Christie Denounces "Ex-Gay" Therapy

Speaking a town hall meeting yesterday, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie waffled on whether he'd sign a bill to ban "ex-gay" therapy, saying that he never thinks about pending legislation until the final bill reaches his desk.  After complaints from Democrats, Christie's spokesman rushed out a clarification.

"Governor Christie does not believe in conversion therapy," spokesman Kevin Roberts said in a statement. "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." Roberts declined to say why Christie crystallized his opinion overnight, or whether he would sign a bill pending in the Legislature that would ban the practice of trying to "convert" gays to become straight. Christie remains opposed to same-sex marriage.

In 2011 Christie told CNN: "I’ve always believed that people are born with the predisposition to be homosexual. And so I think if someone is born that way it’s very difficult to say then that’s a sin."

Here's what Christie said at that town hall meeting.

"I’m of two minds just on this stuff in general. Number one, I think there should be lots of deference given to parents on raising their children. I don’t — this is a general philosophy, not to his bill — generally philosophically, on bills that restrict parents’ ability to make decisions on how to care for their children, I’m generally a skeptic of those bills. Now, there can always be exceptions to those rules and this bill may be one of them."