Cheney: Marriage For All

Supporters of equal marriage rights for all have a new and vocal ally, former Vice President Dick Cheney. He said Monday that he supports gays being able to marry but believes states, not the federal government, should make the decision. Speaking at the National Press Club, Cheney said "I think, you know, freedom means freedom for everyone. I think people ought to be free to enter into any kind of union they wish, any kind of arrangement they wish."

As far back as 2000, Cheney has stated that he was not in favor of federal actions legalizing gay marriage and that he sees the issue as one for the states to decide. But his statement today was stronger in support of gay marriage than he has issued in the past. 

"And I think that's the way it ought to be handled today, that is, on a state-by-state basis. Different states will make different decisions. But I don't have any problem with that. I think people ought to get a shot at that"

During the 2004 presidential campaign, Cheney attempted to distance himself from a proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage which put him at odds with his then boss, President George Bush. Cheney, who has been a strong and very public defender of the actions of the Bush administration, is finishing a book detailing his years in government service and his youngest daughter Mary is a lesbian.

As support for gay marriage increases, it will undoubtedly occasionally come from those we view as opponents. What’s the best way to leverage Cheney’s support?

Comments

[Tom]

In California the pro-proposition 8 faction used Gavin Newsom's "whether you like it or not" statement to scare voters into passing that awful proposition. I think in the future we need to use Dick Cheney's words in support of gay marriage.

[michaelj72]

i'd have to personally hold my nose for a few hours before accepting any support from Darth Cheney - notice too the very down of his statement that this all needs to be done at the state level, not at the federal level. he's a states' righter, a true reactionary who on this 'personal' issue is somewhat in tune with us and our needs as a movement.

what will have to happen sooner or later is federal action indeed, to prevent all anti-gay discrimination in housing and employment, the kind of protection just like the blacks got in 1963-65. and it'll have to eventually be the same with the gay marriage issue unless we are planning on ending up with 18 states with gay marriage and 32 against, or whatever. the Supremes will have to decide in based on equal protection clause of the constitution...

[Me]

It's been 8 days and I'm still waiting for MJ72 to bash Hussein's total rejection of gay marriage the way he bashed Cheney's heart-felt support for our cause. Ding! It just dawned on me. Waiting for a pig to sing is just a waste of my time. And it annoys the pig!

[NOT amused today]

Prick Cheney and the new Captor of America both suck.

Hard.

Yeah, domestic partnership rights are a perfectly reasonable thing to SEGREGATE from non-federal employees, Barry. Like there are any federal jobs left for the new generation anyway. Make no mistake, yesterday's decision sets a very dangerous precedent for gays and lesbians in America: it's pure, unadulterated 21st century tit-for-tat segregation that may look harmless, and even helpful to the more desperate, but it's just another way to use abuse, divide and conquer us.

Yesterday, I lost all my former respect for Obama. Never had any for ol' Prick on Wheels. Wicked, the whole lot of them.

Barack Obama has quickly proven himself to have no sense of real right and wrong, just the results of poll numbers and focus groups.

And seriously, not even gonna humor the whole "Dick Cheney as gay savior" thing for a second. Not one second. If he really meant it, wouldn't he have done something about it other than help to DEMONIZE US, ATTACK US, AND GENERALLY SCREW WITH US when he was CEO of the United States? I know some of us are getting a bit desperate, but do NOT listen to these crooks. They would only use us, literally to death, only with even less respect than the way they use their straight citizens and they've used them literally to death as well. Do not listen to any of them.

[DOG]

He is not in support of gay marriage. He is just publicly tossing a bone to his daughter. If racial discrimination were left to states, there might be one state difference from the way it was in 1964. Face it, sometimes the Feds have to step in and get their hands dirty as push things along.

And yes, Obama has pissed me off as well. It is time we as a community stop waiting for the politicians. They are just going to continue to string us along claiming the 'right moment' has not arrived yet. We need street demos instead of $1000 per attendee cocktail parties. We need to dump the HRC in the bin and anyone else who is in bed with the politicians. We also need to stop arguing the Bible with our oponents. We do not have a state mandated religion, therefore the Bible is irrelevent to the lawmaking process.

Come on people--Dick Cheney, despite his words, is not in our corner. He is still opposed to nondiscrimination legislation and hate crimes bills. He thinks we are all sinners. It is time to start thinking and stop fawning every time there is the hint that some right winger has softened their stance towards us.