by Melanie Nathan

See Secret Video below:- Gingrich and Santorum indistinguishable on LGBT Equality :  Gingrich agrees with Santorum – “gays serving openly in the military are nothing more than a social experiment and the military’s purpose is only “to fight and win wars.”

Kristina Lapinski, from GAY U.S.A. the Movie,  a documentary filmmaker, found herself seated in the front row next to State Republican Speaker William O’Brien, and Collista Gingrich at One Liberty Lane Hampton, New Hampshire, for Thursday night’s Granite State Patriots Liberty PAC candidates forum.

Lapinski, holding a legitimate ticket, had her camera poised furtively with unprecedented chutzpah, while in the company of some fifty heavy hitting Tea Party Republicans, who had no idea who she was or why she was there!

The young liberal democrat, dressed in a tailed, wide shoulder black double breasted jacket, and a white shirt, sporting a star spangled tie, looked ‘voguishly’ Barnum Circus and quite out of place. “I felt like I was in the lion’s den” said Lapinski.

The debate featured a combination of town hall and Lincoln-Douglas formats, with only two candidates appearing on stage at a time. Governors Gary Johnson and Buddy Roemer debated first, and were followed by former senator Rick Santorum and former speaker Newt Gingrich.

In keeping with the theme of the evening, the audience was handed copies of the U.S. Constitution printed by the anti-gay Heritage Foundation. The ‘show’ began with the Pledge of Allegiance, then a prayer and comments about the importance of God in politics.

After Roemer and Johnson left the stage, Lapinski approached the moderator and handed him a piece of paper with her question.  Admitting her flirtatious exploit, Lapinski said: “Sir, this issue affects me personally and it would mean a lot to me if you could slip it in and ask my question.”

“I was surrounded by Tea Party people and was determined to have a gay rights question asked, to film for my movie” asserts Lapinski. As one can imagine, she was delighted when her question was actually posed to both Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum: “This question is from Kristina who is in the audience,” he announced, “If voted President of the United States would you support a Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage?”

Gingrich was quick to blow off the question with a quick one liner: “marriage is between a man and a woman!”  Santorum, on the other hand had his pew, with canned rhetoric and the can-opener at the ready.  He gave the question its due, playing into the hands of the talented gatecrasher.  Even though we think we have heard the entire warped war cry, Santorum, in thinking he had the insiders’ ears only, provided admissions and imposed his absurd fears.

Santorum rebuked his fellow Republicans for not taking a harsher stand on anti-gay measures, accusing them of being fearful of being called bigots.  “When I was in the US Senate – this was not difficult to understand; one of the toughest things I had to do was to get the Republicans to support me to ban same sex marriage.”

Revealing that many Republicans fear backlash, they would rather refrain from voting for such an amendment.

Santorum continued to describe the fear in his own party:  “The media is not going to be nice- they are going to create caricatures of us, they will call you a bigot – they would say “don’t make me vote on this.” The conversations we would have inside that room would make your hair curl!”

The would be President concluded that he is the only candidate capable of taking a stronger stand against same sex marriage, and the one who will push harder than any other on the issue.

The applause was big for a small crowd, most stood up.

After the debate was over Lapinski walked up to the stage and mingled with the candidates.

Placing her arm across Santorum’s shoulder for a picture, Lapinski told him that she was the one who had asked the same-sex marriage question, and she followed – “What would you do if I was your daughter?”

Santorum smiled, “I would love you!”

Would you want me to get married and have a family?” asked Lapinski.

He responded, “Only if it were with a man.”

Lapinski retorted “But I am not attracted to men.”

Santorum insisted- “But it is your choice.”

“Rick it is not my choice!”  Lapinski argued.

He continued with great authority: “Like anything in life, it is a choice.  You may feel this is the way that it is supposed to be; you make decisions in life and you choose what is right.”

Newt Gingrich was next said Lapinski; waiting her turn in line, Lapinski chuckled when a ten year old boy denounced global warming and Gingrich agreed with him, assuredly. Lapinski then asked Gingrich a follow up question – his answer was abrasive, as can be seen in the unique Video footage included in this Article.

He affirmed that he would reinstate Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, saying he agreed with Santorum – and added that gays serving openly in the military are nothing more than a social experiment and that the military’s purpose is only “to fight and win wars.”

I asked Lapinski how hearing this up close made her feel: “When I watch these people on TV I feel removed, and this experience was totally surreal, I felt isolated. But at the same time their stances on the issues were so ludicrous,” laughed Lapinski – “It seemed ridiculous that my loving another woman could affect their religious freedom.  These people want to completely halt the progress for LGBT people in this country.”

Gay U.S.A. Crashes GOP Debate from www.gayusathemovie.com on Vimeo.   ©gayusathemovie 2011 all rights reserved

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Melanie Nathan – melanie@gayusathemovie.com