South Carolina.USA

In a recent interview with Bolomberg’s Al Hunt, Senator Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) said he cringes at the idea of an openly gay president.

“It would be bothersome to me just personally because I consider it immoral,” DeMint said.

The South Carolina Republican, who has become the face of the Republican purity movement, goes right on everything, from the economy and health care to immigration and hot-button social issues such as gay rights.

Says Bloomberg:

He’s a favorite of the grassroots “tea party” brigade and Fox News. His growing cult is such that party insiders even talk about him as a potential presidential candidate.

DeMint has been most outspoken as an opponent of any form of gay marriage.

“Marriage is a religious institution. The federal government has no business redefining what it is,” he says.

This is one issue where DeMint doesn’t support states’ rights, saying state government shouldn’t have the right to permit gay marriage.

“Governments should not be in the business of promoting a behavior that’s proven to be destructive to our society,” he said.

This is not the first time DeMint has spoken out against gays, in fact his homophobia dates back at least to his 2004 U.S. Senate campaign when he was quoted as saying openly gay teachers should not be allowed in public schools, and that unwed mothers were unfit to stand in front of a classroom.

Read the full story at Bloomberg.

Tags: Anti-gay, Jim DeMint, Politicians, Politics, Republicans, South Carolina

Filed under: South Carolina