I'm not gay, says 81-year-old monarch with 14 children

[T_i_B]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/02/25/wcam25.xml&sSheet=/portal/2004/02/25/ixportal.html&secureRefresh=true&_requestid=45310

King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia, an 81-year-old father of 14, yesterday surprised his subjects by denying that he was homosexual. His comments came as he underlined his support for same-sex marriage, having seen television coverage of such weddings in California.

In a statement on his website, the king said: "I am not gay, but I respect the rights of gays and lesbians. It's not their fault if God makes them born like that."

He said the statement, posted yesterday, was made in response to an "insulting" email he received from someone called Tom Adams, which presumably accused the monarch of being homosexual after he announced his approval of same-sex unions.

His statement continued: "Gays and lesbians would not exist if God did not create them. As a Buddhist I must have compassion for human beings who are not like me but who torture nobody, kill nobody."

[xxqqqzme]

1. if only we had someone

running the government that made this much sense.

[rpannier]

2. Not All Monarchs are Worthless

Good for the King. It goes to show that not all monarchs are stuffy, annoying, attention grabbing, losers who cater to a neandrathal ideology.

[JI7]

3. i don't think this guy has any power though

kind of like the british monarchy. though hopefully he has influence through just being who he is without the powers of government position.

[mobuto]

10. No, this guy has power - and he's also a slimy bastard

The guy forced his own son into exile a few years back. He's the consumate survivor - he plays all sides off against one another, which meant that during the Vietnam mess, he was supported at times by both the Americans and the Communists and then opposed by both. I don't know what his motivation is here - it may well be sincere - but I wouldn't ever trust him in a hand of poker.

[DemBones DemBones]

4. Seeing the headline, I wondered

"Who ASKED?"

I should think that 81 year-old fathers of 14 are not often asked if they are gay.

It figures that someone would be dense enough to think that he's gay because he said gays should be allowed to marry, What a moran! (or maroon, as Bugs would say.)

[T_i_B]

6. The moran is named

He said the statement, posted yesterday, was made in response to an "insulting" email he received from someone called Tom Adams, which presumably accused the monarch of being homosexual after he announced his approval of same-sex unions.

Sounds like a typical freeper this Tom Adams.

[Fight_n_back]

5. I know a waitor who did him

he's gay...he trains white Tigers for goodness sake.

[xchrom]

7. ok -- gossip!?!

what is this the enquirer?
i can't even believe my eyes --
other that that the sentiment expressed by originall article is so sweet! i love it.

[foreigncorrespondent]

8. This man...

...truly is enlightened.

[David__77]

9. Sihanouk is a great patriot of Cambodia.

He has always won his peoples' respect by fighting for the progressives and national-patriots in his country. This makes sense that he would take this position.