South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham
said on Monday that the United States must “move forward” if the
Supreme Court strikes down state bans on gay marriage.
The nation's highest court heard
arguments last week in a case challenging bans in four states. A
ruling is expected in June.
Graham, a possible candidate for the
2016 Republican presidential nomination, made his remarks during an
appearance on Boston Herald Radio, BuzzFeed
News reported.
“Well, can you be for traditional
marriage?” Graham rhetorically asked. “Yes. Am I for
traditional marriage? Yes. I believe marriage has stood the test of
time between a man and a woman, ordained by God, and that's – most
societies have been organized around that concept.”
“Things are changing, so at the end
of the day, being for traditional marriage without animosity is where
I stand. If the Supreme Court rules sometime this year that same-sex
marriage bans are unconstitutional, then that will be a defining
moment in that debate. It will be time for us to move forward as a
society.”
Graham said that altering the U.S.
Constitution to include a heterosexual only definition of marriage
was unlikely. Texas Senator and presidential candidate Ted Cruz has
introduced such a proposal.
“I just don't see how you get a
constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a
woman ratified by three-fourths of the states, given the way the lay
of the land is today,” Graham said.
“But at the end of the day, this
whole social structure that's changing is part of democracy, is part
of society,” he added.