Santourm On A Tightrope

Sen. Rick Santorum, who has likened homosexuality to incest, bigamy and polygamy, said Mthat an openly homosexual member of his staff is "a trusted employee" who will continue to "have my confidence."

Santorum said there's no contradiction between his criticism of homosexuality as a lifestyle and his employment of the gay staff member, director of communications Robert L. Traynham.

"I think it squares very clearly with my public positions on every other issue, which is that I treat people fairly, I treat people equally, I treat people with dignity and respect, and irrespective of what they may or may not do outside of work," said Santorum.

In a story last week, the online gay and lesbian publication, PageOneQ, quoted Traynham as saying he is an openly gay man who supports the senator. The story was picked up by the Knight-Ridder News Service and ran in newspapers across the country.

Michael Geer, the president of the Pennsylvania Family Institute, which has vocally supported Santorum for opposing gay marriage, said there's a difference between employing someone who is gay and endorsing the homosexual lifestyle in public policy. He credited the senator for knowing the difference.

No comments: