Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick
Santorum has joined Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann in signing an
anti-gay marriage pledge, The Washington Post reported.
The pledge, titled The Marriage Vow:
A Declaration of Dependence Upon Marriage and Family, was
introduced Thursday by the Iowa-based Christian conservative group
The Family Leader. It asks 2012 candidates to “vigorously”
oppose marriage equality, be faithful to their own spouse, vow to
protect women and children from pornography and reject Sharia law
because it is a “form of totalitarian control.” The group,
influential among social conservatives, has said it will not endorse
any candidate that does not sign the pledge.
The pledge ironically also asks
candidates to have “Respect for the marital bonds of others.”
Footnotes to the two-page document
suggest that being gay is a choice and may have a negative impact on
public health.
Bachmann, who
in 2004 as a Minnesota senator sponsored a constitutional amendment
to ban gay marriage in the state, signed the pledge on Thursday.
An aide of the candidate, Alice Stewart, told the paper that Bachmann
had no qualms about signing the pledge.
Since officially entering the race,
Bachmann has kept quiet about her views on gay rights.
Santorum, on the other hand, has
stepped up his anti-gay rhetoric, announcing
this week that he's opposed not only to marriage but also civil
unions for gay couples.