Ellen Page to Texas Governor who compared homosexuality to alcoholism: ‘Are you for real?’
Actress Ellen Page has responded to the Governor of Texas who compared the homosexual “lifestyle” to alcoholism this week, to simply ask: “Are you for real?”
Tweeting yesterday, Page expressed her disbelief at the comments made by Governor Rick Perry.
Mr Perry said he did not know whether the widely-discredited therapy worked, but then claimed gay people had the ability to avoid their “lifestyle”.
“Whether or not you feel compelled to follow a particular lifestyle or not, you have the ability to decide not to do that.”
The Republican added: “I may have the genetic coding that I’m inclined to be an alcoholic, but I have the desire not to do that, and I look at the homosexual issue the same way.”
“@thinkprogress: Rick Perry derides gay ‘lifestyle’, compares it to alcoholism https://t.co/rscwugjkee” are you for real ? @GovernorPerry
— Ellen Page (@EllenPage) June 12, 2014
He made the remarks on Wednesday evening during a visit to the Commonwealth Club of California – just days after the Texas Republican Convention announced its support for gay-to-straight conversion therapy.
In his first book, On My Honor, published in 2008, Mr Perry drew a parallel between homosexuality and alcoholism, writing that he is “no expert on the ‘nature versus nurture’ debate”, but that gay people should simply choose abstinence.
During the 2012 presidential campaign, he criticised the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Earlier this year, Page came out at an event organised by the Human Rights Campaign, saying: “I am tired of hiding and I am tired of lying by omission.”
