Elizabeth Edwards Supports same-sex marriage

Elizabeth Edwards supports same-sex marriage
Carla Marinucci, Chronicle Political Writer

Sunday, June 24, 2007

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(06-24) 11:26 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- Elizabeth Edwards, starring at the kickoff event of San Francisco's signature Gay Pride Parade, came out in support of legalized gay marriage today -- taking a position which she acknowledged is at odds with her husband, presidential candidate John Edwards.

"I don't know why somebody else's marriage has anything to do with me,'' she said. "I'm completely comfortable with gay marriage.''

Edwards comments came after her keynote address before a standing room only breakfast of 300 at the Alice B. Toklas Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Democratic Club, an organization which is central to the powerful gay political base in San Francisco.

The breakfast appearance by the candidate's wife -- witnessed by a score of politicians, including Mayor Gavin Newsom, District Attorney Kamala Harris, and City Attorney Dennis Herrera -- was hailed as a milestone in the 30 year history of the Gay Pride event, which had never been visited by a major presidential candidate or spouse.

But Edwards went one step further in a speaking to reporters after the event, and became the first major Democratic candidate or spouse to openly support gay marriage.

But that position differs markedly from her husband, the former North Carolina Senator. Edwards said her husband, though having a '"deeply held belief against any form of discrimination,'' supports gay civil unions, but does not support gay marriage.

"John has been pretty clear about it, that he is very conflicted,'' she said. "That's up against his being raised in the 1950's in a rural southern town. I think honestly he's on a road with a lot of people in this country are on....They're struggling with this. Most of the gay and lesbian people I know... have seen their friends and family walking down that same road.

"It's frustrating, I know,'' she added, "but it's a long distance from where we are now to the pews of a Southern Baptist church. So, John's been as honest as he can about that.''

She said that she has come to the conclusion that the marriage of another couple "makes no difference to me,'' just as it would make no difference in her views of a neighbor if he painted his house a different color.

"If he's pleasant to me on the street, if his children don't throw things in my yard, then I'm happy,'' she said. "It seems to me we're making issues of things that honestly... don't matter.''

Many at the breakfast, where Edwards was enthusiastically received, noted that there are stark differences between Democrats and Republican presidential candidates on issues that matter to gay and lesbian voters.

All Democratic candidate support the overturn of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, while none of the Republican presidential candidate said they would support such a change.

All Democrats also support a measure recently passed in New Hampshire which allows civil unions. But among major presidential candidates -- Edwards, New York Senator Hillary Clinton and Illinois Senator Barack Obama, the Democrats remain opposed to same sex marriage.

Only Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich, Ohio, and former Sen. Mike Gravel, Alaska support such an issue, but as long shots, they are considered to have virtually no chance of taking the Democratic nomination.

E-mail Carla Marinucci at cmarinucci@sfchronicle.com

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