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Marco Rubio presidential campaign, 2016/Gay rights
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 Marco Rubio |
Current U.S. Senator (2011-Present) FL House of Representatives (2000-2009) |
 Republican candidate: |
2028 • 2024 • 2020 • 2016 |
This page was current as of the 2016 election.
- While campaigning in New Hampshire on February 8, 2016, Marco Rubio was confronted by a New Hampshire man over his position on gay rights. "Why do you want to put me back in the closet?" the voter, who is married to another man, asked. Rubio responded, “I don’t. You can live any way you want. I just believe marriage is between one man and one woman." The voter then suggested Rubio did not believe gay people mattered. “No, I just believe marriage is between one man and one woman. I think that’s what the law should be. And if you disagree you should have the law changed by a legislature," Rubio said in reply.[2]
- On December 13, 2015, Marco Rubio argued that the Constitution does not give “the federal government the power to regulate marriage.” He said, “I don't believe any case law is settled law. Any future Supreme Court can change it. And ultimately, I will appoint Supreme Court justices that will interpret the Constitution as originally constructed,"[3]
- Breitbart reported November 27, 2015, that Rubio faced push back from evangelical Christians over his views on gay marriage and whether he believes sexual preference is a choice or biologically determined. According to Breitbart, “Many ministers are reportedly {sic} skeptical of Rubio because they’re unsure whether Rubio’s views are in line with the teachings of the Bible when it comes to the issue of gay marriage. Some Iowa pastors say they want ‘to know Rubio’s authentic feelings about gay rights.’” The pastors are also concerned with Rubio’s ties to billionaire Paul Singer, “a major donor to Rubio’s presidential campaign and the founder of a super-PAC whose purpose is to help make the Republican Party pro-gay marriage.”[4]
- On June 26, 2015, following the ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, Marco Rubio stated that "the question of same sex marriage is a question of the definition of an institution, not the dignity of a human being." Nevertheless, Rubio said, "While I disagree with this decision, we live in a republic and must abide by the law. As we look ahead, it must be a priority of the next president to nominate judges and justices committed to applying the Constitution as written and originally understood."[5]
- During his March 2013 speech at Conservative Political Action Conference, Marco Rubio said, "Just because I believe that states should have the right to define marriage in the traditional way does not make me a bigot."[6]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term Marco + Rubio + Gay + Rights
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ The New York Times, "Marco Rubio Suspends His Presidential Campaign," March 15, 2016
- ↑ The Huffington Post, "Gay New Hampshire Voter Confronts Marco Rubio: 'You Want To Say We Don't Matter'," February 8, 2016
- ↑ The Huffington Post, "Marco Rubio Suggests His Supreme Court Would Roll Back Marriage Equality," December 13, 2015
- ↑ Breitbart, "Iowa Pastors Grill Marco Rubio Over Gay Marriage Duplicity," November 27, 2015
- ↑ Talking Points Memo, "Marco Rubio: I 'Disagree' With Same-Sex Marriage Ruling, But It's 'Law'," June 26, 2015
- ↑ BBC News, "At CPAC Marco Rubio ducks a challenge," March 14, 2013
