Linda Lingle, the GOP Senate nominee
from Hawaii, would back a constitutional amendment defining marriage
as a heterosexual union.
Lingle expressed her support for such
an amendment during a televised debate against her Democratic
challenger, Hawaii Congresswoman Mazie Keiko Hirono.
As governor of Hawaii, Lingle vetoed a
civil unions bill approved by lawmakers in 2010.
“Well this is a question that I have
spent an awful lot of time on as governor. And I know people have
very strong feelings on both sides. It's something that I've
wrestled with, President Obama has wrestled with it. I would
certainly support putting this constitutional amendment on the
ballot. Personally, I believe that marriage is between a man and a
woman. But I also think the people of Hawaii should be able to make
that decision,” she answered when asked her opinion on the issue.
Hirono called marriage equality a civil
right and knocked Lingle for inviting gay rights supporters to her
veto ceremony.
“We all remember when as governor she
vetoed the civil unions bill and in doing so, before she vetoed it,
she invited members of the LGBT leadership to join her. And they
thought that she was going to sign that bill into law. And instead,
right in front of them, the very group that had worked so hard to
pass this legislation, she vetoed that bill. I thought that was
extremely insensitive and disrespectful of their position,” Hirono
said.
Lingle responded that she had invited
both supporters and opponents to the public event. (The video is
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