Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee said that being gay is a lifestyle choice that doesn’t appeal to him—just like drinking alcohol or using profanity. And like any lifestyle choice, it doesn’t necessarily rule out anyone who chooses to engage in it as a potential colleague or friend. “People can be my friends who have lifestyles that are not necessarily my lifestyle. I don’t shut people out of my circle or out of my life because they have a different point of view,” Huckabee told CNN. “I don’t drink alcohol, but gosh—a lot of my friends, maybe most of them, do. You know, I don’t use profanity, but believe me, I’ve got a lot of friends who do. Some people really like classical music and ballet and opera—it’s not my cup of tea.”
Huckabee, who is exploring the possibility of running for president, said that forcing religious people to accept marriage equality is “like asking someone who’s Jewish to start serving bacon-wrapped shrimp in their deli.” He seemed to suggest Christians get the short end of the stick when it comes to discrimination. “We’re so sensitive to make sure we don’t offend certain religions, but then we act like Christians can’t have the convictions that they’ve had for 2,000 years,” Huckabee said.
