Five Gay Rights Questions Oprah Winfrey Should Ask Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin is about to go rogue. On November 17, the former Republican Vice Presidential candidate and current star of the GOP speaking circuit is set to launch her first book, Going Rogue. She's dabbling with some speaking engagements to support the book -- most notably attending an extremely anti-gay college in Missouri that actually disciplines students for holding hands with someone of the same gender -- and the day before the book launch, Palin will sit down on the world's most famous couch, right next to Oprah Winfrey.

There's no word on whether she'll Tom Cruise it up and jump up and down, but it's certainly bound to be one of the more interesting hours of television this Fall season. Oprah was a huge Obama supporter, so that already creates some fun tension, and then we all know how Sarah Palin gets when the TV cameras turn on (the Katie Couric that will live in infamy comes to mind...).

Since Oprah will have the biggest GOP celebrity on her set, here's hoping that the issue of LGBT rights comes up at least once. Given Palin's rhetoric on the subject, it would be nice to see someone press the former Governor to ask her why she thinks the way she thinks about many things related to gay and lesbian Americans. Perhaps Oprah is the person who can do it. Here are our five gay rights questions that we'd like to see the Queen of Daytime Television ask the Queen of the Republican Party.

1. During the Vice Presidential Debate last year, Palin said, "I would be...tolerant of adults in America choosing their partners, choosing relationships that they deem best for themselves." How would Palin plan to be tolerant in allowing people to choose their relationships, without giving them the necessary legal protections to make sure that they can enter their partner's hospital room, or collect benefits after a partner dies?

To us, tolerance is a bit of a bullshit term that people who don't like same-sex marriage or any advances in gay rights throw around to couch their support for discrimination in a chocolate, candy coating. Palin should be pushed on what the concept of "tolerance" means to her, and why her "tolerance" can't include gay marriage.

2. Is there room in the Republican Party for people who support same-sex marriage?

Palin made a big deal this week by getting involved in some low-hanging fruit. She decided to support a candidate in NY's 23rd Congressional District who is running on a Third Party ticket. She's doing that because the GOP nominee, a woman named Dede Scozzafava, is pro same-sex marriage. With Palin (and others, including Tim Pawlenty, and former Sen. Rick Santorum) jumping ship to sink Scozzafava, does this mean that the former Alaska Governor believes that supporters of same-sex marriage shouldn't be welcome in the Republican Party?

3. What would Palin do if one of her kids turned out to be LGBT?

It's a question that would have been interesting to pose to Lynne and Dick Cheney about 30 years ago, when the former Vice President was busy voting against civil rights legislation in Congress (like opposing the establishment of a federal holiday to recognize Martin Luther King Jr. Day). It would also be an interesting question to ask Palin. Would that child be allowed to bring a partner home for family dinners or holidays? Would Palin attend that child's wedding?

4. Does same-sex marriage pose a threat to society?

We all know the answer to this one is a resounding no. But given the comments of some of Palin's counterparts in the GOP (Rep. Michelle Bachmann, Rick Santorum, Sen. Tom Coburn), it's worth finding out if Sarah thinks that gay marriage poses as big a threat to America as terrorism or war. And if she says yes, then here's the follow-up: "How can you argue that gay marriage poses as big a threat to the type of violence that killed more than 3,000 people on September 11, or is as big a problem as the millions of people in this country lacking health insurance?"

5. Should gay and lesbian adults have the right to adopt children, or should states be allowed to ban adoption by LGBT citizens?

There were several tragic ballot measures that broke against gay rights in 2008. Prop 8 was the most famous, but equally as bad was a ballot measure in Arkansas that banned gay and lesbian adults from adopting children. Best as we can tell, Palin never weighed in on the Arkansas ballot measure, but now's the time to know: does the Governor think that states should be able to ban gays and lesbians from adopting, and if so, what harm does she see gay and lesbian parents causing?

(Photo courtesy of nayrb7's photostream on Flickr.)