Mitt Romney pledges opposition to gay marriage

Gerardo Mora/Getty Images

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has signed a pledge sponsored by the National Organization for Marriage promising to support a federal constitutional amendment "defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman."

The pledge also includes promises to vigorously defend the Defense of Marriage Act in courts - something the Obama administration has decided not to do - and nominate Supreme Court and federal judges who "reject the idea our Founding Fathers inserted a right to gay marriage into our Constitution."

By signing the pledge, Romney also promises to establish a presidential commission on "religious liberty" that would investigate harassment or threats against those who have taken positions against same-sex marriage.

Rep. Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum also signed the pledge, though that's not much of a surprise: Both candidates have grounded their campaigns in part in strong social conservatism. Romney's decision is more interesting because he has largely tried to keep his focus on fiscal issues and declined to sign an earlier, more far-reaching "values" pledge from a conservative group in Iowa.

It's also notable because Romney was not always such a strong opponent of gay rights. In 1994, he sent a letter to a gay Republican group saying he would be a stronger advocate for gay rights than his Massachusetts Senate opponent, Sen. Ted Kennedy. "We must make equality for gays and lesbians a mainstream concern," wrote Romney. He also characterized the "don't ask, don't tell" policy as "the first in a number of steps that will ultimately lead to gays' and lesbians' being able to serve openly and honestly in our nation's military."

Tim Pawlenty, another Republican presidential candidate, declined to sign the pledge; his spokesman told the Boston Globe the candidate preferred to express his "commitment to the institution of marriage" in his own words.

Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, hailed the three candidates who signed the pledge.

"We are grateful to Michele Bachmann, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum for their courage and their leadership in standing up for marriage, and so are millions of Americans who care about protecting marriage," he said. 

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Mitt Romney on the trail

[Elsewhere12]

Having stumbled across this article whilst reading articles about Romney all i can say is thank god I live in the UK. I am apalled and disgusted by some of the comments and feel sorry for the gay community in the USA if these views are rife in your country . I know people think Europe has a far more relaxed take on these things but why get so involved and uptight about other peoples personal lives.

There is a charity in the UK which promotes LGBT rights and their slogan is plastered everywhere on billboards, backs of buses and posters across towns and cities it reads,

'Some people are gay......... Get over it!'

[io_campion]

I would like to form a special commission to investigate these clowns. Usually the ones pointing the finger are the ones with the most to hide. I'm guessing anything from child porn to witchcraft and satanism.

[MassManny]

Mitt Romney cannot be trusted on this issue. See
YouTube: MITT ROMNEY'S DECEPTION http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwwcAa6nHm4

If the press would just start paying more attn to the social issues, which are of great importance to Repub primary voters, Romney should sink quickly. Not just due to his flip-flops on abortion, but his outright support of "gay rights" and "gay marriage"! He violated the Mass. constitution, implementing "gay marriage" w/o legislative authorization (when the Court that issued the ruling even said the Legislature needed to change the statute for the marriages to go forward). He also fully supported Kevin Jennings' "gay" propaganda in the Mass. public schools, with his "Governor's Commission on Gay Lesbian Bisexual Youth." A disgrace.

[thomasmc1957]

I pledge to vote against this throwback to the Dark Ages.

[fretchick1]

Maybe in the Dark Ages they had gay marriages and all the troubles that came with people just wanting to do what feels good to them at the moment. Maybe the bar is being brought up and not down. If men can marry men or women marry women, then why not let the guy who is having sex with animals do it openly, or the person who enjoys sex with children not go to jail for it, cause maybe he was born that way.If you allow a little now, than later you may have to allow a lot. Did you know it is ok for a women to go topless on a city street in some states? Do you really want to live in a "if it feels good do it " county? Laws, and that means good laws anyway, protect you from mayhem taking over like "maybe" the dark ages may have had. All these things were done before and found to not WORK! A little law left unchecked leads to many laws on the book that will keep you from being able to walk the streets in the DAY! Cause everyone with a perverted thought will want a law passed on behalf of their perversion.

[lspaid531]

To Fretchick1: Are you honestly saying you don't think there is any difference to a child molestor or a gay person? Maybe you should'nt be aloud to walk streets. What makes me sick is all "you" homophobic people think us as people choose our lives this way. Like we can change it. Love is Love. The love a man has for a women is the same as a women loving a woman. There is no difference. Let me enlighten you on something, the ones that have such a problem with it are usually the ones in the closet or curious. As gay,straight,lesbian, transgender..It doesn't matter.. WE will be proud and not bullied. We are all equal in this world.

