Campaigning in San Francisco prior to the weekend’s California Republican Convention, Ohio Gov. John Kasich was confronted by a gay man who asked, “Are people born gay?”
Initially, the GOP presidential candidate tried to avoid answering the question, saying he didn’t want to “get into the analysis of this or that.” The gay man, later identified by media as 62-year-old Kelly Bryan, pressed, saying his question wasn’t an analysis.
He repeated his question.
“You know, sir, probably,” Kasich said. “I mean, I don’t—I don’t know how it all works, OK? I mean, look. Are they? You know, probably they are.”
The governor was peppered with more questions about homosexuality, including whether or not he believed gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people deserved to have “rights like everyone else.” He responded by saying he thought they already did have the same rights as everyone else.
“Well, you have free regular rights, we’re not denying you any rights, I’m not in Ohio,” he said. “I’m not out to discriminate against you. I think you ought to have as good a life as anybody else.”
Kasich said he “doesn’t agree” with same-sex “marriage,” but admitted he had recently attended a gay “wedding.” He said he and his wife attended a ceremony held for one of his friends.
“It was great. It was fine,” he said. “But I’m not going to go for some constitutional amendment.”
Kasich also criticized recent laws adopted in North Carolina and Mississippi that LGBT activists have said provide cover for discrimination against transgendered people.
