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| American politicians' support of gay marriage: an evolutionary history | American politicians' support of gay marriage: an evolutionary history |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| In the run-up to this week's supreme court hearings on gay marriage, a number of politicians, eager to catch up to the American public, have performed some impressive political gymnastics on the issue. Others have been as intransigent as ever. A look at who supported what, when: | In the run-up to this week's supreme court hearings on gay marriage, a number of politicians, eager to catch up to the American public, have performed some impressive political gymnastics on the issue. Others have been as intransigent as ever. A look at who supported what, when: |
| August 2004 – vice-president Dick Cheney | August 2004 – vice-president Dick Cheney |
| Long his combative self on gay marriage, Cheney makes this list for being so far outside his party lines long before the current trend. He supports defining marriage – if at all – at a state level, and cites his experience with his own gay daughter, having said: "With the respect to the question of relationships, my general view is freedom means freedom for everyone. ... People ought to be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to." | Long his combative self on gay marriage, Cheney makes this list for being so far outside his party lines long before the current trend. He supports defining marriage – if at all – at a state level, and cites his experience with his own gay daughter, having said: "With the respect to the question of relationships, my general view is freedom means freedom for everyone. ... People ought to be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to." |
| May 2012 – President Barack Obama | May 2012 – President Barack Obama |
| During the 2012 election, the presidential ticket was forced to share its views on gay marriage when vice-president Joe Biden endorsed marriage equality in a May interview. A few days later, Obama announced his own "evolved" views that same-sex couples should be able to get married. Most of Obama's cabinet, including Eric Holder, John Kerry and Chuck Hagel, have publicly concurred. This month, the White House filed an amicus brief to the supreme court arguing that Doma violates the equal protections of the fourteenth amendment. | During the 2012 election, the presidential ticket was forced to share its views on gay marriage when vice-president Joe Biden endorsed marriage equality in a May interview. A few days later, Obama announced his own "evolved" views that same-sex couples should be able to get married. Most of Obama's cabinet, including Eric Holder, John Kerry and Chuck Hagel, have publicly concurred. This month, the White House filed an amicus brief to the supreme court arguing that Doma violates the equal protections of the fourteenth amendment. |
| May 2012 – senator Harry Reid | May 2012 – senator Harry Reid |
| Reid quickly stepped into line with the president and party, opting for the moderate lines of a Democratic, Mormon senator in Nevada, a state with conservative leanings: "My personal belief is that marriage is between a man and a woman. But in a civil society, I believe that people should be able to marry whomever they want, and it's no business of mine if two men or two women want to get married." | Reid quickly stepped into line with the president and party, opting for the moderate lines of a Democratic, Mormon senator in Nevada, a state with conservative leanings: "My personal belief is that marriage is between a man and a woman. But in a civil society, I believe that people should be able to marry whomever they want, and it's no business of mine if two men or two women want to get married." |
| July 2012 – representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen | July 2012 – representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen |
| The only Republican to co-sponsor a proposed repeal of Doma, Florida's Ros-Lehtinen (left, with Hillary Clinton) has been vocally pro-LGBT throughout her career. One of her children is transgender, and since joining the House she has frequently broken ranks on LGBT issues, becoming the first Republican in Congress to fully support same-sex marriage in July 2012. In a speech to the Log Cabin Republicans in 2011, she said: "As Republicans, we are committed to ensure that the federal government play its proper role. Defining marriage is not part of that role." | The only Republican to co-sponsor a proposed repeal of Doma, Florida's Ros-Lehtinen (left, with Hillary Clinton) has been vocally pro-LGBT throughout her career. One of her children is transgender, and since joining the House she has frequently broken ranks on LGBT issues, becoming the first Republican in Congress to fully support same-sex marriage in July 2012. In a speech to the Log Cabin Republicans in 2011, she said: "As Republicans, we are committed to ensure that the federal government play its proper role. Defining marriage is not part of that role." |
| February 25 – 75 prominent Republicans | February 25 – 75 prominent Republicans |
| submitted an amicus brief to the supreme court in opposition of California's Proposition 8, its signatories including current Republican representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Richard Hanna of New York , members of the Bush administration, top campaign advisers and former governors, among others. | submitted an amicus brief to the supreme court in opposition of California's Proposition 8, its signatories including current Republican representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Richard Hanna of New York , members of the Bush administration, top campaign advisers and former governors, among others. |
| Former governor Jon Huntsman, who also signed the brief, announced his personal support for marriage equality a few days earlier in the American Conservative, writing: "The party of Lincoln should stand with our best tradition of equality and support full civil marriage for all Americans." | Former governor Jon Huntsman, who also signed the brief, announced his personal support for marriage equality a few days earlier in the American Conservative, writing: "The party of Lincoln should stand with our best tradition of equality and support full civil marriage for all Americans." |
| 15 March – senator Rob Portman | 15 March – senator Rob Portman |
| On 15 March, the Ohio Republican announced his support for gay marriage, explaining his change of heart after his son, Will, told his parents he is gay. Portman had co-sponsored the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, and has taken some flak from his conservative cohorts for the complete reversal. The Ohio senator, who was a contender for Mitt Romney's presidential ticket, now wants to let states decide on the issue. | On 15 March, the Ohio Republican announced his support for gay marriage, explaining his change of heart after his son, Will, told his parents he is gay. Portman had co-sponsored the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, and has taken some flak from his conservative cohorts for the complete reversal. The Ohio senator, who was a contender for Mitt Romney's presidential ticket, now wants to let states decide on the issue. |
