Mitt Romney on Monday told a gay
veteran that he supports repeal of New Hampshire's gay marriage law,
the Boston
Globe reported.
At a campaign stop at Chez Vachon diner
in Manchester, Romney approached 63-year-old Bob Garon for a chat.
New Hampshire Republicans are preparing
to attempt a repeal of the state's 2-year-old gay marriage law.
Garon told Romney that he wanted a
straight answer on same-sex marriage.
“And all I need is a yes or a no,”
Garon said.
“OK,” Romney replied.
“Do you support ...” Garon began.
“I support repealing – I support
repeal of the New Hampshire law. I believe marriage is between a man
and a woman. That's my view.”
Garon, it so happens, was sitting at a
table with his husband Bob Lemire.
“OK, that means if you're in the
White House, you will not support any form of legislation that would
change that so that servicemen would be entitled to benefits like a
man and a woman,” Garon said. “If two men get married apparently
a veteran's spouse would not be entitled to any burial benefits or
medical benefits or anything that the serviceman has devoted his time
and effort to his country, and you just don't support equality in
terms of same-sex marriage?”
Romney answered that “we apparently
disagree.”
“It's good to know how you feel,”
Garon said. “That you do not believe that everyone is entitled to
their constitutional rights.”
“No, actually, I think at the time
the Constitution was written it was pretty clear that marriage is
between a man and a woman,” Romney said. “And I don't believe
the Supreme Court has changed that.”
After the exchange, Garon
told reporters that he believed his husband “should be entitled
to the same entitlements that if I were married to a woman. What the
hell is the difference?”