Republicans railing against the constitutionality of same-sex marriage took another unexpected turn this weekend.
Sue Everhart, the chairwoman of the Georgia GOP, suggested that allowing same-sex couples to marry would open a floodgate of fraud.
In an interview with The Marietta Daily Journal, Everhart first spouted the usual argument that being gay is “not natural."
“Lord, I’m going to get in trouble over this, but it is not natural for two women or two men to be married. If it was natural, they would have the equipment to have a sexual relationship.”
If that wasn't enough, Everhart goes on to warn against the abuse that she says would be sure to follow:
"You may be as straight as an arrow, and you may have a friend that is as straight as an arrow. Say you had a great job with the government where you had this wonderful health plan. I mean, what would prohibit you from saying that you’re gay, and y’all get married and still live as separate, but you get all the benefits? I just see so much abuse in this it’s unreal. I believe a husband and a wife should be a man and a woman, the benefits should be for a man and a woman. There is no way that this is about equality. To me, it’s all about a free ride.”
In other words, no to same-sex marriage because "straight as an arrow" heterosexual singles wouldn't be able to resist all the perks of coupledom and pretend to be gay in order to get married and benefit. In that case why not abandon marriage all together? I mean what about the men and women who marry for money? Aren't those heterosexuals just looking for a free ride too?
Well, Everhart she seems to have (maybe inadvertently) suggested just that in response to a question on parenting and gay marriage.
"[But] if I had a next door neighbor who was in a gay relationship, I could be just as friendly to them as I could be to you and your wife or anybody else. I’m not saying that we ostracize them or anything like that. I’m just saying I’m against marriage because once you get the gay marriage you get everything else."