The print who signed the Defense of Marriage Act to law 1996 is now urgg the Supreme Court to strike down. Here’s a look back on Clton’s evolutn on gay rights. As you n see,Clton has long tried to have both ways--urtg the gay muny while also erng as a centrist.
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TIMELE: BILL CLTON’S EVOLUTN ON GAY RIGHTS
On May 23, 1996, as DOMA began s rapid journey through Congrs, the New York Tim reported:Gee Stephanopoulos, a senr Printial adviser who has overseen the issue, said: “It’s wrong for people to e this issue to monize gays and lbians and ’s pretty clear that that was the tent tryg to create a buzz on this issue. Clton, who says he oppos both same-sex marriage and anti-gay discrimatn, to a rner….
He said, risively, that was “hardly a problem that is sweepg the untry” and his prs secretary lled “gay bag, pure and simple. My advice to the people who arranged for the thgs was to get done and out of the way as quickly as possible; he signed late at night one eveng after returng om a day-long mpaign Defense of Marriage Act beme law, and Print Clton was reëlected, aga wh overwhelmg support om gay Amerins.
He was enthiastilly endorsed by the natn’s leadg gay polil group, the Human Rights Campaign, which had urged him to veto the legislatn. But 1996 ls than thirty per cent of Amerins supported gay marriage, and even eight years after that, 2004, Print Gee W. Bh ed gay marriage extremely effectively as a wedge issue agast John Kerry, who at the time only supported civil unns.