Mike Huckabee's Clueless Defense of Homophobic Comments Is Offensive to Christians

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More and more, the conversation surrounding LGBT equality has centered on the question of whether or not Americans — specifically policymakers — are making sure their political views are on "the right side of history." But Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee isn't convinced that being in line with the prevailing culturals trends is all its cracked up to be. During the politician's recent keynote address to a conservative Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition crowd, Huckabee claimed that he didn't care about being on the right side of history, offering the Bible as defense for a history of homophobic commentary. 

"I'm not against anybody," Huckabee told the crowd, while lobbying against same-sex marriage. "I'm really not. I'm not a hater. I'm not homophobic." 

"You've got to understand, this for me is not about the right side or the wrong side of history, this is the right side of the Bible," Huckabee continued. "And unless God rewrites it, edits it, sends it down with his signature on it, it's not my book to change."

Why is it that Christians stand back and take it in the teeth time and time and time again? But we cannot change this country if we do not rise up and vote with an informed mind and a committed spirit and if we're not willing to stand along.

While Huckabee is free to express his opinions, anti-gay or otherwise, implying that he is on the "right side of the Bible" is problematic. Aside from the fact that the Bible says many things that would be considered outrageous in modern society, there are many Christians who actually do support LGBT rights. Are they on the "right side" of the Bible, too? Or is the right side actually just Huckabee's side?

This is one of the main problems with the current religious ideology — the loudest voices are the ones that end up representing a community that is incredibly diverse, both politically and culturally. 

Huckabee has long been a vocal opponent of LGBT rights and same-sex marriage. Indeed, as long back as 1998, Huckabee wrote that being gay was as big an "institutional aberration" as pedophilia and necrophilia. He has spoken consistently against marriage equality, arguing same-sex marriage would lead to legalizing polygamy and prostitution.  

In a 2010 New Yorker article, Huckabee suggested that gay couples disgust him and he is opposed to the "ick factor" that such relationships produce. 

"Male and female are biologically compatible to have a relationship," he said. "We can get into the ick factor, but the fact is two men in a relationship, two women in a relationship, biologically, that doesn't work the same." The politician even led a Facebook campaign in 2012 to encourage people to eat at the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain when it was under fire for its CEO's stance against gay marriage and financial contributions to anti-gay organizations. 

So is this really the right side of the Bible? 

According to a survey released in February, close to one-third of Millennials who left their religion did so in part because of the "negative teachings" or "negative treatment" related to gays and lesbians. Huckabee may think he's catering to Christians, but in fact he may be helping to drive them away.