Richard Shiro/AP
If it were up to Michele Bachmann, gay marriage would be gone in Iowa.
In an appeareance on Fox News Sunday, the conservative GOP candidate slammed a 2009 court decision allowing same-sex marriage in the state.
"Marriage, historically, for all human history has been between a man and a woman. It hasn't been the same-sex marriage," Bachmann said. "And remember that in Iowa, it was judges that made the decision -- not the legislature, which are the people's representatives, and certainly, not the people."
Bachmann argued Iowans are also against gay marriage, pointing to the removal of three out of seven state Supreme Court justices by Iowa voters last year after a conservative campaign blasted the judges for striking down a law restricting marriage to straight couples as a violation of the state constitution.
All seven Supreme Court justices approved the 2009 decision to declare the marriage restriction unconstitutional.
Bachman's latest pronouncement against gay marriage came just days after the candidate's debate with a gay rights activist in Iowa over the issue made headlines.
Jane Schmidt, 16, asked Bachmann at a town hall Wednesday what she would do if elected to support the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Bachmann responded by saying she would work to guarantee the same civil rights enjoyed by all American citizens.
When Schmidt asked about gay marriage, Bachmann responded that gay couples have the same right as heterosexual couples to get married -- to someone of the opposite sex.
"They can get married," Bachmann said. "But they abide by the same law as everyone else. They can marry a man if they're a woman. Or they can marry a woman if they're a man."
Bachmann added that gay couples should not get married because "that's not the law of the land," despite the fact that gay marriage is legal in six states, including Iowa.
The issue of marriage equality in Iowa also popped up in the news earlier this week when a video of Zach Wahls' speech before the Iowa House of Representatives in opposition to a resolution against gay marriage went viral again nearly a year after it was first posted to YouTube.
Wahls, whose parents are lesbians, describes his family life in glowing terms and highlights his personal success in school and running a small business. "If I was your son, Mr. Chairman, I believe I'd make you very proud," Wahls said.
Bachmann currently places sixth among Republican primary candidates in the Real Clear Politics average of five major opinion polls, with 4.6%. Those figures, however, predate the suspension of Herman Cain's campaign on Saturday.
In an appeareance on Fox News Sunday, the conservative GOP candidate slammed a 2009 court decision allowing same-sex marriage in the state.
"Marriage, historically, for all human history has been between a man and a woman. It hasn't been the same-sex marriage," Bachmann said. "And remember that in Iowa, it was judges that made the decision -- not the legislature, which are the people's representatives, and certainly, not the people."
Bachmann argued Iowans are also against gay marriage, pointing to the removal of three out of seven state Supreme Court justices by Iowa voters last year after a conservative campaign blasted the judges for striking down a law restricting marriage to straight couples as a violation of the state constitution.
All seven Supreme Court justices approved the 2009 decision to declare the marriage restriction unconstitutional.
Bachman's latest pronouncement against gay marriage came just days after the candidate's debate with a gay rights activist in Iowa over the issue made headlines.
Jane Schmidt, 16, asked Bachmann at a town hall Wednesday what she would do if elected to support the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Bachmann responded by saying she would work to guarantee the same civil rights enjoyed by all American citizens.
When Schmidt asked about gay marriage, Bachmann responded that gay couples have the same right as heterosexual couples to get married -- to someone of the opposite sex.
"They can get married," Bachmann said. "But they abide by the same law as everyone else. They can marry a man if they're a woman. Or they can marry a woman if they're a man."
Bachmann added that gay couples should not get married because "that's not the law of the land," despite the fact that gay marriage is legal in six states, including Iowa.
The issue of marriage equality in Iowa also popped up in the news earlier this week when a video of Zach Wahls' speech before the Iowa House of Representatives in opposition to a resolution against gay marriage went viral again nearly a year after it was first posted to YouTube.
Wahls, whose parents are lesbians, describes his family life in glowing terms and highlights his personal success in school and running a small business. "If I was your son, Mr. Chairman, I believe I'd make you very proud," Wahls said.
Bachmann currently places sixth among Republican primary candidates in the Real Clear Politics average of five major opinion polls, with 4.6%. Those figures, however, predate the suspension of Herman Cain's campaign on Saturday.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/michele-bachmann-gay-marriage-overturned-iowa-article-1.986599#ixzz1fi1zVUDS
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