George W Bush offered to perform a lesbian wedding despite opposing equality
George W Bush reportedly offered to marry a lesbian couple – despite strongly opposing same-sex marriage.
The former Republican President staunchly opposed same-sex marriage during his time in office – even putting the case for a stronger ban in his 2004 State of the Union address, when he claimed: “Our Nation must defend the sanctity of marriage.”
This month reports have emerged that Mr Bush might have forgotten how strongly he fought against gay weddings – by offering to perform one.
The former President made headlines in 2013 when he attended the wedding of Maine couple Bonnie Clement and Helen Thorgalsen – but a profile of the Bushes in the Boston Globe reveals he initially planned to take a bigger role.
The President reportedly “offered to perform the ceremony”, but was forced to take a back seat due to a “scheduling conflict”.
The couple refused to comment to the Washingon Blade, saying: “There’s no story there. There’s nothing to tell. Please just leave me alone.”
Despite Mr Bush publicly maintaining his stance on same-sex marriage, his wife and daughter have backed equality.
Laura Bush announced in 2010 that she supports same-sex marriage and believes abortion should remain legal – while their daughter Barbara Bush recorded a video expressing her support in 2011.
However, the former President’s younger brother Jeb Bush – who is himself running for the Republican nomination for his White House bid – has repeatedly stated his opposition.
In a bid to shore up support from conservatives, Jeb Bush appointed an anti-gay activist to his campaign team, and has claimed Christian business owners should be allowed to discriminate against gay couples.
MyPinkNews members are invited to comment on articles to discuss the content we publish, or debate issues more generally. Please familiarise yourself with our community guidelines to ensure that our community remains a safe and inclusive space for all.
Report this comment
Please let us know why you would like to report this comment:
The ability to comment will be removed from anyone who does not follow our Terms & Conditions