President Obama Responds to Candidate Scorecard

 Do you believe homosexuality is a sin?
Barack Obama: No: Obama has issued presidential proclamations declaring June as Gay Pride Month. "The story of America's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community is the story of our fathers and sons, our mothers and daughters, and our friends and neighbors who continue the task of making our country a more perfect Union. It is a story about the struggle to realize the great American promise that all people can live with dignity and fairness under the law. Each June, we commemorate the courageous individuals who have fought to achieve this promise for LGBT Americans, and we rededicate ourselves to the pursuit of equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity."
Mitt Romney: Won’t Answer: When CNN’s Piers Morgan asked whether he thought homosexuality was a sin, Romney replied, “Nice try ... I separate quite distinctly matters of personal faith from the leadership that one has in a political sense.”
Rick Santorum:  Won’t Answer:  “There are a lot of things in society that are, quote, ‘sins’ or moral wrongs that we don't make illegal. Just because something is immoral or something that is wrong doesn't mean that it should be illegal, and that the federal government or any level of government should involve themselves in.”
Newt Gingrich: Yes: “But I also believe that all of us are sinners.”
Ron Paul:  No: "The government has no business in your private life, you know, so if one person is allowed to do something, so should everyone else."
Fred Karger: No: Karger has also condemned former Republican candidate Michele Bachmann and her husband, Marcus Bachmann, for their apparent endorsement of "ex-gay" therapy.
Gary Johnson: N/A: “A president’s opinions or beliefs regarding whether homosexuality is an innate trait, can be ‘treated’ through counseling, or even whether it is a ‘sin’ are not appropriate factors in terms of the policies he or she should pursue.”


Do you support full federal marriage equality?
Barack Obama: No, but: “I believe that Section 3 of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional and should be repealed. I have instructed the Department of Justice to no longer defend it in court, and the Department has already filed multiple briefs supporting individuals challenging the law in court.”
Mitt Romney: No: Romney, who was governor when the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled for marriage equality, unveiled his three-tier plan for marriage and partner recognition in December to keep marriage rights for straight couples, allow already-married gay couples to remain wed, but prohibit future same-sex marriages.
Rick Santorum: No: Santorum has compared same-sex marriage to many things, but in 2003, he famously said, “In every society, the definition of marriage has not ever to my knowledge included homosexuality. That's not to pick on homosexuality. It's not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be.” His proposed plan, if he is elected president, would be to annul all marriages between same-sex couples.
Newt Gingrich: No: "As President, I will vigorously enforce the Defense of Marriage Act, which was enacted under my leadership as Speaker of the House, and ensure compliance with its provisions, especially in the military.”
Ron Paul: Unclear: Paul has said, "The whole gay marriage issue is a private affair and the federal government has no say." However, Paul said earlier this year that DOMA was an appropriate way to establish states' rights when governing marriage.
Fred Karger:  Yes: “Gay marriage sends a very loud and clear message to LGBT youth that they are equal.”
Gary Johnson: Yes: Upon extensive review of the implications of civil unions and other ‘half-measures,’ I simply do not believe it is practical to create a new form of relationship (civil union) and somehow comport that relationship with thousands of federal laws, which involve the recognition of a legal marriage.”