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Clipped from: www.edgesanfrancisco.com (share this clip)

Carl Paladino, who's running for Governor of New York against Democrat Andrew Cuomo, has been digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole this weekend as he struggles to convince people that while he finds homosexuality disgusting, he doesn't have a thing against gays. In fact, he is "unequivocally" for gay rights, although he opposes gay marriage.

Speaking to a congregation of Orthodox Jews in Brooklyn yesterday, Paladino said:

“I just think my children and your children would be much better off and much more successful getting married and raising a family, and I don’t want them brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid and successful option — it isn’t,” he said, reading from a prepared address, according to a video of the event.

And then, to applause at Congregation Shaarei Chaim, he said: “I didn’t march in the gay parade this year — the gay pride parade this year. My opponent did, and that’s not the example we should be showing our children.”

From www.nytimes.com (share this quote)

The speech was a big hit with the audience, but less so with the general public. Less than an hour after Paladino's speech, his opponent Andrew Cuomo had released a statement condemning his anti-gay statements. Since then, Paladino has been scrambling to explain that he's not actually anti-gay, he just doesn't want them anywhere near the children.

To be fair, he did show moderation in his speech:

On both ABC and NBC, Paladino said he crossed out a line from his prepared text at the synagogue that stated: "There is nothing to be proud of in being a dysfunctional homosexual."

"I did not say that. It’s unacceptable. I crossed it out in the car. I did not say it," he said on "Today."

From www.edgesanfrancisco.com (share this quote)

Paladino has given several interviews today in which he stands by the sentiments in the speech, but he insists that they shouldn't be taken as hateful, and that he's "unequivocal" in his support for gay rights, as long as they don't include the right to marry:

"I unequivocally support gay rights. Unequivocally," said Paladino, clutching an American flag and marching up Fifth Avenue in New York's annual Columbus Day Parade. But Paladino repeated his view, expressed earlier Monday on ABC and NBC, that children should be shielded from gay activities, especially their parades.

"Those guys in the gay pride parade who like to wear the little Speedos and do their grinding motion up there - children should not see that," Paladino said, wagging his finger for emphasis and calling his opponent, Democrat Andrew Cuomo, "wrong" for taking part in New York City's gay-pride march and letting his children watch it.

From www.bellinghamherald.com (share this quote)

At least one member of the CarnalNation staff sneered at Paladino's "product placement" of Speedos, noting that Speedos are more functional than fashionable, and that for humping hot guys, L.A. Sports Company briefs are much more acceptable.