Rick Perry Supports New York, Not Gays
Clarifying comments he made last week that implied he supported gay marriage, Texas governor Rick Perry said Thursday that "gay marriage is not fine with me."
He said that while he does not support gay marriage, he believes in a state's right to decide on that issue.
"I probably needed to add a few words after that ‘it’s fine with me,’ and that it’s fine with me that a state is using their sovereign rights to decide an issue," said the Texas governor during an interview with Family Research Council's president Tony Perkins.
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"Obviously gay marriage is not fine with me. My stance hasn’t changed," said Perry.
Speaking at an July 23 event held by the Aspen Institute in Aspen, Colo., Perry had shared his opinion on the newly passed same-sex marriage law in New York stating, "That’s New York, and that’s their business, and that’s fine with me."
His remarks prompted a critical response from former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum who took to Twitter to blast his fellow social conservative.
"So Gov. Perry, if a state wanted to allow polygamy or if they chose to deny heterosexuals the right to marry, would that be OK too," Santorum tweeted.
In his interview with Perkins, Perry maintained his commitment to the 10th amendment but reasserted his conviction that marriage should be between a man and a woman.
"My comments reflect my recognition that marriage and most issues of the family have historically been decided by the people at the state and local level," Perry said Thursday.
The Texas governor also expressed support for a federal marriage amendment to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman in the U.S. Constitution.
"To not pass the federal marriage amendment would impinge on Texas and other states not to have marriage forced upon them," Perry said.
