Rick Santorum Condemned By Gay Rights Group GOProud For DADT Debate Comments

The conservative gay rights group GOProud condemned Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum on Friday for saying he would reinstate the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy if elected president.

"Removing 'don't ask, don't tell' I think tries to inject social policy into the military," Santorum said during Thursday night's Republican presidential primary debate, in response to a question from Stephen Hill, a gay soldier currently serving in Iraq. Hill asked whether the candidates would attempt to "circumvent the progress that's been made for gay and lesbian soldiers in the military."

"We executed a policy that I think was detrimental to everyone, including them, in my opinion because sex and sexual preference should not be an issue in the military, period," Santorum elaborated following the debate. "And it should not be something that is demonstrated in any shape or form in the military. And it shows how much our culture has changed that this is even a subject to be debated within the military."

In a statement on Friday, GOProud said, “That brave gay soldier is doing something Rick Santorum has never done -- put his life on the line to defend our freedoms and our way of life," according to the Chicago Tribune.

“It is telling that Rick Santorum is so blinded by his anti-gay bigotry that he couldn't even bring himself to thank that gay soldier for his service," said the group. "Stephen Hill is serving our country in Iraq, fighting a war Senator Santorum says he supports. How can Senator Santorum claim to support this war if he doesn't support the brave men and women who are fighting it?”

Hill's question, and the response to it, became one of the more dramatic moments of the evening, after members of the crowd booed Hill following his question.

None of the GOP candidates said commented on the audience's response during the debate, but both Rick Perry and Jon Huntsman told Talking Points Memo after the event that the negative reaction was "unfortunate."

WATCH: Santorum answers a gay soldier's question about the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy

 

 

Comments

[Justin Wayne Jones]

04:24 PM on 10/02/2011

I am surprised no one that was clapping for him realized that he basically made our soldiers question into something so far off the reservation its rediculouse. DADT was causeing us to hide completely and we couldn't even have an internet social page that would reveal our sexual orientation and that is discrimination cut and dry. For him to say that sex in the army has no place has nothing to do with why we needed a repeal. Sex has no place in battle.But if thats the case how many soldiers go and have relationships with foreign women? Don't go there Mr. Santorum apparently you think that we are just perverts. Women are more frequently standing on the front line with other soldiers it is not causing issues is it? Don't dodge the question or truth that you are trying to cover this has nothing to do with sex. Its about freedom to serve our country and not about making the military a hook-up group. With people that can't even answer a question correctly and grasp the true concept of the issue this country of ours is in severe trouble. It is very evident that todays representatives aren't exactly the intelligent thinkers and innovators that they should be and its very sad. What it amounts too is people really need to stop and think of all aspects of a situation. And those of you who were booing this soldier who seen horror you couldn't imagine. SHAME ON U!

[midwstrner]

11:50 AM on 09/30/2011

We need to take up a collection to help Ricky San Torum move to a country he'd feel more comfortable in, like Iran. They seem to like religious nuts in Iran....

[wordsmithjeri]

11:38 PM on 09/29/2011

Santorum should be bought up on crimes against humanity. He wants to remove freedoom of speech and castrate everyone in the army!

[wordsmithjeri]

11:09 PM on 09/29/2011

He made Rev. Wright look mentally healthy;-}

[wordsmithjeri]

10:49 PM on 09/29/2011

What a ego. Why would any nice gay man want to have anything to do with a coward. I do not see him in uniform. I am ashamed of him. Most Catholics are much kinder to gays. That group sounded as sick as the Taliban. God help them if they have a child that is gay.

[wordsmithjeri]

10:44 PM on 09/29/2011

Where are Republicans so mean?

[wordsmithjeri]

10:43 PM on 09/29/2011

How many gays had to feel the hatred from there fellow countryman. He is worst than the KKK.

He wants Americans not to have freedoom of speech and to fight and die for us, only if they are invisible A-sexual. He sounds like the President of IRAN.

[r henry]

01:29 PM on 09/26/2011

Alright Rick, as soon as we start discharging heterosexuals when we discover they are straight, I'll buy your pathetic statement.

[Michael Willhoite]

11:13 AM on 09/26/2011

Google Santorum, and you'll find his true measure.

[duckpuddle]

01:05 PM on 09/29/2011

How do you measure santorum? Is it by volume or area?

[mcmutter]

10:30 AM on 09/26/2011

top or bottom ...

rick is a bottom man ....

[truth be told again]

11:11 AM on 10/03/2011

Bottom feeder, shurely.

[troyrobertdavid]

10:27 AM on 09/26/2011

"We executed a policy that I think was detrimental to everyone, including them, in my opinion because sex and sexual preference should not be an issue in the military, period,"

First he says that sexual preference should not be an issue then says that a gay person shouldn’t be able to serve because of their sexual preference. What????

Personally to me, this guy is a loser and a tool.

[Eric in Manhattan]

09:47 AM on 09/26/2011

Take a good, long look at the face of Santorum. THIS is the face of the Republican party in 2011.

[warrenagv]

09:37 AM on 09/26/2011

Soap on a rope should be issued from now on What is are government thinking ?????

[r henry]

01:31 PM on 09/26/2011

If this is the issue that you are using to take a stand against gays in the military, you are only demonstrating the sad state you are in.

[warrenagv]

02:36 PM on 09/26/2011

I really don't care what you think. So tell me did you ever live in a barracks with 60 other guys.That you never met before It may work for you, only if your gay,or on the other hand you may get you're butt kicked.So pick your friends carefully

[Sfarrell67]

08:36 AM on 09/26/2011

I have seen random people walk up to uniformed soldiers in Grand Central Station (NYC) and thank them for their service -- but not one member of the debate panel could say a kind word to Stephen Hill? On national television? This close to an election?

[LeftLeanWing]

01:30 AM on 09/26/2011

Keep Santorum on Top

Keep Santorum on Top

Err'body GOOGLE: Rick Santorum

and click on the Definition Link.....


Thanks....

[demisfine]

08:28 AM on 09/26/2011

Santorum wants them to censor the entries on the web for "Santorum" searches.
He doesn't like all the links attached to his name.
Just imagine what a Santorum Presidency would look like.....
Luckily it will never happen.

[Jim NLN]

08:56 AM on 09/26/2011

I think Hitler asked Google to do the same thing.

[Pamski]

09:20 AM on 09/26/2011

His insistence that he "didn't hear the booing" was bad enough, but for him to say he would have told the audience to stop is a real stretch.