GOP Representatives Mary Bono Mack of
California, Richard Hanna of New York and Judy Biggert of Illinois
are being called on to come out in support of gay marriage.
The call is coming from a Republican
super PAC, American Unity PAC, which launched last month with the
goal of edging Republican candidates toward supporting marriage
equality.
Hedge fund executive Paul Singer, who
played a key fundraising role in the passage of a gay marriage law in New
York, launched American Unity PAC with a $1 million donation.
Singer, who is straight but has a gay son who married his husband in
Massachusetts, the first state to legalize such unions, has given
nearly $10 million of his own money toward efforts to legalize gay
marriage in New York, New Hampshire and New Jersey, The New York
Times reported.
The committee would alleviate the
concerns of some Congressional Republicans “who could be on the
verge of support” but worry about becoming the target of anti-gay
marriage groups, Singer told the Times.
According to POLITICO.com,
the American Unity PAC will likely run ads in support of the three
candidates, each of whom has previously shown some support for gay
rights but whose views on marriage equality remain vague.
An unnamed source is quoted as saying
that for “the long-term success of the [Republican] party, it must
be able to reach gay and lesbian Americans and the millions of
Americans who are related to them.”
American Unity PAC has reportedly
raised $1.6 million so far.