Now this whole thing has so many twists that it would tie a snake in knots! Bill O'Reilly has accused the lawmaker of using the gay side of the issue to defuse the normal knee-jerk reaction of most liberals concerning abortion, and that his real motive is just to get any sort of wedge in place in his state that would start to limit abortions.
In other words: Many liberals would balk at any legislation that would limit abortions, but this one is linked to gay rights, which most liberals also support, and the whole situation kind of starts to fry synapses when you start to think about it.
What was really funny, was that when O'Reilly accused the legislator of doing this, he refused to confirm or deny it!
So, do you think this legislator is REALLY concerned about the rights of gay fetuses of the future, or just wants to get started on anti-abortion laws however he can, or is just a publicity hound? Or is he just messing with people's minds for the fun of it?
And, of course, there IS no identifiable "gay gene" yet!
Here's an article but I couldn't find one from a mainstream news agency:
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/news/ ... bill.shtml
Quote: Critics: Gay-gene bill about politics, not rights
By MARK PETERS, Portland Press Herald Writer
Copyright © 2005 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
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AUGUSTA — A conservative lawmaker is again drawing criticism for a bill he says is about gay rights but some of his colleagues say is about political posturing. State Rep. Brian Duprey, R-Hampden, wants the Legislature to forbid a woman from ending a pregnancy based on the projected sexual orientation of a fetus. He said the bill looks into the future in case scientists find what he described as a "homosexual gene."
"I have heard from women who told me that if they found out that they were carrying a child with the gay gene, then they would abort. I think this is wrong," said Duprey, who got the idea while listening to The Rush Limbaugh Show.
But some lawmakers say Duprey is neither interested in creating new policy to protect gays and lesbians nor seriously discussing the issue of abortion. The bill, they say, is a way of forcing some lawmakers to choose between abortion rights and gay rights.
"It will be seen as some kind of political gamesmanship," said House Majority Leader Glenn Cummings, D-Portland.
Duprey drew attention to the issue of gay rights last month. He proposed a bill to legalize same-sex marriages but opposed it himself. He said he put it forward after a constituent asked him to.
The Baldacci administration and gay rights advocates questioned Duprey's motivation. Advocates said the bill disrespected the legislative process and prevented them from having time to build support for the issue.
Legislative leaders at first were unsure what to make of Duprey's new bill, which Planned Parenthood of Northern New England believes has never been proposed in any state.
Senate Minority Leader Paul Davis, R-Sangerville, questioned the bill's premise. "You cannot test for it," he said.
After seeing the proposed legislation, Senate President Beth Edmonds, D-Freeport, and Cummings called Duprey's efforts disingenuous. They questioned why he has opposed gay rights legislation protecting adults while pushing for legislation protecting those not yet born.
"It is just something to get him press time. It is not a realistic proposal," Edmonds said.
Duprey conceded that scientists are still debating the relationship between genetics and sexual orientation. He believes they are not connected but fears if proven wrong the number of abortions in Maine will rise.
"Technology is changing every day. They could map the homosexual gene tomorrow," Duprey said.
Finding a gene that determines sexual orientation is a hotly debated issue. Sujatha Byravan, executive director of the Cambridge, Mass.-based Council for Responsible Genetics, said the issue continues to be controversial and has not been settled. She added that it is not at the forefront of current debate in the scientific community.
The issue of a so-called "gay gene" came up at the State House last fall when the head of the Christian Civic League of Maine issued a statement questioning whether Gov. John Baldacci had one. This was in response to the governor's support of bill that would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.
A spokesman for the governor's office said the administration will review Duprey's bill but declined to comment on it.
Duprey, who is a fervent opponent of abortion, said he believes support will grow for the measure, though he has no co-sponsors.
Duprey said the success of the bill will depend on its presentation to lawmakers. He sees it as a way to keep people from aborting children based on sexual orientation, basically a hate crime law for the unborn.
"I like to push the envelope. I have no problem with it," Duprey said.
Leaders in both parties, however, question whether the bill will attract support. Assistant House Minority Leader Joshua Tardy, R-Newport, said Republican leadership does not police what legislation representatives submit, but the proposal is not one of the caucus' priorities in the current session.
"He put it in. The caucus did not put it in," said Davis, the senate minority leader.
Equality Maine, an advocacy group for gays and lesbians, is still reviewing the bill.
Lisa Roche, executive director of the Maine Right to Life Committee, said her group is concentrating on tightening state reporting requirements around abortion. Duprey's bill, she said, is a distraction that could cast a negative light on those pushing for real reforms.