By David M. Hall
(CNN) – During the final Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire, Rick Santorum was asked how he would respond if his son told him he was gay.
“I would love him as much as I did the second before he said it,” Santorum responded.
He received applause for this statement, which is surprising since loving our children is expected and should not merit applause. But further inquiry is necessary to understand whether Santorum would support his son in a way that would help him lead a healthy, productive, happy life.
In a 2003 interview, Santorum was asked how he would respond if one of his children were gay, and he stated that he would “point out to them what is the right thing to do. And we have many temptations to do things we shouldn’t do. That doesn’t mean we have to give in to those temptations… it doesn’t mean you have to submit.” Millions of parents across this country have similar feelings to Santorum. What Santorum and like-minded parents need to know is the immense harm that this response can cause their LGBT children.
