Kirksville (Missouri) City Councilman Aaron Rodgerson: “I wouldn’t rent to a homosexual.”

[Fearless]

At Monday’s City Council meeting the council voted 3-1 to include “sexual orientation” under the protections listed in the Equal Employment Opportunity Statement, regarding fair housing in Kirksville. The lone vote against the measure came from Councilman Aaron Rodgerson. Why?

“They (gays) should not be protected by an anti-discrimination law. That person made a choice. A person that is black did not have a choice. A person that is female doesn’t have a choice because they are female. A person does have a choice as to what their sexual orientation is,” Rodgerson said.

http://kirksvillesocialite.com/2009/03/05/kirksville-city-councilman-aaron-rodgerson-i-wouldnt-rent-to-a-homosexual/

http://www.heartlandconnection.com/news/video.aspx?id=269112

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Umm... yeah? A lovely person no doubt. :eyes:

[LiberalFighter]

1. By that logic being crazy is a choice he made.

[liberal N proud]

2. Kirksville Missouri - figures

I am surprised the vote was 3-1.

[Fearless]

3. It is a college town, I suppose that's why.

[liberal N proud]

26. It is also one of the most conservative spots in Missouri

Harry Truman probably flipped in his grave when they changed the name of the University to Truman State.

I believe at one time there was an ordinance that every house had to be painted white in the city limits. Not sure on the ordinance but I do know there wasn't anything but white houses at one time.

[Canuckistanian]

4. So Rodgerson chose to be heterosexual?

Looks like he chose to be an asshole as well.

[Toucano]

5. So by that logic, we can deny housing to a single mother?

To a family?
To a Catholic?

What a crock!

[MattBaggins]

14. No shit

I always bring that up to the "homo haters" when they bring up the choice BS. It's so damn funny because they always get excited believing that the "choice" argument is some great debate winner. They will actually get confused and perplexed when you look at them and say "so what does it being a choice have to do with their rights and dignity"? If they actually try to persist then state you feel that means it would be OK to deny something based on religion as a person is free to change that.

[Toucano]

19. 100% agreed.

The argument for human rights has absolutely nothing to do with the origins of homosexuality or the complex nature of human sexuality at all.

We have allowed that issue to become a side-show.

They say it's a choice. Okay. What does that have to do with you denying people civil rights?

Can I also deny employment or housing to an obese person because they "chose" to eat all those Big Macs? Is that a fair society you want to live in? How about a Democrat? That's a choice worthy of discrimination. :)

The line of thinking is totally absurd.

[Toucano]

22. Turns out he is overweight.

He's unfit to rent my house, I say.

[Fearless]

23. Balding too.

[Toucano]

24. And he made a poor tie CHOICE.

You're outta here, Aaron!

[Ikonoklast]

36. He chooses to lose his hair.

Sounds just as crazy as 'choosing' to be gay.

[Maru Kitteh]

34. EEEEeeeeewwwwwww. He looks just like Glen Back.

Gross.

[closeupready]

6. And he knows it's a choice how? Does he have homosexual fantasies and

he denies it or what?

[taught_me_patience]

7. Sounds like he's trying to convince himself

that he can ignore his own homosexual tendencies and "choose" to be heterosexual.

[Toucano]

8. Yeah! I can justify not renting to Iraq war vets!

I mean, they made a choice, after all, to be a soldier. GOD didn't make the soldiers, so it's okay to discriminate against them.

[Stellabella]

9. And he knows that he hasn't... how, exactly?

It's not like there are obvious visual cues.

What a prick.

[Vickers]

10. "Mr. Councilman, exactly when did you choose to be heterosexual?"

:eyes:

[tangent90]

18. I watched that interview and wanted so desperately for the guy to ask him

"So if it's a choice, can you choose to be homosexual?"

