GOP Continues to Traffic in Anti-Gay Hate Speech

The Colorado Senate has passed a bill extending health insurance coverage to the partners of gay and lesbian state workers. As the Denver Post reports, the Senate approved Senate Bill 88 in a 22-12 vote on Tuesday, sending it to the House for consideration. All too typically, the Republican members of the Colorado legislature are (1) chanting the mantra that the majority gets to decide what civil rights, if any, minorities will be allowed and/or (2) engaging in religious based hate speech against gays. Some of the worse hate speech came from Sen. Scott Renfroe, R-Greeley, who equated homosexuality with rape and murder. Obviously, Mr. Renfroe cares nothing about the possible violence against gays that talk such as his can cause. Here are some highlights from the Colorado Springs Gazette that illustrate the irresponsible, theocratic behavior of the Colorado GOP:

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Debating a gay-rights bill on the floor of the state Senate on Monday, a Republican lawmaker took the rhetoric to new heights by equating homosexuality as a sin with murder. "I'm not saying this (homosexuality) is the only sin that's out there," said Sen. Scott Renfroe, R-Greeley. "We have murder. We have all sorts of sin. We have adultery. And we don't make laws making those legal, and we would never think to make murder legal."

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Other Republicans said the bill, which would allow partners of gay state employees to be covered by health care benefits, is an attempt by Democrats to chip away at a constitutional amendment voters passed in 2006 defining marriage as between a man and a woman. "These are just micro-steps to a lawsuit in the Colorado Supreme Court to overturn what the voters voted for," charged Sen. Dave Schultheis, R-Colorado Springs.

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Renfroe called homosexuality an "abomination" and an "offense to God" and argued that God created men and women so they would procreate. He compared the nuclear family structure to the Holy Trinity and, quoting the book of Genesis, said women had been created to be "helpers" for men.

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Sen. John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, wasn't at a loss for words in responding to Republican opponents. "Just because there's hate in their (Republicans') hearts doesn't mean we're going to do hateful things," Morse said. Veiga denied her bill is about gay marriage. "This is not about marriage. This is about health care," Veiga said. "If today is not the right time, then you've got to tell me when, because equality is equality is equality regardless of when we do it."