Christians don’t talk about homosexuality? Was this woman brought up in a cave? Or – gasp – a non-Christian home? Last time we checked, Christians were obsessed with homosexuality. So obsessed, in fact, that they manipulated the Bible to fight against it. But, what do we know? We just hear about it everyday.
marty05
I must say, you’re wrong about Christians being obsessed with homosexuality. The right-wing propagandists want you to believe that all Christians are as obsessed about homosexuality as they are, but, it’s simply not true. As a gay Christian, I can attest to the fact that for the first 22 years of my life (and during that time I attended a Methodist church on an almost weekly basis), I heard homosexuality mentioned a grand total of ONE time! The only reason that I now hear homosexuality mentioned more often in church is because I’ve since moved and worship at an explicitly gay-friendly Methodist church; now all of the times it is mentioned is in defense of gay rights! So please, don’t fall into the trap of believing the right-wing nuts’ claims that they represent the majority of Christians. They only wish it was so!
nycstudman
I’m kinda mezza-mezza about her husband, but if she wanted to push my buttons, she couldn’t have set up a better straw man than that idiot Santorum!
jobradfield
Maybe it’s that Methodists are just a bit more accepting as church goers go.
My parents were both Methodist, and they are totally cool with me at least.
I have to say that not all Christians are anti-gay, but I sure have run into a fair few who were.
nilla4me
Ringing the same alarm, my grandmother is baptist and would occassionally talk about it once she heard some politician speak out on television. I rarely heard about it in my presbyterian church coming from the pulpit, but the children were a different story. Liz and John are making an interesting name for themselves in North Carolina. NORTH carolina.
trickbradley
Anybody with half a brain can see that they are trying to play both sides on this issue. However, Elizabeth is effectively making John look like he can’t think for himself by citing his inability to see beyond his Southern Baptist upbringing.
He realizes an anti-gay agenda was “pounded into him”, yet he still can’t see past it? Sounds pretty weak for a man who wants to run the country.
GoodBuddy
My mother was a Methodist and my father was a Baptist. They got married and became Presbyterian. I don’t recall homosexuality ever being mentioned, but this was prior to Stonewall. I think the attitude was more that gay sex was so appalling that it was beyond mentioning.
Prior to leaving for college, the only time I ever heard homosexuality mentioned was in a two hour sex education course in the eighth grade. There was a fifteen minute film about an older man following teenagers into bathroom, trying to get them to take rides in his car, or come up to his apartment. After the film ended the teacher (this was segregated by sex, and the gym teacher taught this class) said “That’s what queers are” and the lesson was over. Gay porn films are much more educational.
I have often heard people talk about how their families were almost obsessed with talking about the queers. I’ve wondered if that is worse than being unmentionable.
Jack Jett
If given the opportunity, I’d spit fuck Santorum.
Jack Jett
http://www.jackejett.com
kamasutrajones
I wish SHE were running. Her husband is okay, but she’s the bomb! Go Elizabeth Edwards!
ghostarmagh
I have to agree that there are a lot of christian churches who rarely mention homosexuality. It’s a divisive issue and there are many pastors & preachers who would just avoid it. What’s interesting is that the ones who DO mention it frequently, condemning it from the pulpit, are nearly always using it to raise money. And it is a big moneymaker, have no doubt about that!!