McCollum’s (Self Inflicted, Anti-LGBT) Travails
Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum (R), running for governor, has had a rough year. Most of it is all of his own creation, but, seriously, I have to ask: What is it about anti-LGBT Florida Republicans and all the homosexuals in their lives?
First, there was George Rekers and his “luggage” scandal. It turned out that McConnell had pushed — against the advice of attorneys in his office — to hire Rekers as an expert in Florida’s legal defense of its ban on gay adoption. [Read an earlier report about adoption issues, including the Florida case brought by foster parent and would-be adoptive parent Martin Gill here at Metro Weekly.]
Now, he came out opposing gay foster parents, too. From an interview, via Bilerico:
Question: Florida permits homosexuals to serve as foster parents. That has been used as an argument to undermine the ban on adoptions. Should homosexuals be permitted to serve as foster parents in Florida?
McCollum: Well, I personally don’t think so, but that is the law.
Q: Should the law be changed?
M: I think that it would be advisable. I really do not think that we should have homosexuals guiding our children. I think that it’s a lifestyle that I don’t agree with. I realize a lot of people do. It’s my personal faith, religious faith, that I don’t believe that the people who do this should be raising our children. It’s not a natural thing. You need a mother and a father. You need a man and a woman. That’s what God intended.
Then, today, Equality Florida’s Nadine Smith passes on word that a reporter asked about McCollum having a gay man as a political advisor. In describing the man, the reporter said, “I think he is married to another man and he has I believe adopted kids, if not foster kids.” McCollum’s response and the follow-up follow:
McCollum: “Look, I don’t discriminate against people I employ, I never have. I have folks who work for me and have for many years who are gay and I don’t have any other comment I can make about it, that’s it.
Caputo: “So is the gay law, the gay adoption ban then discrimination?”
McCollum: “Look, my personal belief is that children should be raised by a man and a woman, simple as that. And as far as, I have said already to you Marc that I am very much aware we have a law that is going up for a test before the state supreme court and that’s as far as I can comment on it.”
For the full initial transcript, see here at Equality Florida’s blog.
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
