Luci Baines Johnson and Lynda Bird
Johnson Robb, daughters of former President Lyndon B. Johnson, have
endorsed gay marriage.
Speaking with Katie Couric at their
father's presidential library in Austin, Texas, Johnson called
denying loving gay couples the right to marry a “tragedy.”
When asked whether their father – who
pushed for passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 – would
have supported marriage equality, the women said social issues were
important to him.
“It's hard to project what Daddy
would have thought about that because that wasn't an issue that had
come upon the stage at that time,” Robb said. “But I know he
really wanted everybody to be able to live up to the best that God
gave them.”
“I certainly think that, if God make
you homosexual, that you should have love and affection with
somebody. And I would not want to deny anybody that opportunity to
be happy,” she said.
“I think my father felt very strongly
that when there was bigotry anywhere, prejudice anywhere, all of us
lose out,” Johnson said. “Because it's just one more expression
of hate.”
“It's a great civil rights concern of
our day,” Johnson added.
(Watch
the full clip at Yahoo! News.)