Record number of Americans show public support for same-sex unions
AS the Supreme Court prepares to weigh the constitutionality of same-sex marriage, Republican presidential contenders have insisted they have “no problem” with gay couples, but will not support their right to legally marry.
Looming ahead for these contenders are early contests in states like Iowa and South Carolina, where a major role will be played by conservative Christian voters who are firmly opposed to same-sex marriage. The 2016 general election further down the road will also test the party nominee, who will likely need backing from independents and moderate Republicans supporting gay unions.
“Republicans are trying to thread the needle on this, with varying degrees of skill. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why,” said Gregory Angelo, executive director of Log Cabin Republicans, which represents gay conservatives and seeks to make the GOP more inclusive.
“The more shrewd members of the field know that in order to win the general election, they cannot be in absolute opposition to LGBT equality,” Angelo said. “If that is their position, they automatically turn off a large portion of that electorate.”
The more conservative contenders, such as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and former Gov. Mike Huckabee, are comfortable using forceful language in their opposition to the debate, and railing against judges who have struck down marriage bans. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) remarked that “sexual preference is something most people are born with, not a choice,” while former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush urged respect for the rule of law after a court order made same-sex unions legal in his home state.
“I hope that we can also show respect for the good people on all sides of the gay and lesbian marriage issue, including couples making lifetime commitments to each other who are seeking greater legal protections and those of us who believe marriage is a sacrament and want to safeguard religious liberty,” Bush said.
The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments starting next week in the challenges to state bans on same-sex marriage, as many of the GOP’s potential candidates are left struggling to find middle ground between their base’s support for “traditional” marriage, and new polls confirming they are on the least favored side of the marriage equality debate.
Many of the GOP contenders have urged the Supreme Court to avoid a nationwide ruling for the issue, and instead leave the matter to the states to decide.
“It’s important that citizens, not judges, define marriage,” said Ryan Anderson, a research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation. “For all these candidates, that’s the message I want to see.”
In the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll, 61 percent of Americans—more than six in 10, for the first time—are saying gays and lesbians should be allowed to legally marry, declaring their public support for an issue that has been long debated.
Identical or similar majorities favor gay marriage on two key issues before the court: 61 percent oppose allowing individual states to prohibit same-sex marriages, while 62 percent support mandates for states to recognize gay marriages performed legally in other states.
Same-sex marriage is currently legal in 36 states, up from six in 2012, largely as a result of court rulings striking down gay marriage bans. Attitudes about same-sex unions have also shifted across groups, with support ranging from 76 percent of Democrats and 66 percent of independents, to just 34 percent among Republicans.
The Supreme Court’s hearing next Tuesday, April 28 will focus on two crucial issues: whether the 14th equal protection Amendment to the Constitution forbids states from banning same-sex marriages, and if it requires them to recognize such marriages performed elsewhere.
(With reports from Associated Press, ABC News, The Guardian)
(www.asianjournal.com)
(LA Weekend April 25-28, 2015 Sec. A pg.7)
