Same-Sex Marriage and Politics in 2012

SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
& POLITICS IN 2012
With a major election approaching in November 2012, same-sex marriage is front and center in the national political spotlight.
Learn more about the opposing perspectives on same-sex marriage, from political leaders to the average American voter.


POLITICAL LEADERS
With their positions at stake in the upcoming elections, many politicians have been pressed to offer their views on same-sex marriage:

SUPPORTIVE
SOMEWHAT SUPPORTIVE
NOT SUPPORTIVE

BARACK OBAMA
PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.
What I believe is that
marriage is between a man
and a woman. (2004)

I think same-sex couples
should be able to get married.
(2012)



MITT ROMNEY
2012 REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE

My position is the same on
gay marriage as it’s been well,
from the beginning, and that
is that marriage is a relation
between a man and a woman. (2012)

JOE BIDEN
VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S.
I am absolutely comfortable
with the fact that men marrying
men, women marrying women,
and heterosexual men and
women marrying another are
entitled to the same exact
rights, all the civil rights, all
civil liberties. (2012)

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG
MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY

President Obama’s support of marriage
equality is a major turning point in
American civil rights. No president has
ever supported a major expansion of
civil rights that has not ultimately been
adopted by the people — and I have no
doubt that this will be no exception. (2012)

RON PAUL CONGRESSMAN

I think that marriages should
be between a single man and
a single woman. (2004)

I think marriage should be
done by the church or private
contract, and we shouldn’t have
this argument. . .who’s married
and who isn’t married. I have
my standards but I shouldn’t
have to impose my standards
on others. (2011)


RELIGIOUS FIGURES
Prominent religious leaders and activists have spoken out on both sides of the same-sex marriage debate:

REV. JESSE JACKSON
BAPTIST MINISTER. ACTIVIST
LGBT people deserve equal
rights—including marriage
equality. Discrimination
against one group of people
is discrimination against
all of us. (2012),


REV. BILLY GRAHAM
SOUTHERN BAPTIST MINISTER

The Bible is clear—God's
definition of marriage is
between a man and a woman
(2012)

REV. SUSAN RUSSELL
EPISCOPAL PRIEST. ACTIVIST
I believe the Episcopal Church
will continue to evolve on the
issue of marriage equality and
look forward to joining our
UCC brothers and sisters in
being a headlight instead of
taillight on marriage equality.
(2012)

CARDINAL TIMOTHY DOLAN
ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF NY

We cannot be silent in the
face of words or actions that
would undermine the institution
of marriage, the very
cornerstone of our society.
(2012)


STATE BY STATE
Seven states (MD, ME, MN, NC, NH, NJ, WA) are putting the issue of same-sex marriage on the ballot in 2012. Here are some viewpoints:

WASHINGTON

Religions can decide what
they want to do, but the state
cannot be in the business
of discrimination. (2012)
CHRISTINE GREGOIRE
GOVERNOR OF WASHINGTON STATE

Someone’s religion teaches
them to condemn homosexuality,
and yet they are in some
kind of relationship, whether
a family member or close
friend who is gay. (2012)
REV. JASMINE BEACH-FERRARA
CAMPAIGN FOR SOUTHERN EQUALITY

We believe the Minnesota
Marriage Amendment
[banning same-sex marriage],
if passed, would limit our
ability to recruit and retain
top talent. (2012)
THOMSON REUTERS
GLOBAL MEDIA COMPANY. MAJOR MN EMPLOYER

If you look at what Americans
have done, from the deepest
blue states like Maine, California
and Wisconsin to the
Bible Belt, when they’ve had
a chance to define marriage
as one-man, one woman that’s
what they’ve done.(2012)

CHRISTOPHER PLANTE
PRESERVE MARRIAGE WASHINGTON

Marriage between one man
and one woman is the only
domestic legal union that
shall be valid or recognized
in this state.

NORTH CAROLINA VOTERS
Voted to amend the state constitution
to ban same sex marriage

The Marriage Protection
Amendment does one thing—
it preserves our historic
definition of marriage as the
union of one man and one
woman, and it ensures that
voters remain in charge of
the definition of marriage in
future.
CHUCK DARRELL
MINNESOTA FOR MARRIAGE

