Richardson: 'Let me be clear'... Gay not a 'choice'

It was singer Melissa Etheridge who posed a question to Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico that the candidate for president was still trying to answer today. Photo by Getty Images.Robyn Beck.

by Mark Silva

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson sought to clarify today a comment he made about homosexuality being a matter of “choice’’ last night in a forum.

"Let me be clear -- I do not believe that sexual orientation or gender identity happen by choice," Richardson said in a statement issued by his campaign following the candidates' forum. "But I'm not a scientist, and the point I was trying to make is that no matter how it happens, we are all equal and should be treated that way under the law.

“That is what I believe, that is what I have spent my career fighting for,’’ the Democratic candidate for president said in his statement. “I ask that people look at my record and my actions and they will see I have been a true supporter of the LGBT community."

But the candidate wasn’t so clear last night, in a candidates’ forum sponsored by the Human Rights Campaign in San Francisco and broadcast by the Logo cable television network.

Singer Melissa Etheridge asked him: “Do you think homosexuality is a choice, or is it biological?

“It's a choice. It's…’’ Richardson said.

“I don't know if you understand the question,’’ Etheridge said. “Do you think I -- a homosexual is born that way, or do you think that around seventh grade we go, "Ooh, I want to be gay"?

“Well, I -- I'm not a scientist,’’ Richardson said. “It's -- you know, I don't see this as an issue of science or definition. I see gays and lesbians as people as a matter of human decency. I see it as a matter of love and companionship and people loving each other. You know I don't like to categorize people. I don't like to, like, answer definitions like that that, you know, perhaps are grounded in science or something else that I don't understand.’’

For the full context of the discussion including Solmonese, president of the HRC, and moderated by Margaret Carlson, see the transcript:

Richardson at the HRC forum. (Getty/Robyn Beck.)

GOV. RICHARDSON: The New Mexico legislature, I am pushing it very hard to expand domestic partnership. It's the same thing, Joe. It's a question of going through a path that is achievable.

Now, you know, I'll give the most flowery speeches like several that have done here. I am in this business to get things done, to lead, to pass legislation, to bring coalitions together, to bring the country together.

MR. SOLMONESE: And you have been a hero on a number of issues.

I think what we're trying to get a sense of here is, when you say the country needs to come along, we need to move people and it's happening in the states, then if it's happening in a state and the legislature hands you that piece of legislation, in your heart, where are you on that issue in that sort of a circumstance?

GOV. RICHARDSON: Well, you know, in my heart, I'm doing what is achievable. And I'm not there yet. And the country isn't there yet. New Mexico isn't there yet. We have to bring the country on. We have to move in the direction of making this happen.

That doesn't mean that I'm closed on this issue. It means that you do what is achievable.

MR. SOLMONESE: I want to get to one of the other issues that you mentioned. Under our current immigration laws, one spouse can sponsor another to become a U.S. resident. Same-sex couples are not covered by this law. What would you do to help binational couples, couples who are playing by the rules, gay and lesbian couples who are playing by the rules, but whose families are being torn apart by the current immigration system?

GOV. RICHARDSON: Well, I believe that when you have expansion of domestic partnership, of civil unions, it should be to all people, regardless of where you are -- overseas, underseas, anywhere.

So there's a bill in Congress, which I have already said I would support, to include -- because it's currently in the immigration issue -- I know of friends of mine that have partners in Mexico, that -- when I signed in New Mexico an executive order expanding domestic partnership, one of my constituents has a partner in Mexico, and my own constituent, because of the immigration law, and his partner cannot come together. I think that's wrong. I think that's discrimination.

MS. CARLSON: Thank you, Governor.

Melissa?

MS. ETHERIDGE: Thank you.

Do you think homosexuality is a choice, or is it biological?

GOV. RICHARDSON: It's a choice. It's –

MS. ETHERIDGE: I don't know if you understand the question. (Soft laughter.) Do you think I -- a homosexual is born that way, or do you think that around seventh grade we go, "Ooh, I want to be gay"?

GOV. RICHARDSON: Well, I -- I'm not a scientist. It's -- you know, I don't see this as an issue of science or definition.

I see gays and lesbians as people as a matter of human decency. I see it as a matter of love and companionship and people loving each other. You know I don't like to categorize people. I don't like to, like, answer definitions like that that, you know, perhaps are grounded in science or something else that I don't understand.

MS. ETHERIDGE: Well, it's hard when you are a citizen of a country that tells you that you are making a choice when you were born that way, and your Creator made you that way. And there's a document that was written 200 years ago that says you are entitled to certain rights that you are not given.
How can there be anything other than absolute equal rights for homosexuals?

GOV. RICHARDSON: Well, that's -- that's always been my view, as I said. As a Hispanic, I grew up with people thinking because of my darker skin and my -- you know, I didn't -- I wasn't fully speaking English at a time, that I was not equal. So I understand that issue of inequality, and so across the board I've always felt that every human being desires the same rights, desires the same niche in our society. And you know, I've -- all my life I've striven very hard to deal with the civil rights issue, on immigration issues affecting families. I've always held these ideals very high, and my record speaks for it.

MS. ETHERIDGE: I've lived in your state. I've lived in Santa Fe, beautiful, beautiful place. How's the bark beetle infestation going? (Laughter.)

GOV. RICHARDSON: It's still a problem.

MS. ETHERIDGE: Yeah.

GOV. RICHARDSON: They're still a problem.

MS. ETHERIDGE: That's -- environmentally, I hope you can do something.