Bill Clinton says he was wrong about gay marriage, and in an interview airing tonight on CNN with Anderson Cooper, Clinton talks about why he's had a change of heart.
By Advocate.com Editors
Bill Clinton says he was wrong about gay marriage, and in an interview airing tonight on CNN with Anderson Cooper, Clinton talks about why he's had a change of heart.
Anderson Cooper: You said you recently changed your mind on same-sex marriage. I’m wondering what you mean by that. Do you now believe that gay people should have full rights to civil marriage nationwide?
Bill Clinton: I do. I think that, well let me get back to the last point, the last word. I believe historically, for two hundred and something years, marriage has been a question left to the states and the religious institutions. I still think that’s where it belongs.
That is, I was against the constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage nationwide, and I still think that the American people should be able to play this out in debates. But me, Bill Clinton personally, I changed my position. I am no longer opposed to that. I think if people want to make commitments that last a lifetime, they ought to be able to do it. I have long favored the right of gay couples to adopt children.
What made you change your mind? Was there one thing?
I think, what made me change my mind, I looked up and said look at all of this stuff you’re for. I’ve always believed that—I’ve never supported all the moves of a few years ago to ban gay couples from adoption. Because they’re all these kids out there looking for a home. And the standard on all adoption cases is, what is the best interest of the child?
And there are plenty of cases where the best interest of the child is to let the gay couple take them and give them a loving home. So I said, you know, I realized that I was over 60 years old, I grew up at a different time, and I was hung up about the word.
I had all these gay friends, I had all these gay couple friends, and I was hung up about it. And I decided I was wrong.
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE.
http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2009/09/25/Clinton__I_Was_Wrong_About_Gay_Marriage/
