I don't know, Paul. I have to assume that his daughter knew him a little better than you and I did.
And the fact that she quoted him as saying "some men are BORN [that way]" (as opposed to CHOOSING to be that way) lends a lot of credence to her theory.
Plus, he once published an editorial back in '78 that included this line: "...homosexuality is not a contagious disease like the measles. Prevailing scientific opinion is that an individual's sexuality is determined at a very early age and that a child's teachers do not really influence this..."
Supporting gay marriage rights isn't too much of a stretch once one acknowledges that being gay isn't a choice. In fact, I think that that is probably the biggest sticking point for the anti-gay lobby: they don't believe that people are actually born gay -- they think that it's always a deliberate, disrespectful, and gross choice.
(Wow...Never would've I thought that I'd ever be defending Ronald Reagan on a decidedly liberal website...I was barely old enough to tie my shoes when he was in office...The mind reels...)
And the fact that she quoted him as saying "some men are BORN [that way]" (as opposed to CHOOSING to be that way) lends a lot of credence to her theory.
Plus, he once published an editorial back in '78 that included this line: "...homosexuality is not a contagious disease like the measles. Prevailing scientific opinion is that an individual's sexuality is determined at a very early age and that a child's teachers do not really influence this..."
Supporting gay marriage rights isn't too much of a stretch once one acknowledges that being gay isn't a choice. In fact, I think that that is probably the biggest sticking point for the anti-gay lobby: they don't believe that people are actually born gay -- they think that it's always a deliberate, disrespectful, and gross choice.
(Wow...Never would've I thought that I'd ever be defending Ronald Reagan on a decidedly liberal website...I was barely old enough to tie my shoes when he was in office...The mind reels...)
Well said, h i t.