Focus on the Family founder James Dobson took to the radio Thursday to blunt attacks coming from an unusual direction – his allies.
The influential child psychologist has been accused of betrayal in some evangelical Christian quarters since his ministry voiced support for a bill sponsored by state Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield.
On his daily radio show from Colorado Springs, Dobson sought to clarify his support for Senate Bill 166, which would expand some legal benefits to adults living together who cannot marry – including same-sex couples, adult siblings and others.
Dobson has taken some heat as a result – one posting on social conservative colleague Alan Keyes’ website called it “Dobson’s Gay Valentine’s Surprise.”
“For 29 years I’ve been here on this broadcast, I haven’t changed a whit from that time to this in the things I believe or what we’re trying to do,” Dobson said Thursday.
Dobson reiterated Focus on the Family’s opposition to a Democratic proposal that would ask voters in November to grant domestic-partnership status to gays and lesbians.
That initiative aims to put same-sex couples on the same legal footing as other married couples, giving them the right to make medical decisions for an incapacitated partner, provide access to health care and protect inheritance rights when a partner dies, among other things.
The Mitchell bill, meantime, does not make mention of “sexual behavior,” Dobson said Wednesday night on commentator Bill O’Reilly’s Fox television show.
Nor are its benefits – including property-sharing rights, hospital visitation rights, decisions regarding organ donations and shared health insurance – as sweeping as those in the domestic-partnership initiative.
“Contrary to the propaganda that’s out there, we believe in equality under the law,” Dobson told O’Reilly. “And we don’t believe that you set aside people and not allow them the same benefits. But homosexuality is not mentioned in SB 166 at all.”
Ted Trimpa, a strategist working for the domestic-partnership bill and political adviser to gay philanthropist Tim Gill, said that while Mitchell’s bill falls short in several key areas, he was pleased to hear Dobson supported it.
Staff writer Eric Gorski can be reached at 303-820-1698 or egorski@denverpost.com.
