Rick Santorum, once the favorite punching-bag of LGBT activists for his controversial comments about gay marriage, is preaching a message of love and acceptance for Bruce Jenner’s coming out as transgender.
“If he says he’s a woman, then he’s a woman,” the possible 2016 contender told BuzzFeed and other outlets at South Carolina’s Republican convention on Saturday.
“My responsibility as a human being is to love and accept everybody. Not to criticize people for who they are.”
“I can criticize, and I do, for what people do, for their behavior. But as far as for who they are, you have to respect everybody, and these are obviously complex issues for businesses, for society,” he explained. “And I think we have to look at it in a way that is compassionate and respectful of everybody.”
Asked whether Jenner should be permitted in public women’s restrooms, Santorum took a cautious stance: “So these are tough issues. I haven’t got into the whole issue, and I don’t think the federal government should get into the whole issue of bathrooms,” he said. “I think those are things that the business community and local agencies and organizations should deal with.”
Santorum recently told Hugh Hewitt that he would not attend the gay marriage of a friend or family member, because “That would be something that would be a violation of my faith.”
Jenner came out as transgender–and a Republican–in an interview last weekend with Diane Sawyer.