[dianabella]

These politicians who signed this pledge are so backward in their thinking. This country is a democracy, not a theocracy. And I am so tired of the ultra-religious trying to push their beliefs down everybody else's throats. We are a country of diverse people and diverse beliefs and we have civil rights so that people like these can't mistreat minorities that don't fit into their cookie cutter world. The greatness of a country is in how they treat those with the least power. Thank goodness I don't see any chance for anyone with these kinds of beliefs to become President. I hope I am not giving the American people too much credit. But what kind of party have the Republicans become if to win you have to become a complete narrow-minded idiot.

[nativeamericancitizen]

A Godly morally strong nation will have a strong economy, saith the Lord!


Recently many homosexual offenders and their sympathizers in the Obama mass media complex, and Democrat Party government behaved as evil, rotten children and said some very hateful, unkind, vicious things about the "Tea Party" adults in the room during the so-called debt debate. The facts are; homosexual offenders and their sympathizers are the moral refuse of the world! They are the reason for the majority of the evil in the world! No unrepentant homosexual offender will inherit the kingdom of heaven! Oddly enough, the Nazi's had many homosexual offenders in their ranks from the highest to the lowest levels. Homosexuality is a violent, aggressive, anti-social, sociopath, psychosis behavior that should be heavily medicated and such individuals should be separated from healthy members of society. In the old testament God commanded that homosexuality be a stone-able offense. God puts homosexual in the category of an abomination sin. Homosexuality is a spiritual condition in the practitioner called reprobate. This is why God commanded the ancient Israelis stone homosexual offenders to death. Once a person has engaged in such a vile act, they are an extreme danger to themselves, and more importantly the rest of the community or any of their potential sex partner victims. We don't do this in modern times, and because we don't, this is why civilization has plunged so far into darkness, depravity, destruction and despair! I challenge anyone to prove me wrong on any of my points, and unless you are God don't even waste your time or mine!

[thomasmc1957]

Religion is the seed of mental illness, and your post is the proof!

[siggycas]

I have yet to understand why those who claim to be the arbiters of morality and who is or is not deserving of equal protection of our laws are not up in arms about swingers, pornographers, adulterers, child molestors and exploiters who engage in behaviors that effect the moral fiber of our country and the mental, emotional and physical health of our children on a much grander scale than the 10% or so of homosexuals who would simply like to be treated equally with all the other imperfect and God created individuals in our society. Government should simply stay out of people's personal lives (so long as they are not hurting others, especially children) and take care of the tasks assigned to it in the Constitution. It is a shame that a man with a moderate and successful record like Mitt Romney, has to pander to conservatives and haters in order to secure the Republican nomination. I hope he does, however, because perhaps it will send a message to the right wingers that have hijacked the party, that Republicans can be rationale and follow the principles of separation of state and church, just as they espouse the separation of big government and a free market economy.

[twinkie1cat]

Protecting marriage is like subsidizing Big Oil. Why protect a business that can take care of itself. Come to think of it, it is even more like business subsidies than I thought because it is the Republicans who want to continue to subsidize oil too.

[twinkie1cat]

Well, now the Republicans have no decent candidates. Romney just had to follow the crowd so he could get his money. This is the kind of thing that points to the absolute necessity of repealing DOMA and, if not a national act that affirms the constitutionality of same sex marriage a requirement that all states recognize marriages performed in states that do. I mean how can I be married in one state and not the one next to it??? That is like saying you are a slave in Alabama but not in New York. Likewise, same sex marriages should result in the same federal benefits and responsibilities as any other marriage. It is time for discrimination against American's last minority to go. Banning same sex marriage is nothing more than relgious persecution. And it is not even an tenet of Christianity because Jesus did nto have a word to say about it and the archives of the Vatican include a ceremonony for the marriage of same sex couples. (Not that the Catholic church is the authority on Christianity. It has just been around for a while longer than some of the others.)

[beavertonhilton]

We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal. WHY is it that so many people that would state that they are Americans of the upmost patriotism, DO NOT BELIEVE THAT? Such an interesting quandry for them...be of the religious right, or be an American. So they, of course, attempt to blend the two.
When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag, holding the bible.

[Bryce01]

I understand that everyone has their opinion about marriage and what is right and wrong.

Without debating the numerous flaws within a traditional institution that sees more failure than success, I propose a simple change in marriage laws which I believe will support the sanctimonious views of those who oppose marriage equality, and will likely produce some interesting results:

OUTLAW DIVORCE!

Let's see how that tastes on the tongues of the self-anointed. It's all about protecting marriage, right? Then heck - let's get with the program!

[twinkie1cat]

If marriage needs to be protected than it needs to be changed so that it does not require protection. It is like subsidizing a successful business. The subsidy is not needed.