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Oregon Republican U.S. senator Gordon Smith apologized for comments he made last week that appeared to link same-sex marriage to polygamy, according to The [Portland]Oregonian newspaper.
During a gay rights forum in Washington, D.C., last week, Gordon was asked to explain his support of domestic-partner benefits for same-sex couples while also supporting a constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
Gordon, who is Mormon, then compared the persecution of polygamists to that same-sex couples are facing.
"Part of what I fear, as you start defining marriage -- we have a long history of doing that in this country, and my Mormon pioneer ancestors were the victims of that. They were literally driven from the United States in the dead of winter for following their religious beliefs," said Smith, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Smith apologized on Tuesday for mentioning polygamy while discussing same-sex marriage.
"If you'd grown up a Mormon and spent your life trying to get out from the shadow of that legacy -- it's an emotional scar that you carry," Smith said, according to TheOregonian. "I meant no offense by sharing that part of my history." (The Advocate)
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