New York Gubernatorial Candidate Carl Paladino Clarifies Gay Remarks Made Sunday

On Monday, Carl Paladino, a practicing Catholic and candidate for governor, made it clear that he stands up for the rights of homosexual persons and abhors anti-gay violence. His remarks came after statements he made at a Brooklyn Synagogue on Sunday unleashed strong reaction from the press, gay activists and his opponent, Andrew Cuomo. The initial comments were intended to illustrate Paladino's consistency with his Catholic faith as compared to his challenger, also a Catholic.

WASHINGTON, DC - The Republican candidate for governor and lifelong Catholic, Carl P. Paladino, set off a firestorm in mainstream media on Sunday when he addressed a gathering of Orthodox Jewish leaders at Congregation Shaarei Chaim in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn and included remarks regarding homosexuality.

"I just think my children and your children would be much better off and much more successful getting married and raising a family, and I don't want them brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid and successful option - it isn't."

Contrasting his position from that of his challenger, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo who is also a Catholic, he said, "I didn't march in the gay parade this year - the gay pride parade this year. My opponent did, and that's not the example we should be showing our children."

Cuomo's campaign headquarters responded about an hour after these remarks by saying, "Mr. Paladino's statement displays a stunning homophobia and a glaring disregard for basic equality. These comments along with other views he has espoused make it clear that he is way out of the mainstream and is unfit to represent New York."

A call from the New York Times to Paladino Campaign Manager Michael Caputo underscored that Paladino was affirming his position as a Catholic faithful to the teachings of his Church. Caputo said, "Carl Paladino is simply expressing the views that he holds in his heart as a Catholic." He also told the Times, "Carl Paladino is not homophobic, and neither is the Catholic Church."

Making the rounds of the Monday morning TV talk shows, Paladino attempted to clarify his position by underscoring that he affirms that rights of all people, including homosexual persons, but that children shouldn't be exposed to the homosexual lifestyle, especially as they are depicted in gay parades.

He told Matt Lauer on NBC's "Today" show, "They wear these little Speedos and they grind against each other and it's just a terrible thing. Why would you bring your children to that?"

On ABC's "Good Morning America, he stated, "I only have one problem with homosexuality, and that's their desire to be married, and beyond that I don't have a problem whatsoever."

One of the major problems Paladino faced came from an article in Newsday, where he was quoted as saying, "There is nothing to be proud of in being a dysfunctional homosexual." This sentence was a part of an original speech but never used.

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The candidate told reporters that while that remark was present, he scratched it out as "unacceptable." Reportedly, the synagogue had distributed copies of the original draft which contained the stricken sentence.

Through his remarks as well as his clarifications, Paladino hoped to emphasize that he is consistent in this area with teachings of the Catholic faith.

As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states concerning homosexuality, "Its psychological genesis remains largely unexplained. Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that 'homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.'

"They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved." [CCC, 2357]

The candidate made it clear on Monday that his position also included a desire to support the rights of all people, including homosexuals. Here, the Catechism states, "The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial.

"They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition." [CCC, 2358]

During his Sunday speech at the synagogue, Paladino reminded his hearers, which included the press, "Don't misquote me as wanting to hurt homosexual people in any way. That would be a dastardly lie." He has a nephew who is gay as well as campaign staff members.

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Randy Sly is the Associate Editor of Catholic Online and the CEO/Associate Publisher for the Northern Virginia Local Edition of Catholic Online (http://virginia.catholic.org). He is a former Archbishop of the Charismatic Episcopal Church who laid aside that ministry to enter into the full communion of the Catholic Church.

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