Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons), is considering a run for President in 2008. He does not favor gay marriage OR civil unions.
Just FYI, the Mormon Church did not admit black people into the priesthood until 1978. 1978!
In defense of the Mormons, they have accomplished progressive reforms in less than 200 years that required Catholic and Protestant Christians nearly 2,000 years to achieve. They even re-wrote some of their scriptures to accommodate their new position, while most Christians are still defending Bible passages like Numbers 31:17-18 and Deuteronomy 20:10-16, which have God committing atrocities, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and cruelty to animals as the "inspired, absolute, infallible Word of God".
But still, denying black people full participation in the Church until the late 1970s is not indicative of a good civil rights/diversity-tolerant organization. And Romney's NEITHER/NOR position on the gay marriage/civil union question is squarely within that tradition.
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Romney plays 'Hardball' on gay marriage, 2008
Mass. governor discusses civil unions and presidential front-runnershttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9086489/excerpt:
A year and-a-half ago, the Massachusetts Supreme Court legalized gay marriage in the state, igniting a national debate on the definition of marriage in America. On Thursday, legislators in Massachusetts voted to hold a constitutional convention next month to consider civil unions. But is it just about changing the name?
Republican Mitt Romney, the governor of Massachusetts, joined Chris Matthews on Thursday to discuss the issue and his prospective candidacy for the 2008 Republican nomination...
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Do you think there's any difference, really, between a gay marriage and something called a civil union?
GOV. MITT ROMNEY, MASSACHUSETTS: Well, I would rather have neither, to tell you the truth. I'd rather that domestic partner benefits, such as hospital - hospital visitation rights for same-sex couples.
I don't want civil unions or gay marriage. But there is a difference, even when just the word is the difference. And the difference is that, if you indicate as a society that you're indifferent between a same-sex couple marrying and a heterosexual couple marrying, then it means our schools and other institutions are going to have to indicate that there is no difference whatsoever, and that obviously has societal consequences that are important.
full article at above link
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