Potential 2012 presidential candidate Michele Bachmann (R-MN) stressed her conservative social policy credentials during an appearance in Iowa organized by the anti-gay group The FAMiLY Leader. To the pleasure of her hosts, Bachmann highlighted her support for the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and the almost defunct Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, while also speaking out against LGBT-friendly legislation like the 2009 Hate Crimes legislation and the Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA).

Bachmann said she has supported so-called traditional values all her life, but became aware of the importance of “defending” marriage in 2003, after the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that denying marriage rights to same-sex couples violated the state constitution. After hearing about the ruling from a local Christian radio station, Bachmann — then a member of the Minnesota State Senate — went on a walk and, through prayer, discovered that God wanted her to introduce an amendment defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman:

BACHMANN: When that happened, I heard the news on my local Christian radio station in Minneapolis, St. Paul and I was devastated. And I took a walk and I just went to prayer and I said Lord, what would you have me do in the Minnesota state senate? And just through prayer I knew that I was to introduce the marriage amendment in Minnesota.

Listen:

Bachmann’s amendment failed, even as she warned that “the sex curriculum will be essentially by taught by the local gay community” if the measure did not pass.

Yesterday, Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) — who is seriously considering launching a campaign for the presidency — appeared before the FAMiLY Leader, an anti-gay social conservative group in Iowa. Both the Leader and its head, former gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats, have argued that homosexuality is a public health hazard akin to second hand smoke and have directed its members to literature promoting discredited ex-gay therapies. In fact, during an interview with ThinkProgress’ Scott Keyes, Plaats argued, “If we’re teaching the kids, ‘don’t smoke, because that’s a risky health style,’ the same can be true of the homosexual lifestyle. That’s why I think we need to speak the truth once in a while.”

But Bachmann did not openly embrace this line of thinking during her appearance. Asked if she agreed with Vander Plaats and the Leader about the health risks of being gay, Bachmann seemed startled and confused by the question and, after a pause, simply said, “I don’t have an answer for that”:

VOLSKY: Congresswoman, some groups — including this one, I believe — have argued that homosexuality is a public health crisis akin to second-hand smoking. I was wondering if you agreed with that.

BACHMANN: Um. I — I don’t have an answer on that. I don’t have an answer. Why don’t I have another question.

Listen here:

Last week, Bachmann’s potential Iowa political state director, State Rep. Kent Sorenson (R) actually disagreed with the public health meme and claimed that nobody has advanced this argument. “I think that’s absurd. … I would never make that argument and I haven’t heard anybody in Iowa make that argument, so I’m not sure where you’re coming up with that from,” he said.

As first reported by Phil Reese, senators in Illinois are trying to sneak a provision into a bill amendment that would conceivably enable religious charities to discriminate against any couple for any reason in regards to adoption and foster care services. Same-sex couples, who were only granted civil union rights this past January, would be particularly vulnerable to this discrimination.

The original bill (SB1123) itself is a simple two-page affirmation of public accessibility for people with physical disabilities like visual impairment. The new provision, introduced by Senator David Koehler (D), appears at the very bottom of a 30-page amendment that is otherwise about fees that county clerks charge:

Sec. 65. Religious child welfare agencies. A child welfare agency that is religiously based or owned by, operated by, or affiliated with a bona fide religious organization may decline an adoption or foster family home application, including any related licensure and placement, from a party to a civil union if acceptance of that application would constitute a violation of the organization’s sincerely held religious beliefs. If an agency declines an application pursuant to this Section, then it must provide the applicant with information on how to contact the Department of Children and Family Services to obtain information concerning other regional licensed child welfare agencies.

Sen. Koehler was a strong supporter of the civil unions bill, as his daughter Maggie is a partnered lesbian. During the civil unions debate, he said, “As the father of three daughters, explain to me why two of them have rights that one doesn’t have.”

Having just secured her those rights, perhaps the Senator could explain why he’s now trying to take some of them away from her again.