Singer Clay Aiken and lawyer Ted Olson
on Sunday joined a Face the Nation panel on gay marriage.
Aiken, Olson, Newsweek contributor
Mark McKinnon, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, Freedom to Marry
CEO Evan Wolfson and Family Research Council (FRC) President Tony
Perkins joined host Bob Schieffer in discussing President Barack
Obama's recent announcement in support of gay marriage.
Olson, who is currently representing
two gay couples challenging the constitutionality of California's gay
marriage ban, Proposition 8, said the president's statement was
important because it recognized “the dignity of our gay and lesbian
brothers and sisters and friends and neighbors.”
Olson reiterated that marriage and
equality are conservative values.
Perkins said gay nuptials should not be
allowed because it is “counter to natural law” and disagreed with
Olson.
“I do not think that you are going to
see the Republican Party coming to agreement on this … The key to
less government is to ensure kids have moms and dads. Not just two
caregivers.”
Aiken stepped up to challenge Perkins'
assertion that gay marriage laws would force religious organizations
to recognize gay couples.
“When my mother married my
step-father she went to a church, a Baptist church, and since she had
been divorced they wouldn't let her get married there. So churches
are able to decide who gets married in a church regardless,” said
Aiken.
“All gay men and women are probably
more energized to vote for President Obama now,” he later added.
(Watch
the entire segment at CBS.)