Ex-Rep. DeLay: Being Forced to Serve Gays Undermines Religious Liberty

Former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay speaks with media Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2014, in Houston after the highest criminal court in Texas refused to reinstate two money-laundering convictions against him. The Texas... Former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay speaks with media Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2014, in Houston after the highest criminal court in Texas refused to reinstate two money-laundering convictions against him. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals upheld a ruling from the 3rd Court of Appeals tossing the 2010 convictions. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) argued that controversial religious liberty bills aren’t at all about discrimination. Instead, they’re about protecting people from the government imposing opposing values.

“This isn’t about discrimination,” DeLay said in an interview with Newsmax. “We love people that have chosen to be homosexuals. The problem is we abhor the sin. So yes, when I have a business and some gay person walks in —unidentified by the way, there’s no way he could tell you— then I’m going to serve him. But if he comes in and asks me to undermine my values, what I believe in —undermine my religious liberty then I have the right to not serve him. It’s not discrimination. It’s the government telling us how we are to act, what we are to believe, and that has got to be fought with every ounce of our being.”

DeLay’s comments follow Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) caving to national criticism about the religious liberty bill he signed into law and Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R) sending a similar bill back to the state legislature for revisions.

The latest bill making its way through the state legislature is in Louisiana where Gov. Bobby Jindal (R) most recently said he supports.

DeLay said both governors have shown “great weakness” in contrast to virtually everyone in the likely 2016 Republican presidential field, who have voiced support for the laws.

“These two governors have shown great weakness but I gotta tell you these candidates…They understood immediately,” DeLay said. “I don’t know of one that has come out against the Religious Freedom Act. And some of them like Santorum, like Huckabee, like Ted Cruz, are showing more strength than the governor of Indiana or the governor of Arkansas.”

Watch DeLay below:

(H/t: Rawstory)

Correction: This post has been updated to show that DeLay was the House majority leader.

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. “This isn’t about discrimination,” DeLay said in an interview with Newsmax. “We love people that have chosen to be African-American. The problem is we abhor the sin. So yes, when I have a business and some black person walks in —unidentified by the way, there’s no way he could tell you— then I’m going to serve him. But if he comes in and asks me to undermine my values, what I believe in —undermine my religious liberty then I have the right to not serve him. It’s not discrimination. It’s the government telling us how we are to act, what we are to believe, and that has got to be fought with every ounce of our being.”

  2. Yes, by all means, please continue with the insanity among all the RWNJ candidates. (And pass the popcorn.)

  3. Two things of note:

    1. I don’t desire DeLay’s ‘love.’ Just to be treated equally and fairly in all interactions that are outside the four walls of his place of worship and his home(s).

    2. Malzberg is one creepy-looking dude. Looks like a dead person microwaved to ‘warm.’

    Edit: I personally ‘love’ Southern Baptists’ but hate their related actions. I mean, seriously: What a lifestyle choice!!

  4. DeLay is so stupidly delusional that he still believes people choose to be gay.

    Who care what this has-been convicted felon says?
    Who is giving him airtime to show off his overweening idiocy?

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

72 more replies

Participants

Avatar for doremus_jessup Avatar for subatomicparticiple Avatar for littlegirlblue Avatar for leftflank Avatar for bluestatedon Avatar for navamske Avatar for rollinnolan Avatar for Lacuna-Synecdoche Avatar for sniffit Avatar for frankly_my_dear Avatar for stephen_maturin Avatar for hora_del_cafe Avatar for serendipitoussomnambulist Avatar for forkedtongue Avatar for bigdaddydrj Avatar for darrtown Avatar for cincypix Avatar for thunderclapnewman Avatar for beattycat Avatar for gene_starwind Avatar for jinmichigan Avatar for iowadave Avatar for rosie Avatar for briannaamore

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: