Wife Nudged Ford Toward Marriage Equality

In a profile in The New York Times on Thursday, Emily Ford, wife of potential senate candidate Harold Ford, Jr., explained how she nudged him toward support for marriage equality with stories about gay family members.

As Ford weighs a bid for the U.S. senate seat for New York, his has come under fire for changing his position on same-sex marriage. The former congressman from Tennessee voted twice for the federal constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, but he recently said he supports marriage equality.

"Ms. Ford said in her interview the other day that she had several conversations with her husband about gay marriage," reported the Times. "She told him about a gay step-uncle who had died of AIDS and a gay aunt, both of whom were in loving, committed relationships. "'Harold never met my uncle or my aunt, but he knows how important this is to me,' Ms. Ford said."

Read the complete profile of Ford, a 29-year-old former celebrity fashion stylist, here.