GOP Debate: Gay Soldier Snubbed By Crowd, GOProud Shames Santorum

If you were watching tonight's Fox News/Google GOP debate, MAN OH MAN what a circus.  Rick Perry thinks Herman Cain and Newt should mate, Michele Bachmann blames all the problems of the economy on Obamacare, and John Huntsman thinks Romney and Perry should fight to the death, gladiator style.

The part that stuck in many gay advocates minds, however, was the moment when a gay soldier, Stephen Hill, who bravely showed his face just two days after the repeal of DADT in a video asking Rick Santorum if he would reinstate the discriminatory policy.

Before Santorum even answered the question, the teabaggers in the audience booed Hill, presumably because he is gay.  So now the Tea Party hates soldiers and boos them on live TV?

Of course, he answered that he would reinstate DADT.  When pressed as to whether Hill would be allowed to remain in the military, he panicked, stuttered, and insisted that Hill wouldn't be discharged.  We'll see what Focus on the Family has to say about that...


GOProud, the gay Republican group, has already responded.  Chris Barron, who I've often lambasted on here for what I view to be his PR-nightmare inducing Tweets and public statements, published on GOProud's site that Santorum must immediately apologize to Stephen Hill and all gay soldiers:

“Tonight, Rick Santorum disrespected our brave men and women in uniform, and he owes Stephen Hill, the gay soldier who asked him the question about Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal, an immediate apology. 

“That brave gay soldier is doing something Rick Santorum has never done – put his life on the line to defend our freedoms and our way of life. It is telling that Rick Santorum is so blinded by his anti-gay bigotry that he couldn’t even bring himself to thank that gay soldier for his service. 

“Stephen Hill is serving our country in Iraq, fighting a war Senator Santorum says he supports. How can Senator Santorum claim to support this war if he doesn’t support the brave men and women who are fighting it?”

I agree with Chris Barron, something I never thought I'd say.  So I formed a Change.Org petition, which you can sign if you click here, demanding that Rick Santorum apologize to Stephen Hill and gay soldiers everywhere for his remarks.