DES MOINES, Iowa — A Republican state senator from northern Iowa said Wednesday that homosexual lifestyles pose a health risk to him and his family in comments that drew a sharp rebuke from an openly gay Democratic senator.
In a speech on the Senate floor, Sen. Dennis Guth, of Klemme said the media has “bamboozled” the public into a growing acceptance of gay relationships and argued his family faces “health risks” because of “sexually transmitted infections that this lifestyle invites.”
“Just as there are multiple ways that your smoking hurts me, such as secondhand smoke, increased insurance costs, cost to society of days lost for poor health, so it is with same-sex relationships,” said Guth, a freshman lawmaker.
“There are health risks that my family incurs because of the increase in sexually transmitted infections that this lifestyle invites. For example there are more and more medical tests required before giving blood or giving birth,” he said.
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Guth’s comments were quickly condemned by Sen. Matt McCoy, of Des Moines, who said Guth was using “warmed over rhetoric that has been invented by the Christian-right extremist groups.”
“While somebody cannot choose to be gay, you certainly can choose to be ignorant,” McCoy said.
Guth said later that he stood by his comments. He said his remarks were inspired by a national event organized by conservative Christian group Focus on the Family scheduled for Thursday.
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“The Day of Dialogue has been scheduled as the day before that so that we can have a more open dialogue about all types of relationships and the consequences,” said Guth, who said gay relationships had more health risks and negative emotional consequences than heterosexual relationships.
Guth’s remarks drew criticism from the Iowa Democratic Party and One Iowa, the state’s largest gay advocacy group.
Earlier in the legislative session, Guth proposed a constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage. The measure, which would require approval twice in the Iowa Assembly before it went to a statewide vote, did not advance.
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