Brody's Notes... Colorado GOP Senate Hopeful Ken Buck Calls Being Gay 'A Choice'

By Brody Levesque (Washington DC) OCT 17 | Near the end of a debate with his democratic challenger, U. S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO), on the NBC political programme Meet The Press, Tea Party backed GOP hopeful Ken Buck was asked by moderator and MTP host David Gregory if he believed being Gay was a choice. Gregory had asked based on recent comments the candidate had made in support of maintaining the 17 year old ban on Gays serving in the armed forces known as 'Don't Ask-Don't Tell.'

When Gregory asked Buck what his belief was based on, Buck echoed the question- "Based on what?" and then replied:

"I guess you could choose who your partner is. I think that birth has an influence over it, like alcoholism and some other things," Buck continued. "But I think that, basically, you have a choice."

Buck, who is currently serving as Weld County Colorado's District Attorney, is leading Bennet in politico polling by a slim margin. However, in a recent Denver Post-ABCNews poll, his support among women in the state is trailing by double digits compared to Senator Bennet on issues affecting women, which according to Colorado Independent reporter Scott Kersgaard, most critics see Buck's positions as "draconian."
In 2005, Buck had declined to prosecute a case of alleged rape which, in a 2006 interview with The Greeley Tribune, he described  the facts in the case didn’t warrant prosecution. 
“A jury could very well conclude that this is a case of buyer’s remorse,” he said. Buck went on to publicly call the facts in the case “pitiful.”

“This case matters to the Senate race today because it shows his general view of women,” said Kjersten Forseth, who is interim executive director of ProgressNow Colorado.

"This shows us how he views women and what he thinks their role is. It shows us that even when a woman is the victim of a rape he will not advocate for her. It shows that he is not a believer in women’s rights. He will not side with rape victims. This case is a statement on what his beliefs really are,” Forseth said.

 "Do we want him making policy for the entire United States?” she asked.

ProgressNow is among organisations that have organised protests to also draw attention to Buck’s stance on abortion, which he says should be outlawed even in the case of incest or rape.
Responding to today's comments on Meet The Press, Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign said via press release:

"Mr. Buck’s ill-informed views are not only factually inaccurate, but they are extremely dangerous. In the past six weeks a number of teenagers have taken their own lives after being the victims of anti-gay bullying and harassment. When public figures like Mr. Buck make statements like he did today, kids struggling with their identities question their self-worth and other kids justify bullying. Ken Buck must correct his remarks now." 

One Colorado, a Denver based LGBT Equality Rights organisation's Executive Director, Brad Clark, reacted stating:

"This is yet another in a long line of examples showing that Ken Buck is out of touch with the majority of Coloradans. Instead of focusing on common values of respect for all people, Buck is spewing divisive, extreme rhetoric. His claim that homosexuality is a choice is yet another example of his extreme views falling out of step with everyday Coloradans."