Rand Paul says he would tie Gay Rights to human aid NGO funding

[Keith and stuff]

From the quote, it doesn't look like he said anything about gay rights at all. Gay rights aren't mentioned in the quote. I don't understand what the title has to do with the quote.

[mit26chell]

From the quote, it doesn't look like he said anything about gay rights at all. Gay rights aren't mentioned in the quote. I don't understand what the title has to do with the quote.

“I would think we’d give to a lot of countries that don’t have good records on gay rights,” Paul told me. “I mean, any Muslim country probably has an abysmal record. Obviously, I’m not a big fan of most aid to begin with, so would I tie aid to behavior? Absolutely. For example, I introduced an amendment in the foreign relations committee to not give aid to countries that will put people to death for changing your religion in interfaith marriage. I’d be happy to say, for countries that punish you for homosexuality, too. Do any of them put people to death for that in Muslim countries? I’d be happy to say no.”

[jmdrake]

And he just did. Which was setup nicely with his attack on Hillary Clinton in regards to women's rights in the ME just the other day. I'd expect him to say something similar about cutting off funding for countries that stone women for getting raped next. Then perhaps we can tackle the abortion issue.

I think you are one to something.

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to specsaregood again.

This could be a cool "candid camera" moment. Go to a tea party and/or pro life rally and at first get people agree with you that cutting off foreign aid for countries that enforce sharia law is a good thing. Then bring up the abortion issue. I bet most people there won't even know about this. Go through a list of countries where governments pay for abortion....with Israel last on the list.

[jmdrake]

They want to be a litte bit intolerant, but if you dare be any more intolerant than that, war

LOL

[jmdrake]

From the quote, it doesn't look like he said anything about gay rights at all. Gay rights aren't mentioned in the quote. I don't understand what the title has to do with the quote.

“I would think we’d give to a lot of countries that don’t have good records on gay rights,” Paul told me. “I mean, any Muslim country probably has an abysmal record. Obviously, I’m not a big fan of most aid to begin with, so would I tie aid to behavior? Absolutely. For example, I introduced an amendment in the foreign relations committee to not give aid to countries that will put people to death for changing your religion in interfaith marriage. I’d be happy to say, for countries that punish you for homosexuality, too. Do any of them put people to death for that in Muslim countries? I’d be happy to say no.”

The problem here is Rand is talking about the right not to be stoned or imprisoned as opposed to marriage or the right to pick which bathroom you want to use or the right to be in the military. Most Christians don't think gays should be put in prison. There was no big rush for a new constitutional amendment when Lawrence v. Texas was overturned like there is over the possibility of same sex marriage. This could hurt Rand politically if it gets spun the wrong way. But I think it will be interpreted as "Rand doesn't like sharia law."

[specsaregood]

This could be a cool "candid camera" moment. Go to a tea party and/or pro life rally and at first get people agree with you that cutting off foreign aid for countries that enforce sharia law is a good thing. Then bring up the abortion issue. I bet most people there won't even know about this.

Indeed it would; I've done similar on article comments and forums in the past. The vast majority don't know. The moment I'm waiting for is for somebody to bring up against a politician such as Mike Pence who has specifically used the fungibility argument in regards to planned parenthood.

[Chieppa1]

This is why I hate Republicans. Rand actually has a good idea that is the moral stance, giving more liberty to more human beings, but posters have to say "it's the wrong way" because evangelist Christians don't like gays. We need our candidate to pander to the "Jews need to live in Israel because of Armageddon" crowd.

[Keith and stuff]

The problem here is Rand is talking about the right not to be stoned or imprisoned as opposed to marriage or the right to pick which bathroom you want to use or the right to be in the military. Most Christians don't think gays should be put in prison. There was no big rush for a new constitutional amendment when Lawrence v. Texas was overturned like there is over the possibility of same sex marriage. This could hurt Rand politically if it gets spun the wrong way. But I think it will be interpreted as "Rand doesn't like sharia law."

Yes. Thank you. I guess I could have worded my post a little better. The initial post was confusing. Your post was great. Unfortunately, I am unable to give you more rep right now.

This plus Rand boycotting SA really make him look like a super hero to evangelical Christians, well, if the truth gets out.

[euphemia]

1. We should not be giving money away to other countries in the first place.
2. It's not about *gay* rights. It's about human rights. In many nations women undergo genital mutilation, are denied education, are forced to marry, cannot go about in public without being covered from head to toe and without a male relative, etc. Christians are being imprisoned or killed, their churches are being destroyed.

Foreign aid is yet another massive transfer of wealth. It needs to stop.

[Feeding the Abscess]

These people are schizophrenic. I've literally heard one of these idiots one day argue that God is punishing America for accepting homosexuality then the next day say we should stand up against the "islamofacists" because they suppress gays. Some would lick this up. I wonder though what they would think when it dawned on this that this would also apply to certain African countries run by evangelical Christians who have also recently criminalized homosexuality?

Rick Santorum actually used this argument in a diatribe against Iran during one of the debates in the 2012 campaign.

[IndianaPolitico]

I think that this is a great way to force an end to aid. The countries he is talking about, probably won't change their behavior in the near future. Boom, aid is cutoff from those nations and we move on to the next. More Rand Fu.

[idiom]

Randal is an enigma to me. I never know what he's going to do next. Making positive statements about gay rights is a +1 in my book.

It's what I love about him. If we don't know what he is going to say next, how the ever living $#@! are Hillary or the MSM supposed to plan against him. If it drives you nuts think what it must do to the opposition strategists.

[misterx]

Bribing the world to accept your values isn't my idea of libertarian policy.

[jmdrake]

Bribing the world to accept your values isn't my idea of libertarian policy.

So just give them everything for free? Anything that leads to less foreign aid spending is a good thing.

[idiom]

Bribing the world to accept your values isn't my idea of libertarian policy.

Its a completely voluntary exchange.

[Christian Liberty]

1. We should not be giving money away to other countries in the first place.
2. It's not about *gay* rights. It's about human rights. In many nations women undergo genital mutilation, are denied education, are forced to marry, cannot go about in public without being covered from head to toe and without a male relative, etc. Christians are being imprisoned or killed, their churches are being destroyed.

Foreign aid is yet another massive transfer of wealth. It needs to stop.

And yet "gay" rights are the issue.

lol....

Let's give foreign aid to Israel that funds abortions, but if a country dare actively oppose homoseuxality...

What a joke. Rand, you are being an idiot and you should shut up. Stick with your voting record.

[misterx]

Its a completely voluntary exchange.

Because bribery is voluntary does not make it right. Let's just cut foreign aid altogether, and let them develop in their own manner, at their own rate.