Wow:
Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.) once said that same-sex marriage would lead to “polymorphism” and an onslaught of people “marrying everyone in California with AIDS” to obtain health benefits for them.
In a YouTube video apparently recorded on Sept. 20, 2008, Pearce discusses same-sex marriage, which at the time was recognized in only two states and was the subject of intense national debate.
“What’s going on with gay marriage is ... the redefining of a social institution. And the redefinition has serious downside results,” Pearce says in the video. “The next step then is polymorphism, where one marries many.”
The video, which was posted to YouTube in October 2008, is described as occurring at an event the previous month in Carrizozo, New Mexico. It was recently identified by the progressive American Bridge 21st Century PAC and sent to HuffPost.
Pearce goes on to say that gay marriage would beget widespread fraud.
“Where this all gets headed is toward the access to benefits, and so you can imagine that a person would say, ‘Oh all these people in California don’t have access to AIDS treatments.’ ... They might say this to themselves: ‘I’m gonna marry everybody in California with AIDS,’ and suddenly they’ve got access to the, maybe the benefit program, the health insurance that a single person has.”
While Pearce spokeswoman Keeley Christensen could not confirm the event’s date and location, she mostly did not distance the seven-term congressman from the remarks.
“Congressman Pearce believes the government should not be involved in redefining marriage. He personally believes marriage is between a man and a woman,” said Christensen. “The issue, however, is settled law.”
Pearce is running unopposed in the Republican primary to replace two-term Gov. Susana Martinez (R-N.M.), whom state law bars from seeking re-election this year. U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, whose district covers Albuquerque and much of its outlying areas, is the favorite to win the Democratic nomination, but is facing challenges from Jeff Apodaca, a businessman and son of former Gov. Jerry Apodaca, and state Sen. Joe Cervantes.
We are on the verge of picking up the Governorship in New Mexico with Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D. NM) as our nominee. Let’s prevent an ignorant homophobe from becoming Governor. Click here to donate and get involved with Lujan Grisham’s campaign.