Former Florida governor and possible
2016 GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush has described opponents of
marriage equality as “safeguarding” religious liberty.
In a statement released Monday after
gay couples started marrying in Miami-Dade County, Bush called for
“respect for the good people” on all sides of the same-sex
marriage debate.
“We live in a democracy, and
regardless of our disagreements, we have to respect the rule of law,”
Bush
said.
“I hope that we can also show respect
for the good people on all sides of the gay and lesbian marriage
issue – including couples making lifetime commitments to each other
who are seeking greater legal protections and those of us who believe
marriage is a sacrament and want to safeguard religious liberty.”
In a 1994 The Miami Herald
op-ed, Bush wrote that he didn't want to see “sodomy be elevated to
the same constitutional status as race and religion.”
Allison Tant, chair of the Florida
Democratic Party, criticized Bush's comments.
“Jeb Bush remains as out of touch as
ever with Floridians and voters nationwide on the civil rights issue
of our time,” Tant
said in a statement. “Bush championed these discriminatory
policies as governor, and it's a shame that he remains determined to
stand for the forces of bigotry.”