Paladino's Hurtful Position on Gays and Lesbians Comes Through Despite Protestations To Contrary

Carl Paladino isn't going to make a whole lot of friends in the gay and lesbian community around New York with statements such as those he prepared to offer at a speech the other night in Brooklyn.

Paladino, who has received strong support from conservative-libertarian "tea party" activists, spoke at a synagogue in Brooklyn's Williamsburg section while trying to strike a contrast between himself and his Democratic rival, state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.

In his remarks, he criticized Cuomo for marching in this summer's gay pride parade, saying "that's not how God created us and that's not the example that we should be showing our children."

He added that children who later in life choose to marry people of the opposite sex and raise families would be "much better off and much more successful."

"I don't want them to be brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid and successful option," he said.

But he skipped one line in his prepared text "There is nothing to be proud of in being a dysfunctional homosexual."

That remark, which Paladino said was suggested by his "hosts at the synagogue," made its way into media reports about the event after a draft of the speech was circulated by the congregation, without first clearing it with the campaign, according to campaign manager Michael Caputo.

Paladino wants to put the blame of the text that wasn't included in his spoken remarks on his hosts - an Orthodox Jewish congregation in Williamsburg. the problem is that there was enough other hurtful language that his position on gay and lesbian rights is sorely out of touch with equality under the law.

He later says that some of his friends and employees are gay, but that doesn't mean that what he said at that speech was any less hurtful.