Dr. Laura Supports Same-Sex Couples

Timothy Kincaid

April 9th, 2009

dr-laura.jpgDr. Laura Schlessinger is the go-to girl for conservatives (and others) who want folksy but direct advice on their lives and relationships. Although she has had a less-than-friendly relationship with the gay community in the past, in July of last year we reported on our impression of a much gay-friendlier Dr. Laura. She seemed to have adopted a more pragmatic approach to gay men and women.

Last night she was on Larry King Live to plug her new book, In Praise of Stay-At-Home Moms. Asked about lesbian parenting, Dr. Laura gave a vague answer that seemed to suggest that she was not favorable (an issue we discussed last June). But this was followed by an exchange in which Dr. Laura seemed to endorse same-sex relationships, if not the term “marriage”.

KING: This week, the Washington City Council voted to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. And the Vermont legislature voted to override a gubernatorial veto of a bill legalizing same sex. Do you think this — now we have four states, about to be five states.

SCHLESSINGER: Well, it’s issues of — sometimes it’s done by courts, sometimes it’s done by legislatures.

KING: Basically, five states now say you can have it. What do you think of that? What are you laughing at?

SCHLESSINGER: Well, I don’t have much of an opinion on it.

KING: You have no opinion on it?

SCHLESSINGER: Not much, no.

KING: But you’ve always favored that marriage must be between a man and woman.

SCHLESSINGER: I’m very big on human beings finding love, attachment and commitment and being faithful to it, because there’s more to benefit when there is real true commitment and faithfulness to it. I still believe, as just every president has, and all the people who ran for office, that marriage is a sacrament between a man and a woman. So not calling it marriage works for me. But that two people would have that sort of commitment to me is very healthy and very positive thing in their lives and society as a whole.

KING: So, you favor marriage between a man and a woman, but you applaud the fact that even people of the same-sex can have that kind of commitment to each other.

SCHLESSINGER: That’s a beautiful thing and a healthy thing.

KING: We’ll be back with more of Dr. Laura Schlessinger.

Dr. Laura has great sway in influencing the thinking of your average conservative housewife. And if Dr. Laura isn’t much upset by recent changes to state marriage laws, then this gives plenty of folks in Iowa permission to not be upset either.

And while I’d prefer an endorsement of marriage equality, I’m delighted that she is defining same-sex commitment as healthy and positive in the lives of gay people and in society as a whole.

(hat tip to reader David)

Richard W. Fitch

April 9th, 2009

As I recall, Dr. Laura went thru a messy divorce from a conservative Jewish husband in the recent past. She had converted to Judaism on marrying and it seems now that she has rethought her ideas outside that religious box. That is not to say she is no longer a conservative pundit, only that her views are less extreme than previously. She appears to be acknowledging what psychologists in general are saying about the healthy, stabilizing foundation that committed relationships provide.

knobandtube

April 9th, 2009

How did she earn the Dr. part of Dr. Laura? Does anyone know?

Richard W. Fitch

April 9th, 2009

According to Wikipedia:
“Schlessinger received a Bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and a Ph.D. in Physiology from Columbia University in 1974. … Schlessinger received her certification in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling from the University of Southern California (USC) and lectured at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of California, Irvine, and Pepperdine University. Her MFCC license has been inactive for several years.” Unlike many windbags who use the tilte “Dr.” from honorary degrees received, hers was earned. I was incorrect on the details of her change of mind, although the outcome is the same. Rather than bore those not interested, you can read the article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Schlesinger

Jason D

April 9th, 2009

I didn’t see the interview but I kinda chuckled at king going “what are you laughing at?”.

I can only picture the look on her face and what she might’ve been thinking.

“Oh nonono, I learned my lesson last time. Unh-uh, nopenopenope, not saying a damn negative thing.”

tomchicago

April 10th, 2009

Thanks, Doc, but we don’t need a “sacrament”. You and your churches can keep all the sacraments, excluding anyone you want from the elect; what we want is a state-sanctioned contract that says I can marry my husband.

Shannon

April 10th, 2009

Nice to see Dr Laura come back to her senses on this! She was always very light-handed about gays through the 1990s, like “I’m not sure, this is between them and God,” but she flipped a switch one day in the late 90s after Elizabeth Birth (then director of HRC) was in the news for becoming a mom. She went on a tirade that very day and was very hostile to gays from then on. I was listening to her show that very day and thought “WTF? She was always very nonjudgmental before!” Although she presses limits sometimes, she does indeed stand for responsible parenting and faithful relationships, and I still respect her for that.

Panger

April 10th, 2009

While I applaud her comments, five’ll get you ten she’s just discovered her son is gay and is “draping the crepe…”

Joel

April 10th, 2009

My brother is an M.D. and he doesn’t go by the prefix “doctor”. God help this Ph.D. if I ever do that.

Jason D

April 10th, 2009

“While I applaud her comments, five’ll get you ten she’s just discovered her son is gay and is “draping the crepe…””

Wow, at 31, and traveling most of my life, you’d think I’d heard everything, but I actually had to look up “five’ll get you ten” and I’m still scratching my head over “draping the crepe”.

Is that like “beating the bishop?” or “draining the lizard?” :P

BobN

April 10th, 2009

I’d kind of like an apology, Dr. Laura, if it’s all the same to you.

Lady Worplesdon

April 10th, 2009

“Draping the Crêpe” = In Mourning.

“draping the crepe” is a synecdoche for “in mourning”.
 
Excerpted from Victorian Mourning Garb:

“Full mourning, a
period of a year and one day, was represented with dull black clothing without
ornament. The most recognizable portion of this stage was the weeping veil of black crepe. If a women had no
means of income and small children to support, marriage was allowed after this
period. There are cases of women returning to black clothing on the day after
marrying again.”

Photograph 1, Photograph 2, Photograph 3

Str8t

April 12th, 2009

Panger – I had the same thought. Her son is about to come out of the closet, I just wonder if he’s flaming or not!

[Ed: Our comments policy does not allow unsubstantiated claims. Unless you have evidence that Dr. Laura’s son is gay, do not make such claims here]

jbolton

August 18th, 2010

Dr. Laura is a bigot who loves to her herself talk. She thinks she is above the masses in her moral superiority, when in essence – it is herself that use to have such a “loose moral compass” when she was younger. Why not ask her about her younger days with “men” and “aborting babies”??

She is a pathetic excuse for anyone to look up to!

Dr. Laura doesn’t know the first thing about compassion when someone is truly hurting. She has her own agenda and will derail any call to her side of the fence.

It is about time that someone slap some “humility” into this stone-faced holier than thou excuse of a human being.

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