As the July 20 primary grows closer, the race to see which Republican will compete to be Georgia’s next governor just gets uglier. And of course, more anti-gay.

Former Secretary of State Karen Handel continues to run from her previous moderate stands on LGBT issues like domestic partner benefits.

Her GOP primary opponents, including former U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal and Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, released ads this week attacking Handel, and by extension, gay Georgians.

Today Handel fires back — not at her opponents, but at us.

WXIA’s Doug Richards interviewed Handel on her campaign bus, doing an admirable job of pressing her on her inconsistent record on gay issues.

Handel made it clear that she not only opposes gay marriage, but also gay parenting. In fact, she even says she would consider banning gay adoption — a move that would put Georgia on par with Florida, and that would be particularly callous given the thousands of children languishing in the foster care system.

Here’s the infuriating exchange:

Q: Frequently, folks in the legislature kind of threaten to -- there are always rumblings in the legislature that they may outlaw gay adoptions. You're against gay adoption.
A: I am against gay adoption. But remember -- I mean, if there is legislation on that, certainly I will follow that and look at it. But in the end, ultimately courts are going to be the ones to have to make the decision on that and it's always in the best interests of the child. Do I think that gay parents is in the best interest of the child? No. But we do have our court system that deals with many and most of those issues.
Q: Would you favor outlawing gay adoptions?
A: Yeah, I would consider that, absolutely.
Q: Do you know any gay couples with children?
A: Not that I'm aware of.
Q: So you think gay couples are less qualified to function as parents than straight couples?
A: I think that for a child to be in a household -- in a family in a household with a situation where the parents are not married, as in one man and one woman, is not the best household for a child.

You can read the rest of Richards’ interview here.

Or here is the video:

I have lived in Georgia my entire life. I vote, own a home, pay taxes, do my best to be a responsible citizen — and I am a gay parent. My partner is a gay adoptive parent.

What would Karen Handel, who wants to be my governor, do about families like mine? What would she say to my children, to explain why she thinks their family is less worthy than others in the state?

I am the birth mother for our children. Would she rather my partner not be able to adopt our children, so that they have less security and support?

Would she rather the children of our friends, who were adopted by both of their gay parents, simply not have parents at all?

Plenty of studies and major child welfare groups have concluded that gay families are just as good as straight families.

But until there are enough straight families for every child currently needing adoption or foster care, the debate over straight families versus gay families is really a moot point.

For many of these kids, the choice isn’t gay parents versus straight parents – it’s gay parents versus no parents. Does Handel really think children are better off in foster care than in loving gay homes?

If so, that’s pathetic.

And so is the GOP gubernatorial primary.