Following outrage over his remarks on Wednesday that he was still on the fence about 'gay conversion therapy' with regard to a bill under consideration by the New Jersey legislature to ban it, Governor Chris Christie's office clarified his stance on the issue, the Asbury Park Press reports:
Late Thursday afternoon, Christie spokesman Kevin Roberts said the governor doesn’t support gay conversion therapy.
“Gov. Christie does not believe in conversion therapy,” Roberts said. “There is no mistaking his point of view on this when you look at his own prior statements where he makes clear that people’s sexual orientation is determined at birth.”
Christie's remarks on Wednesday that he was "undecided" on the issue had many scratching their heads:
[Democratic gubernatorial candidate Barbara Buono], a Middlesex County state senator, told reporters that Christie’s remarks on the topic Wednesday in Stone Harbor were “disgusting” and intolerant because he didn’t oppose forcing gay teens into therapy, which critics say can be akin to child abuse.
“The governor said that he doesn’t know much about gay conversion therapy,” Buono said. “Well, I don’t know how much more you need to know to form an opinion. I was shocked at the stunning level of ignorance that that statement showed. The whole premise of having gay conversion therapy is based on the long-discredited belief that homosexuality is a form of a mental disorder that can be cured. That our governor would dignify that with the response that he gave is just shocking to me.”
