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January 24, 2008
Al Gore: Gay Men and Women Ought to Have Marriage Rights
Al Gore has gone
on record saying that same-sex couples should have the
right to marry. He put out the message via a video
posted on Current TV, the former vice
president’s news and information network, and it was
picked up by Andy Towle at TowleRoad.com.
Here is the
statement in its entirety: “I think it’s wrong
for the government to discriminate against people
because of that person’s sexual orientation. I
think that gay men and women ought to have the same rights
as heterosexual men and women -- to make contracts, to have
hospital visiting rights, to join together in
marriage, and I don’t understand why it is
considered by some people to be a threat to heterosexual
marriage to allow it by gays and lesbians.
Shouldn’t we be promoting the kind of
faithfulness and loyalty to one’s partner regardless
of sexual orientation? Because if you don’t do
that, then to that extent you’re promoting
promiscuity -- you’re promoting all the problems that
can result from promiscuity. And the loyalty and love
that two people feel for one another when they fall in
love ought to be celebrated and encouraged and
shouldn’t be prevented by any form of discrimination
in the law.”
Many Democrats
hoped Gore, who lost the 2000 presidential election to
George W. Bush, would run for president again this year. The
three top Democratic candidates -- Hillary Clinton,
Barack Obama, and John Edwards -- support civil unions
for gays and lesbians but not full marriage equality.
(The Advocate)
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