Utah does not recognize gay couples
with civil unions; that fact, however, hasn't stopped gay GOPer
Charles T. Moran from claiming that former Utah Governor Jon
Huntsman, who on Tuesday officially jumped into the 2012 race for the
White House as a Republican, signed such legislation into law during
his tenure as governor.
“Governor Huntsman signed into law
Utah’s first Civil Unions legislation — a politically courageous
move on his part given that state’s politics. While Governor, he
also invited the local Log Cabin Republicans leadership to a sit-down
at the Governor’s mansion — again another first for an
LGBT-oriented organization in the state,” Moran, president of the
California Log Cabin Republicans, wrote in a fundraising letter to
supporters published
by POLITICO.com.
In 2009, Huntsman took a position in
support of extending some rights to gay men and lesbians, including a
pair of bills that would have created a domestic partnership registry
for gay couples by repealing a part of Utah's voter-approved
constitutional marriage amendment. But the effort, backed by Utah
Equality, the state's largest gay rights group, and two openly gay
lawmakers, died in committee without the support of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons).
Huntsman has “talked the talk, and
walked the walk — Governor Huntsman is not only the right choice to
lead our nation, he is unique in his desire to have a fully inclusive
campaign. This is a prime opportunity to publically stand forward
with our candidate and present America, and LGBT-Americans an
alternative choice,” Moran continued.
The 51-year-old Huntsman formally
declared for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination at a press
conference held in New Jersey near the Statue of Liberty.
“For the first time in our history,
we are passing down to the next generation a country that is less
powerful, less compassionate, less competitive and less confident
than the one we got,” Huntsman said of his reasons to seek the Oval
Office. “This, ladies and gentlemen, is totally unacceptable and
totally un-American.”
Huntsman, a Mormon, resigned during his
second term as governor of Utah to accept President Barack Obama's
appointment as Ambassador to China, a post he left in April.
Huntsman's support for gay rights, in
particular civil unions, puts him in the minority among the 9
declared candidates. While former
New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson also supports civil unions, and
openly
gay Fred Karger supports gay marriage, five candidates –
Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick
Santorum, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, former
Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former House Speaker Newt
Gingrich – support
an amendment to the constitution that would ban gay marriage,
former Godfather's
Pizza CEO Herman Cain has said being gay is a “sin,” and
Texas Rep. Ron Paul does not support government recognition of gay
and lesbian unions.