Sean Bielat Compares Gays To Short People

Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank is in an unexpectedly close race for reelection this year, a sharp departure from 2008 when he cruised back to Washington with 68% of the vote. His challenger this cycle, Republican Sean Bielat, out-fundraised Frank last month.

Bielat also did something else. He made a bizarre comparison when discussing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" to the Boston Herald, arguing that gays should have no guaranteed right to serve in the military -- just like short people.

"There's no absolute right to serve. Men under the height of 5 feet, 2 inches can't serve -- I don't see anybody protesting. Where are the people standing in front of the White House, the short guys standing in front of the White House? You don't see it," Bielat told the Boston Herald. "We understand that there's no absolute right to serve in all these other areas," he continued.

Bielat is not the only Republican candidate to make an odd analogy when discussing gays in recent weeks. Last Sunday, Colorado Senate hopeful Ken Buck compared being gay to alcoholism. "I think that birth has an influence over [being gay], like alcoholism and some other things, but I think that basically, you have a choice," the GOP nominee said.

With a new poll showing Frank in a tight race, the longtime Congressman recently took out a $200,000 loan to fund his campaign.

Audio of Bielat's remarks can be found here.