Barbara Bush Comes out for Gay Marriage (Video)

In a video recorded for gay-rights advocacy group The Human Rights Campaign, the 29-year-old daughter of former President George W. Bush says she believes gay residents of New York, where she lives, should have the right to get married.

"New York is about fairness and equality. And everyone should have the right to marry the person that they love," she says in the video, before imploring viewers to "join us."

Meghan McCain, former of 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain, has also come out in favor of same-sex marriage, as has her mother Cindy. Dick Cheney's daughter Mary, a lesbian, also supports gay marriage, and her father does as well. And Laura Bush, the former first lady, said in May that couples that "are committed to each other and love each other" should have "the same sort of rights that everyone has."

"Bush's advocacy shows that equality knows no party label and raises the profile of this timely fight for equal marriage rights in the Empire State," the Human Rights Campaign said.

As president, George W. Bush pushed for a Constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, and Republicans depended on gay marriage referenda to drive out conservative turnout in election years.

Barbara has had gay friends dating back at least to her time at Yale University, and her support for same-sex marriage comes as no surprise to her friends. She used to take one gay friend to the White House for dinner with her family when she was in Washington.