Rick Perry on Friday praised Republican
lawmakers' effort to repeal New Hampshire's gay marriage law.
Speaking at the annual banquet for
Cornerstone Action, a Christian conservative group opposed to gay
rights, Perry, 61, said he opposed gay marriage because children need
a mom and a dad.
“As conservatives we believe in the
sanctity of life. We believe in the sanctity of traditional
marriage,” Perry told about 450 attendees in Manchester. “And I
applaud those legislators in New Hampshire who are working to defend
marriage as an institution between one man and one woman, realizing
that children need to be raised in a loving home by a mother and a
father.” (The video is embedded in the right panel of this page.)
Republican Rep. David Bates' bill that
would repeal the state's gay marriage law and replace it with civil
unions for any two adults competent to enter into a contract –
including relatives – cleared
a House committee on Tuesday.
However, a poll released two weeks ago
shows little support for repealing the law.
Earlier on Friday, Perry paid a $1,000
filing fee and formally became a candidate in the New Hampshire
primary.