Mary Cheney, the openly gay daughter of
former Vice President Dick Cheney, argued Wednesday that gay marriage
is a conservative value.
Cheney spoke at a fundraiser in
Indianapolis for Freedom Indiana, the umbrella group working to
derail a proposed constitutional amendment to the Indiana
Constitution which would prohibit the state from recognizing any
union other than a heterosexual marriage.
“Now, this may come as a shock to
some of you, but I'm pretty conservative,” Cheney told a group of
about 100 supporters, the
AP reported. “As a conservative, I also believe that strong
families are the cornerstone of our society, and that we as a society
need to do everything we can to ensure that all families are provided
the greatest opportunity. I believe that all families – regardless
of how they look, or how they're made, or where they live – that
all families deserve to be treated with the same respect, rights and
legal recognition.”
“This isn't about marriage equality,”
she said. “This is about standing up and opposing an amendment
that would hurt Indiana's economy, impact the state's future
development, and potentially devastate many of the state's families.”
Cheney's participation comes after a
public feud on the subject with her sister Liz Cheney, an opponent of
marriage equality and a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate.
(Related: Mary
Cheney “not supporting Liz Cheney's candidacy.”)
House Joint Resolution 6 (HJR-6) sailed
through the Republican-controlled General Assembly in 2011. A second
voted needed before it can go to voters is expected to take place
early next year.