Republican National Committee Chairman
Reince Priebus said gay people “deserve equal rights” but are not
entitled to marriage.
Appearing on NBC's Meet
the Press, Priebus said he supports some rights for gay men
and lesbians.
“I think they deserve equal rights in
regard to say discrimination in the workplace, issues such as Mitt
Romney has pointed out numerous times, hospital visitations,” said
Priebus. “I think that for the sake of dignity and respect, sure.
But if you're defining marriage as a civil right, then no, I don't
believe that people who are same sex should be able to be married
under our laws.”
“People in this country, no matter
straight or gay deserve dignity and respect. However, that doesn't
mean it carries on to marriage. And I think that most Americans
agree that in this country, the legal and historic and the religious
union, marriage has to have the definition of one man and one woman.”
Priebus added that he, like Mitt
Romney, supports a federal amendment banning gay marriage.