John Kerry backs gay marriage - POLITICO

Contents:

• KERRY’S POSNS ON GAY MARRIAGE
• KERRY APOLOGIZ FOR PAST FIRGS OF GAY U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT STAFF
• JOHN KERRY—BH AND I HAVE THE 'SAME POSN' ON GAY MARRIAGE

KERRY’S POSNS ON GAY MARRIAGE

Secretary of State John Kerry issued a statement on Monday apologizg for past discrimatn agast members of the lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr muny at the State Department. Ben Card of Maryland sent a letter to Secretary Kerry askg for a formal apology for hundreds of firgs that occurred durg the so-lled lavenr sre, a Cold War effort to rid the State Department of gays and lbians.

Democratic printial hopeful John Kerry, who oppos gay marriage and hts he might support a limed ban, jt two years ago signed a letter wh other ngrsnal lleagu urgg the Massachetts Legislature to drop a nstutnal amendment outlawg homosexual when Kerry opposed feral legislatn 1996 that fed marriage as a unn between a man and a woman, he pared the law to 1960s efforts the South to crimalize terracial marriag and acced his supporters of engagg the “polics of divisn. ”“This is an unnstutnal, unprecented, unnecsary and mean-spired bill, ” Kerry clared then, even as 85 senators and Print Clton supported the his home state grappl wh a historic Massachetts Supreme Court lg that uld perm homosexual marriag, Kerry’s own ments on the mpaign trail are beg pared by Republins, Democratic rivals and even his own nstuents to his prr ’s mpaign said Wednday he has nsistently opposed gay marriage while also rejectg legislatn, like the 2002 amendment, that he believed jeopardized the civil rights and regnn of gay relatnships bee was too broadly word.

He opposed a proposed nstutnal amendment Massachetts the summer of 2002 bee a sweepg proposal would have threatened civil unns, health benefs, or herance rights for gay upl that reprent equal protectn unr the law, ” spokman David Wa said. “John Kerry favors civil unns, not gay marriage. It’s that simple, ” he emergence of gay marriage as an issue has placed several ndidat — cludg Howard Dean who signed a civil-unns bill durg his Vermont ernorship — a lite balancg act of tryg to avoid lookg bigoted while platg heterosexual and relig Whe Hoe refed Wednday to m Print Bh to supportg a nstutnal amendment to ban gay marriag, although nservative lears said they have received high-level assuranc he will take the step.

KERRY APOLOGIZ FOR PAST FIRGS OF GAY U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT STAFF

”Possible support for Massachetts banKerry has left open the possibily he uld support a Massachetts ban on gay marriage if regnized civil unns and other protectns as an alternative. But 2002, he joed his ngrsnal lleagu opposg Massachetts’ last effort to outlaw gay marriage, sayg they feared uld be ed to prevent muni “om actg as they might wish to provi some form of regnn for same sex relatnships.

”“We believe would be a grave error for Massachetts to enshre our Constutn a provisn which would have such a negative effect on so many of our fellow rints, ” Kerry and 11 other members of the state’s ngrsnal legatn Legislature’s 2002 effort failed, but that bate renewed the last week after the Massachetts Supreme Court led gays were entled to the same marriage as heterosexuals unls the state nstutn is changed.

JOHN KERRY—BH AND I HAVE THE 'SAME POSN' ON GAY MARRIAGE

Edward Kennedy said Wednday he didn’t ask Kerry or Kennedy to sign this time “bee I was such a hurry, ” the openly gay ngrsman said Kerry has always been clear to him that he oppos gay marriage but wants homosexuals to have equal protectn unr the law through civil unns, and other has said that he believ marriage — both legally and religly — should be rerved between a man and woman. “I believe and have fought for the prciple that we should protect the fundamental rights of gay and lbian upl — om herance to health benefs. I oppose gay marriage and disagree wh the Massachetts urt’s cisn, ” Kerry said last asked whether he might support Massachetts’ nstutnal amendment, he said was possible.