Fox News prime-time pundit Bill O’Reilly previously compared gay marriage to bestiality, but recent comments in light of the renewed talk regarding marriage equality seem to indicate that his position has “evolved.”
O’Reilly sat down with Fox News contributor and daytime host Megyn Kelly to talk about the Supreme Court’s hearing on Proposition 8 , with the pundit agreeing that those in favor of marriage equality have a more persuasive argument than their opponents.
Though O’Reilly noted that he doesn’t “feel that strongly” about gay marriage “one way or the other” and thinks that the decision is best left up to the states, he said “I want all Americans to be happy,” adding, “I live in New York. New York is fine with it.”
Kelly also conceded that pro-marriage equality advocates have made very compelling arguments, and that the movement’s opponents haven’t done a very good job at providing substantive rebuttal. She said that though “there’s no arguing” the Biblical perspective on homosexuality, once you take the Bible out of the equation, the opposition dries up.
“I agree with you 100 percent. The compelling argument is on the side of homosexuals,” O’Reilly responded. “That is where the compelling argument is. We’re Americans, we just want to be treated like everybody else. That’s a compelling argument, and to deny that you’ve got to have a very strong argument on the other side. And the other side hasn’t been able to do anything but thump the Bible.”
O’Reilly’s adjusted stance on gay marriage has caught the attention of media outlets and social media users who normally position themselves against the fiery but popular pundit. Particularly interesting is the conversation his comments has stirred up on Reddit, a thread which you can read here .
Here’s video of Bill O’Reilly criticizing marriage equality opponents of “thump[ing] the Bible.”