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.
