Tom Coburn: “The real debate is about homosexuality and whether or not we sanction homosexuality in this country. Mr. Chairman, I…”

“The real debate is about homosexuality and whether or not we sanction homosexuality in this country. Mr. Chairman, I come from a district in Oklahoma who has very profound beliefs that homosexuality is wrong. I represent that district. They base that belief on what they believe God says about homosexuality. It is what they believe God says about it. What they believe is, is that homosexuality is immoral, that it is based on perversion, that it is based on lust. It is not to say that the individual is any less valuable than anybody that might believe that, but it is discrimination towards the act, not towards the individuals. That should be something that we stand for, that should be something that we stand on. So I support the Defense of Marriage Act for many reasons, but I support it because my district supports it. My district says it is time to say that homosexuality should not be sanctioned on an equal level with heterosexuality, and there are lots of reasons to back that up.”