LGBT
Related: About this forumFormer Republican Governor Calls For Greater Acceptance Of Gay People
I think, as a party, we sometimes come across as very judgmental and very self-righteous, and that doesnt play well to a lot of people, he said. Not just on political grounds, but in terms of the culture. We accept diversity in many different ways, and we need to be more clear about that and careful to express that.
In particular, Ridge urged a more expansive approach to what he termed the gay community, noting that increased familiarity with gay people tends to lead to less judgmental politics. I think thats the right way to be, he said. Younger Americans on both sides of the aisle are saying, Live and let live. Asked about same-sex marriage, Ridge said he had no particular point of view. Its one of those situations where Id leave it up to the state.
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/04/19/467190/ridge-acceptance/
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freshwest
(53,661 posts)William769
(55,124 posts)I don't trust anything he has to say.
Bohunk68
(1,364 posts)What about Social Security and other federal issues? As long as marriage equality is not recognized on the federal level, there will be inequality. Miscegenation(sp) laws, anyone?
PolishBear
(9 posts)Well it's awfully white of Tom Ridge to let marriage equality be left up to the states, but the fact remains that MOST of the legal benefits and protections of marriage come from the FEDERAL government. Right now any Straight couple can fly off to Las Vegas for a drunken weekend and get married by an Elvis impersonator, and that marriage is automatically honored in all 50 states, not to mention recognized by the federal government for the purpose of tax law and Social Security. But if a Gay couple gets legally married in Iowa, they become UN-married as soon as they move south to Missouri, and as far as the federal government is concerned they are still single.