March 15, 2008

Kerry: Against it before he was for it

Posted by: Chris

What a difference four (actually just three) years can make.

When John Kerry ran for president in 2004, he was not only outspoken in his opposition to gay marriage, but he was fond of saying that his position on the issue was "basically the same" as President Bush's -- even though Kerry opposed Bush's federal marriage amendment and supported repeal of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

But like Bush, Kerry opposed the landmark Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling that struck down the state's hetero-only marriage law, as ewll as conservative efforts to amend state constitutions in Massachusetts and elsewhere to protect the institution from gay incursion.

A year later, Kerry spoke out in opposition to the state Democratic Party's platform plank supporting full marriage equality.

Flash forward to 2008, when Kerry faces a rare primary challenge from former Gloucester city councilor Ed O'Reily, who supports full marriage equality for gay couples -- like Ted Kennedy, the state's senior U.S. senator. Now, shockingly, Kerry is having a change of heart on the whole gay marriage thing, according to a report by Bay Windows:

In a statement to Bay Windows Kerry said that civil marriage rights for same-sex couples are established law in Massachusetts and should remain so. He has also touted his work to sway state legislators to vote against the anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment at last June’s constitutional convention, as proof of his support.

The March 11 statement to Bay Windows from Kerry spokeswoman Brigid O’Rourke stated in part, "In Massachusetts, just last spring Senator Kerry worked with Gov. Patrick and progressive legislators to help defeat a draconian and discriminatory constitutional amendment that would have banned same sex marriage in Massachusetts. Sen. Kerry believes that in Massachusetts, gay marriage is a matter of settled law and there is no reason to change the law."

So last year's constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in the state was "draconian and discriminatory," even though Kerry supported similar amendments in Massachusetts and Louisiana just four years earlier.

Tags: Ed O'Reily, gay marriage, John Kerry