Elizabeth Edwards
disagrees with husband
on support for gay
marriage
By Paul Elias – AP
(Union-Tribune, San Diego, CA), June 24, 2007
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Associated Press
Elizabeth
Edwards, wife of Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards,
kicked off San Francisco's annual gay pride parade Sunday by
splitting with her husband over support for legalized gay marriage. |
SAN FRANCISCO –- Elizabeth
Edwards, wife of Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards, kicked off San
Francisco's annual gay pride parade Sunday by splitting with her husband over
support for legalized gay marriage.
“I don't know why someone else's marriage has anything to do with me,” Mrs.
Edwards said at a news conference before the parade started. “I'm
completely comfortable with gay marriage.”
She made the remark almost offhandedly in answering a question from reporters
after she delivered a standard campaign stump speech during a breakfast hosted
by the Alice B. Toklas Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Democratic Club, an
influential San Francisco political organization. California's
presidential primary is Feb. 5, one of the earliest contests in the nation.
She conceded her support puts her at odds with her husband, a former senator
from North Carolina who she said supports civil unions among gay couples -– but
not same-sex marriages.
“John has been pretty clear about it, that he is very conflicted,” she said.
“He has a deeply held belief against any form of discrimination, but that's up
against his being raised in the 1950s in a rural southern town.”
No serious presidential candidate from either major political party has publicly
supported gay marriage.
“John believes that couples in committed long-term relationships should enjoy
the same rights, benefits and responsibilities regardless of whether they are
straight couples or same-sex couples,” Edwards said earlier during her speech.
“He supports civil unions.”
When John Edwards was asked about gay marriage during a debate earlier this
month, he emphasized his support for civil unions and partnership benefits but
said, “I don't think the federal government has a role in telling either states
or religious institutions, churches, what marriages they can bless and can't
bless.”
Elizabeth Edwards delivered her speech before a roomful of San Francisco's most
powerful politicians, including Mayor Gavin Newsom, who in 2004 legalized gay
marriage in San Francisco. The California Supreme Court has since
prohibited same-sex marriages while it considers the legality of the issue.
Edwards also said her husband believes in ending the “don't ask, don't tell”
government policy regarding gays serving in the military.
“The military is already sexually integrated,” she said to laughter and
applause.
Julius Turman, the Toklas organization's co-chairman, said all major Democratic
candidates were invited to address the club, but only Edwards accepted.
San Francisco's gay pride parade is a campy civil rights celebration, sprinkled
with drag queens, leather chaps and a healthy dose of nudity –- but very few, if
any, mainstream, national politicians. Even San Francisco resident Sen.
Dianne Feinstein, when she served as mayor here from 1978 to 1988, never rode in
the annual parade that started in 1970.
That's why local politicians and activists hailed Elizabeth Edwards' appearance
Sunday as another step for gay civil rights.
“It's very powerful thing,” Newsom said. “The symbolism is very
important.”
San Francisco Assemblyman Mark Leno said Edwards' appearance didn't go far
enough.
“This is definitely a step in the right direction in the evolution of the civil
rights fight,” Leno said. “But it's not like she's out there riding with
me in the parade.”
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