Rick Perry: Gay Rights Activist

It looks like Governor Perry has finally come out of the closet...to support gays that is. Or something like it.

While visiting Rock Hill, North Carolina, Perry was asked about his views on civil rights. The governor applauded the civil rights movement, but more importantly he said:

“And as we go forward, America needs to be about freedom. It needs to be about freedom from overtaxation, freedom from over-litigation, freedom from over-regulation. And Americans, regardless of what their cultural or ethnic background is, they need to know that they can come to America and you got a chance to have any dream come true because the economic climate is gonna be improved.”

Who knows how this statement had anything to do with civil rights, but is it a stretch to say this statement shows support for gay rights? Not entirely. The fight for marriage equality is also a fight for fair taxation. Gay couples, regardless of the legitimacy of their union cannot file their taxes jointly as married straight couples can. This often leads to overtaxation. If a legally married gay couple even attempts to get a divorce in a state that doesn't recognize their union, they can look forward to some “over-litigation” by the state's Attorney General. Not to mention, the current “over-regulation” of business is preventing Macy's from selling 'His & His' towels.

True, in his 2008 best-seller “On My Honor” Rick did compare homosexuality to alcoholism but that's as outdated as his follow up novel “Fed Up,” released 9 months ago. It's now 2011 and a majority of Americans support gay marriage.

But let's be honest. Rick needs to show his gays some more love. A hair-do like his is physically impossible to style with a stiff wrist.