Not a “fern bar liberal”: Having previously defended anti-gay comments, Caplis prided himself on “loving and respecting gays”

Written by Media Matters Staff

Published

On his September 18 630 KHOW-AM show, co-host Dan Caplis stated, “I walk the talk when it comes to loving and respecting gays” -- in contrast to what he characterized as “a lot of these fern bar liberals who like to throw around the word 'bigot' and then never go out and actually show respect to gay people.” Caplis said later: “I view homosexuality as abnormal. Does that mean that I disrespect gays? No, not at all, and I've proven that.”

As Colorado Media Matters has documented, Caplis has displayed a pattern of indulging disrespect toward gay people. On the September 5 broadcast of The Caplis & Silverman Show, for example, he defended the use of a “derogatory comment” if “a gay person” makes “a sloppy pass” at a man in a bar. Also, Caplis on previous shows has expressed the view that "gay sex is not natural" and baselessly claimed that “the vast majority of people” likely agreed with his belief that “the act [of homosexuality] itself is immoral.”

During the September 18 broadcast, Caplis and co-host Craig Silverman were discussing a study that, according to a Denver Post article published that day, claimed to have found “that it is possible, through religious mediation, to change one's sexual orientation.”

From the September 18 broadcast of 630 KHOW-AM's The Caplis & Silverman Show:

SILVERMAN: Dan, do you think any religious teaching could get you to change from being a heterosexual?

CAPLIS: To a homosexual?

SILVERMAN: Yes.

CAPLIS: No.

SILVERMAN: All right, so wouldn't the converse be true? Somebody who's homosexual most likely can't be changed?

CAPLIS: Well, I don't know, but I don't accept that logic.

SILVERMAN: Why?

CAPLIS: Because -- well, first, the starting point. And, again, you know, the, the, the normal information I have to give you, because the first series of calls will be, “You're a bigot, you're this, you're that.” Nonsense. I'm the guy who's had gay roommates, been very happy and comfortable with my gay roommates. I represent gays. I, I hire gays. So none of this is about bigotry. I walk the talk when it comes to loving and respecting gays -- unlike a lot of these fern bar liberals who like to throw around the word “bigot” and then never go out and actually show respect to gay people. But that aside, I just don't know. But, but my starting point is that I think heterosexuality is normal. I think it's the, the way we're supposed to be. It's obviously normal and natural when it comes to procreation, which is an essential function of human beings and et cetera. So I view heterosexuality as normal. I, I view homosexuality as abnormal. Does that mean that I disrespect gays? No, not at all, and I've proven that. So I, I just don't accept the starting point logic. Your logic asks, can any amount of religion change me or counseling change me from something normal to something I view as abnormal. I think that's different than asking me whether any amount of religion or counseling can change me from being something abnormal to something abnormal -- normal. But with that said, listen: I don't know, bottom line, whether being gay is a choice or not. I don't know whether that can be changed through counseling.