Only Ron Paul knows whether or not Ron Paul is a homophobic bigot. His positions and policy proposals, however, are a matter of public record, and there is absolutely no doubt that those positions and policy proposals are homophobic and bigoted ... and therefore the distinction between Ron Paul as possibly homophobic/bigoted and his positions and policy proposals as obviously so is a distinction that doesn't make a difference when considering him as a political candidate. Maybe David Duke secretly doesn't really hate Jews and African-Americans deep in his heart of hearts, either. The policies he advocates remain anti-Semitic and racist whether he does or not.
----- The fact remains that you cannot produce a single quote from Paul saying that he "believes that government -- not individuals -- should be the final arbiters of your sex life and the sexual activities of consenting adults." ----- "Ridiculous as sodomy laws may be, there clearly is no right to privacy nor sodomy found anywhere in the Constitution. There are, however, states' rights -- rights plainly affirmed in the Ninth and Tenth amendments. Under those amendments, the State of Texas has the right to decide for itself how to regulate social matters like sex, using its own local standards." Paul does not object to this -- to the contrary, he proclaims it. From that, it cannot be construed in any other way than that he believes that yes, the government (at the state, rather than federal, level) should be the final arbiter of your sex life and the sexual activities of consenting adults. At the level where even Ron Paul believes that the federal government has a role -- policy within the armed forces, e.g. "don't ask don't tell" -- Paul tried to dodge the question in debate with bromides about disorderly conduct and individual vs. group rights, but in fact affirmed his support of that policy, a policy of direct discrimination, by the federal government, solely on the basis of an individual's sexual orientation. Tom Knapp