I've asked a few 'phobes that question and they always hem and haw..."well no, because......."
:grr:

[KittyWampus]

11. the asshole is also Pastor of Southside Baptist Church

[KittyWampus]

12. Here is his email address:

Aaron Rodgerson [e-mail]

[MineralMan]

25. Ah, then. That is his choice. I refuse to rent to Baptists.

It is their choice, and I don't like fundamentalcases, so no apartment for him!

[damntexdem]

13. Hey, Aaron, I'll bet that you have. You just didn't know it.

All your proclamation assures is that when you do so in the future, you still won't know it.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Bluebear]

16. I hear the same logic at DU (Gays can "hide", while women and blacks cannot)

It really demonstrates that "gay is a choice" runs deeper than one might imagine.

[readmoreoften]

28. Curious logic. If we could hide, how would he know not to rent to us?

Obviously many of us aren't able to hide.

[aquart]

17. Foolish, foolish man.

All the gay guys I know are so much better housekeepers than I am. And my mom's lesbian biker hairdresser also does her cleaning and repairs.

My best friend was so austerely tidy that his room could have housed a marine or a monk. And all he ever asked of me was that I clear a small space for him to sit.

[lolly]

31. On the othe hand

Maybe he's just afraid that they might tastefully redecorate the place--you know, get rid of the mooseheads and such.

[aquart]

33. I can see that.

[carlyhippy]

20. Good god in a hummer, what...does he think he's going to spot if someone is gay or not?

Does he think there is some kind of test, like a drug test, for homosexuality?! What a goober.

[Fearless]

21. I can think of one good test... but I don't think he's UP to it...

:+

[readmoreoften]

27. It's actually usually pretty easy to tell if someone is gay.

We have relationships/marriages, and many of us read as gender atypical. Many of us have stickers on our car and so forth. Sure, closeted gay people may be hard to spot (sometimes), but healthy gay people are often quite readable.

[Toucano]

38. OMG!

I'm sorry, but you have a very limited understanding of the lives of a lot of gay people.

Your comment is almost as offensive as the justification given by the right reverend for discrimination but I suspect you will never understand that.

[Fearless]

41. I would have to agree.

[distantearlywarning]

29. So let's say I refused to rent to a fundamentalist Christian

Religion is, after all, a lifestyle choice.

How much would you like to bet me this guy'd be the first one in line screaming his idiot head off about oppression of the Christians?

[BreweryYardRat]

30. Rush is really feeding their "be a huge asshole to get attention" complex, isn't he?

They're just crawling out from under flat rocks all over the place lately.

[jasperdog]

32. Aaron Rodgerson

I live in Kirksville and this guy has really caused an uproar. From the responses I've read on our TV stations web site it seems that 3/4 of the people commenting are appalled at his vote. When he ran for city council he didn't seem to have an agenda but as soon as he got in he's voted against any measure involving alcohol or anything else that doesn't match his religious viewpoint. I hope that he loses his seat when he runs again. Kirksville is pretty conservative but there is a large # of liberals & moderates since it is a university town. In November, Obama got nearly as many votes as McCain--it wasn't a huge blow-out. Glad to see he's made Democratic Underground! I've been reading this site for years--you've kept me sane the past 8 years!

[Fearless]

35. Glad to hear it!

[Ikonoklast]

37. Welcome to DU!

Grab a seat on the Crazy Train!

[bluedawg12]

39. Welcome to DU and thanks for the eyes on the scene info.

it's reassuring that this guy is not beloved over Kirksville.

[NYC Liberal]

40. Someone should ask him if it's a choice, then could he LOVE a man the same way

he loves his wife?

I bet his response is "no."

Asshole.

:eyes:

[LostInAnomie]

42. Sounds like Aaron Rodgerson has been tempted to choose to be gay a few times...

... but is abstaining for the time being.

[Vinca]

43. I love idiots like this guy who apparently think just because

they might share the same gender as a gay person, that gay person wants to jump their ugly bones. I bet he wouldn't rent to black people, either.

[Fearless]

44. Kick.