Mitt Romney has said he supports gay
rights, but not the legalization of gay marriage.
The 64-year-old Romney told the Nashua
Telegraph on Monday that he remains opposed to gay marriage, but
favors gay rights.
“The story on same-sex marriage is
that I have the same position on that I had when I ran from the very
beginning,” Romney said. “I'm in favor of traditional marriage.
I oppose same-sex marriage. At the same time, I don't believe in
discriminating in employment or opportunity for gay individuals. So
I favor gay rights, I do not favor same-sex marriage. That has been
my position all along.” (The video is embedded in the right panel
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Romney's remarks come as Democrats have
attacked his position on gay rights and GOP rivals have attempted to
paint him as a proponent of marriage equality.
During an
appearance last month on NBC's Meet the Press, Obama
adviser David Plouffe said Romney has “moved all over the place”
on issues, including gay marriage.
Presidential candidates Rick
Perry, Michele Bachmann and Rick Santorum have also taken swipes
at Romney.
“I would argue that Mitt Romney, as
governor of Massachusetts, was to the left of Barack Obama on the
issue of gay marriage,” Santorum
said during an interview on Laura Ingraham's radio show.
And during an interview on the Steve
Deace radio show, Bachmann
accused Romney of signing “189 same-sex marriage licenses.”
In 2006, Romney told CNN's Wolf Blitzer
that he objects to gay marriage because it hurts kids.
“Marriage is primarily not about
adults, but about kids. A child and their development and nurturing
is enhanced by access and by the the nurturing of two parents of two
different genders,” he said.