Dennis Herrera Implies Homosexuality Is a Choice, Upsets Gays

By Erin Sherbert Tue., Feb. 8 2011 at 2:23 PM

Categories: LGBT

Weighing the gay vote

The gay-friendly, Dennis Herrera, San Francisco's city attorney who last year filed a lawsuit challenging the state's ban on gay marriage, "accidentally" referred to homosexuality as a sexual preference rather than an orientation. In other words, he made it sound like being gay was a choice.

The mishap was posted on his mayoral campaign Web site and later reported by the Bay Area Reporter, San Francisco's LGBT publication.

According to the Reporter, the Web site read the following: "Dennis Herrera believes that protecting San Francisco's quality of life is a fundamental value. It means that San Francisco should remain an enjoyable and safe place to live and work for people of regardless of their race, sexual preference, national origin or income."

The site has since been fixed to read sexual orientation. Herrera's staff claimed it was an oversight and a technical error.

"It was a harmless screw up," said Herrera's spokesman Matt Dorsey, who is gay.

Dorsey then quickly tried to bring some levity to the situation. "I had to explain to the web masters that my sexual orientation is gay and my sexual preference is Ben Affleck," Dorsey said.

Follow us on Twitter at @SFWeekly and @TheSnitchSF

Tags:

Ben Affleck, Dennis Herrera, Matt Dorsey, sexual orientation, sexual preference

We Recommend

Fibreezy

The only thing that's offensive about this story is the headline, and Sojourn's comments.

Steve

Really, I don't see what the big deal is. I definitely prefer men, I mean. That doesn't mean that preference isn't in-born. Can we stop attacking the people who are actually on our side already? It's just so unsexy. Leave that to the Republicans, they love eating their own and it works in our favor so often.

davids12

Well said. Actions are more important than words, and Herrera's proved his commitment to the gay community by his actions many times over, not least in this case where the "offensive" word was taken down immediately after it was brought to the campaign's attention.

I like "sexual preference" better than "sexual orientation" anyway - to me it feels like the former says, "Hey, I'm a person who happens to prefer men instead of women," and the latter says, "I'm completely, genetically obsessed with men."

Sojourn

Sexual proclivities do NOT make you a group, it's a habit yes choice.Everyone can see who is black,Hispanic,Asian, they all share physical characteristics.Homosexuals share a sexual preference, that's a huge difference.

davids12

What does that mean, it does not make us a group? Of course it makes us a group - a group is any category of related objects. Even if it is a "habit yes choice", so what? It's a choice to be Christian, yes?

Steve

We actually share physical characteristics as well. They have done studies which show the layout of our brains is slightly different compared to heterosexuals. Just because you can't *see* the differences doesn't mean they aren't there.

Sojourn

dennis should have said "Many Homosexuals have had their lives changed by a corrupt, mentally ill person or people"

MrEricSir

I have the feeling your life would be a lot more pleasant if you'd come out of the closet already.

Put your penis back in your pants, close all the gay porn sites you have open on your computer, and visit a gay bar and meet some homos in person. You'll feel a lot better about yourself and you might just get a date out of it.

Sojourn

We should not hide this horrible illness of homosexuality. Too many homosexuals try to hide what it really is, that is why depression, suicidal tendencies, and immorality is high.

People should close their eyes and leave the media blist of homsexuality and freedom sex. Go back to a pure young heart and find the truth. and imagine

When you see two male dogs trying to have sex , we laugh and call it a stupid dog. This is NOT a NATURAL ACT.

NATURE DICTATES THAT LAW.

Now the immoral.

(1 Corinthians 6:9-10) "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God ? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God ."

They are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarily. UNDER NO circumstances can they be approved.

Steve

No we don't. We in fact try very hard to highlight why depression, suicide, and immoraility are so high. We're promiscuous because we have no access to marriage. We get depressed and commit suicide because we're constantly dragged through the mud in the press and denied rights by our governments and treated like sh*t by our supposedly Christian neighbors.

What we're not doing, is lying, like you are.

And by the way, when two male dogs have sex, are you saying they're committing an unnatural act against god? Or does it perhaps show that maybe it's a little more natural than you'd like to admit....

Sojourn

The homosexual is just feeling bad and taking his/ or her problem out into the world because of bad experiences and the unknowing why and how this could have happen to him or her. Mainly blaming God , instead of blaming the assailants, their so called friend, or themselves for giving in to a horrible choice.

Now the homosexual is feeling there is no choice and that is why the homosexual tells a person that is his choice. Believing it is his or her free will , but in fact rooted from an episode, an event, or from environment.