States supporting same-sex
marriage or unions/no prohibition

States allowing domestic
partnership/civil unions and
banning same-sex marriage

States banning same-sex marriage

Provided by: MarriageAndFamilyCounselingDegrees.com SAME-SEX MARRIAGE & POLITICS IN 2012 With a major election approaching in November 2012, same-sex marriage is front and center in the national political spotlight. Learn more about the opposing perspectives on same-sex marriage, from political leaders to the average American voter. POLITICAL LEADERS SOMEWHAT SUPPORTIVE NOT SUPPORTIVE SUPPORTIVE With their positions at stake in the upcoming elections, many politicians have been pressed to offer their views on same-sex marriage: What I believe is that marriage is between a man and a woman. (2004) My position is the same on gay marriage as it's been well, from the beginning, and that is that marriage is a relation between a man and a woman. I think same-sex couples should be able to get married. (2012) (2012) BARACK OBAMA MITT ROMNEY PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. 2012 REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE I am absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women, and heterosexual men and women marrying another are entitled to the same exact I think that marriages should be between a single man and a single woman. (2004) rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties. (2012) I think [marriage] should be done by the church or private contract, and we shouldn't have this argument..who's married and who isn't married. I have my standards but I shouldn't have to impose my standards on others. (2011) JOE BIDEN VICE PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. [President Obama's support of marriage equality] is a major turning point in American civil rights. No president has ever supported a major expansion of civil rights that has not ultimately been adopted by the people - and I have no doubt that this will be no exception. (2012) RON PAUL CONGRESSMAN MICHAEL BLOOMBERG MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY RELIGIOUS FIGURES Prominent religious leaders and activists have spoken out on both sides of the same-sex marriage debate: LGBT people deserve equal rights-including marriage equality. Discrimination against one group of people is discrimination against all of us. (2012) The Bible is clear-God's definition of marriage is between a man and a woman. (2012) REV. JESSE JACKSON REV. BILLY GRAHAM SOUTHERN BAPTIST MINISTER BAPTIST MINISTER, ACTIVIST I believe the Episcopal Church We cannot be silent in the will continue to evolve on the face of words or actions that issue of marriage equality and look forward to joining our UCC brothers and sisters in being a headlight instead of taillight on marriage equality. (2012) would undermine the instit- ution of marriage, the very cornerstone of our society. (2012) REV. SUSAN RUSSELL CARDINAL TIMOTHY DOLAN EPISCOPAL PRIEST, ACTIVIST ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF NY STATE BY STATE Seven states (MD, ME, MN, NC, NH, NJ, WA) are putting the issue of same-sex marriage on the ballot in 2012. Here are some viewpoints: WASHINGTON NORTH CAROLINA MINNESOTA Religions can decide what they want to do, but the state cannot be in the business Someone's religion teaches them to condemn homosexu- We believe the Minnesota ality, and yet they are in some kind of relationship, whether a family member or close friend who is gay. (2012) Marriage Amendment [banning same-sex marriage], if passed, would limit our ability to recruit and retain top talent. (2012) of discrimination. (2012) CHRISTINE GREGOIRE GOVERNOR OF WASHINGTON STATE REV. JASMINE BEACH-FERRARA THOMSON REUTERS CAMPAIGN FOR SOUTHERN EQUALITY GLOBAL MEDIA COMPANY, MAJOR MN EMPLOYER If you look at what Americans have done, from the deepest blue states like Maine, Calif- ornia and Wisconsin to the Bible Belt, when they've had a chance to define marriage Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this state. The Marriage Protection Amendment does one thing- it preserves our historic definition of marriage as the union of one man and one as one-man, one woman that's what they've done. (2012) woman, and it ensures that voters remain in charge of the definition of marriage in NORTH CAROLINA VOTERS the future. Voted to amend the state constitution CHRISTOPHER PLANTE to ban same-sex marriage PRESERVE MARRIAGE WASHINGTON CHUCK DARRELL MINNESOTA FOR MARRIAGE States supporting same-sex marriage or unions/no prohibition States allowing domestic partnership/civil unions and banning same-sex marriage States banning same-sex marriage Provided by: MarriageAndFamilyCounselingDegrees.com SOURCES http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/transcript-robin-roberts-abc-news-interview-president-obama/story?id=16316043#.UARWZIVolm5 http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/05/10/us/politics/20120510-obama.html http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0512/75954.html http://www.mikebloomberg.com/index.cfm?objectid=32FE4B06-C29C-7CA2-F3BDC872C099359C http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544 162-57431100-503544/romney affirms opposition-to-same-sex-marriage/ http://www.issues2000.org/Archive/2011_SC_Ron_Paul.htm http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/ron paul-personally opposed-to-same sex-marriage but/ http://ideas.time.com/2012/05/17/what-the-rev-jesse-jackson-has-to-say-about-gay-marriage/ www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/02/billy-graham-backs-nc-ant_n 1472485.html http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/10/episcopal-church-considers-same sex-blessing service/ http://www.usccb.org/news/2012/cardinal-dolan-presidentobama-remarks-on-marriage-deeply-saddening.cfm http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/01/04/397766/washington-governor elated after introducing marriage equality-bill-i-feel so-much-better today/?mobile=nc http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jun/06/nation/la-na-nn-wash-gay-marriage-law-20120606 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/12/us/in-north-carolina-gay-rights-not-a-simple-issue.html?_r=1&ref=politics http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/09/us/north-carolina voters-pass-same sex-marriage ban.html http://www.minnesotaformarriage.com/2012/05/illinois-same-sex-marriage-lawsuit-reinforces-need-for-minnesota-marriage-amendment/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same sex_marriage_law_in_the_United_States_by_state http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2012/may/08/gay-rights-united-states http://www.freedomtomarry.org/states/