| Portman is the only Republican senator so far who publicly supports same-sex marriage, explained that his announcement was timed to coincide with the supreme court hearings. His show of family solidarity has largely come off well, and both he and his son have explained the story passionately: "We were surprised to learn he is gay but knew he was still the same person he'd always been. The only difference was that now we had a more complete picture of the son we love." | Portman is the only Republican senator so far who publicly supports same-sex marriage, explained that his announcement was timed to coincide with the supreme court hearings. His show of family solidarity has largely come off well, and both he and his son have explained the story passionately: "We were surprised to learn he is gay but knew he was still the same person he'd always been. The only difference was that now we had a more complete picture of the son we love." |
| 18 March – the Clintons | 18 March – the Clintons |
| Former secretary of state Hilary Clinton, in case we had forgotten her or her 2011 support for New York's gay marriage law, released a video on 18 March "announcing" her own support "as a matter of policy and law". Former president Bill Clinton, the man who signed Doma, has described 1996 as a "different time" and went so far as to say: "As the president who signed the act into law, I have come to believe that Doma is contrary to those principles and, in fact, incompatible with our constitution." | Former secretary of state Hilary Clinton, in case we had forgotten her or her 2011 support for New York's gay marriage law, released a video on 18 March "announcing" her own support "as a matter of policy and law". Former president Bill Clinton, the man who signed Doma, has described 1996 as a "different time" and went so far as to say: "As the president who signed the act into law, I have come to believe that Doma is contrary to those principles and, in fact, incompatible with our constitution." |
| 21 March – Saxby Chambliss and GOP resistance | 21 March – Saxby Chambliss and GOP resistance |
| The retiring Georgia senator emphatically denied he would ever change his opposition to gay marriage, telling Politico: "I'm not gay. So I'm not going to marry one." He's joined by the solid negatives of party leaders John McCain and John Boehner, and the slightly more nuanced responses of senators Lindsey Graham and Mark Pryor, both of whom are up for re-election in 2014. | The retiring Georgia senator emphatically denied he would ever change his opposition to gay marriage, telling Politico: "I'm not gay. So I'm not going to marry one." He's joined by the solid negatives of party leaders John McCain and John Boehner, and the slightly more nuanced responses of senators Lindsey Graham and Mark Pryor, both of whom are up for re-election in 2014. |
| 24 March – strategists | 24 March – strategists |
| Karl Rove didn't endorse marriage equality himself, but the Republican pundit and occasional party architect said that he "could see" a 2016 presidential candidate from the party being in support of same-sex marriage. Rove has pushed the party towards more centrist policies in the wake of its 2012 drubbing. Similarly, Reince Priebus, the Republican national committee chairman, has said that the party has room for supporters of gay rights like Portman. | Karl Rove didn't endorse marriage equality himself, but the Republican pundit and occasional party architect said that he "could see" a 2016 presidential candidate from the party being in support of same-sex marriage. Rove has pushed the party towards more centrist policies in the wake of its 2012 drubbing. Similarly, Reince Priebus, the Republican national committee chairman, has said that the party has room for supporters of gay rights like Portman. |
| 24 March – senator Claire McCaskell | 24 March – senator Claire McCaskell |
| The Missouri Democrat broke ranks with the president during her 2012 re-election bid, when she maintained that states had the right to ban gay marriage. McCaskell defeated Todd Akin, of "legitimate rape" ignominy, but Missouri also voted for Romney last year and easily passed a 2004 law defining marriage as between a man and a woman. But sensing a sea change, McCaskell went her new views on 24 March, writing on her Tumblr: "Good people disagree with me. On the other hand, my children have a hard time understanding why this is even controversial. I think history will agree with my children." Like Portman, she supports states' jurisdiction over marriage issues. | The Missouri Democrat broke ranks with the president during her 2012 re-election bid, when she maintained that states had the right to ban gay marriage. McCaskell defeated Todd Akin, of "legitimate rape" ignominy, but Missouri also voted for Romney last year and easily passed a 2004 law defining marriage as between a man and a woman. But sensing a sea change, McCaskell went her new views on 24 March, writing on her Tumblr: "Good people disagree with me. On the other hand, my children have a hard time understanding why this is even controversial. I think history will agree with my children." Like Portman, she supports states' jurisdiction over marriage issues. |
| 24 March – senator Mark Warner | 24 March – senator Mark Warner |
| On the same day as McCaskell's announcement, the centrist Democrat announced his own "evolved" views on Facebook, not failing to mention that he was the "first Virginia governor to extend anti-discrimination protections to LGBT state workers" and that he supported repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Representing a very moderate state, Warner has less to risk than McCaskell or Portman, and has yet to suffer for his pro-LGBT actions as a governor or senator. | On the same day as McCaskell's announcement, the centrist Democrat announced his own "evolved" views on Facebook, not failing to mention that he was the "first Virginia governor to extend anti-discrimination protections to LGBT state workers" and that he supported repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Representing a very moderate state, Warner has less to risk than McCaskell or Portman, and has yet to suffer for his pro-LGBT actions as a governor or senator. |
| 25 March – senator Mark Begich | 25 March – senator Mark Begich |
| The Democrat from ever-conservative Alaska has historically been quiet about gay marriage but released a statement that puts him in line with the president and his party: "I believe that same sex couples should be able to marry and should have the same rights, privileges and responsibilities as any other married couple." | The Democrat from ever-conservative Alaska has historically been quiet about gay marriage but released a statement that puts him in line with the president and his party: "I believe that same sex couples should be able to marry and should have the same rights, privileges and responsibilities as any other married couple." |
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