For weeks, vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s “gay friends” have been a topic of debate, with gay and lesbian residents of Wasilla, the small town where Palin once served as mayor, suggesting the Alaskan governor has been less than supportive when it comes to gay rights.

In fact, gay activists have has a tough time believing Palin when she says she has close gay friends. But Tuesday night, in a second interview with CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric, Palin elaborated on the friend she’s so often referred to — a woman she says she’s been close with for 30 years.

Palin sat down with Couric to discuss, among other things, her conservative stance on several social issues. When talk turned to a church that Palin has frequented sponsoring a conference promoting the conversion of gays and lesbians to straight through prayer, the maverick Republican turned defensive.

“I don’t know what prayers are worthy of being prayed, and I don’t know what prayers are going to be answered, but as for homosexuality, I am not going to judge Americans and the decisions that they make in their adult personal lives.”

Palin suggested the press “got it wrong” when they implied she supported the church’s beliefs.

Later, despite acknowledging that one of her best friends is a lesbian, Palin went on to suggest that she believes homosexuality is a choice.

“One of my absolute best friends for the past 30 years happens to be gay… I love her dearly. She is not my gay friend– she is one of my best friends. She happens to have made a choice that isn’t a choice that I would have made.”

Read the full story from the Advocate.