The National Organization for Marriage
(NOM) announced on Friday that former presidential candidate Rick
Santorum will speak at its upcoming March for Marriage.
Opponents of marriage equality will
gather for a morning rally on June 19, 2014 at the Capitol Building
in Washington, D.C., followed by a march to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“I'm thrilled to announce that my
good friend and stalwart marriage, family and life champion,
presidential candidate and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum
will be speaking at this year's March for Marriage on June 19,” NOM
President Brian Brown said in a blog post.
“The battle for marriage in the
United States is just beginning and the March for Marriage on June
19th will be a clarion call to the U.S. Supreme Court and Congress,
as well as the mainstream media, that America stands for marriage as
the union of one man and one woman.”
“The lineup of prominent national
speakers, including Senator Santorum, who are committed to working
with us to preserve marriage as the union of one man and one woman
stands in stark contrast to the transparent attempts of many in the
mainstream media to convince Americans that the debate about marriage
is all but over.”
“As we take to the streets of
Washington, DC on June 19th, encouraged by the words of Senator
Santorum and others, we will make it clear to the Supreme Court, the
Congress, and the media elites that Americans still stand for
marriage and the truth that children deserve both a mother and a
father,” Brown
added.
While Santorum has repeatedly spoken
out against gay rights, his inclusion at this year's rally is
unexpected. In promoting his latest book, Blue Collar
Conservatives: Recommitting to an America that Works, Santorum
has shied away from discussing such issues. During a Fox News
appearance, he
dodged questions about marriage equality. Similarly, when asked
to comment on Pennsylvania becoming the 19th state to
allow gay couples to marry, Santorum
refused to answer.
Additional speakers expected at NOM's
march include former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, San Francisco
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, New York State Senator Ruben Diaz,
Pastor Jim Garlow, La Manif Pour Tous President Ludovine de la
Rochere, author Ryan T. Anderson and American Values President Gary
Bauer.