List of opponents of same-sex marriage in the United States

Opponents of same-[...] marriage in the United States include organizations and individuals who seek to PReVENT or reverse the legalization of same-[...] marriage. Opponents of same-[...] marriage have introduced federal and state legislation seeking to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman, and have added language prohibiting same-[...] marriage to state constitutions.

Background

In 1993, the Supreme Court of Hawaii ruled in Baehr v. Lewin, 852 P.2d 44 (Haw. 1993), that refusing to grant marriage licenses to same-[...] couples was [...]-discrimination under that state's constitution. In response to concerns AbOUT same-[...] marriage being legalized in other states, the federal Defense of Marriage Act was passed in 1996. In addition, Hawaiian voters passed Hawaii Constitutional Amendment 2 in 1998.

In the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's November 2003 decision in Goodridge v. Department Of Public Health, same-[...] marriage was legalized in Massachusetts, which was the first time a state supreme court had made such a ruling and made it the first state to permit such marriages. Social and religious conservatives feared that their own state supreme courts would issue such rulings at some point in the future; in order to prevent this, they proposed additional constitutional bans on same-[...] marriage, as well as statutory provisions limiting marriage to the union of one man and one woman. In 2004, eleven "marriage protection amendment" referenda were placed on state ballots.

Supporters of same-[...] marriage in the United States have sought to introduce laws to permit civil marriage between two individuals of the same [...], and have brought lawsuits challenging laws that define marriage as a relationship between one man and one woman. Efforts by President George W. Bush and others to pass a Federal Marriage Amendment during the first decade of The Twenty-first century were unsuccessful. As of May 2012, voters in 30 states had approved "constitutional amendments restricting marriage to one man and one woman", while 11 others had statutes restricting the same.

Arguments against same-[...] marriage

Most arguments used by opponents of same-[...] marriage are based on religious grounds. U.S. Roman Catholic bishops contend that "a same-[...] union contradicts the nature of marriage: It is not based on the natural complementarity of male and female; it cannot cooperate with God to create new life; and the natural purpose of [...] union cannot be achieved by a same-[...] union. Persons in same-[...] unions cannot enter into a true conjugal union. Therefore, it is wrong to equate their relationship to a marriage." The Southern Baptist Convention claims that extending marriage rights to same-[...] couples would undercut the conventional purpose of marriage. Other religious opponents of same-[...] marriage hold that same-[...] relationships should not be recognized as marriages on the grounds that same-gender [...] activity is contrary to God's will, is unnatural, and subverts God's creative intent for human sexuality.

Some same-[...] marriage opponents raise parenting concerns; they argue that having and raising children is the underlying purpose of marriage, that homosexual unions implicitly lack the ability of heterosexual couples to produce and raise offspring by natural means, that children raised by same-[...] partners are disadvantaged in various ways, and that homosexual unions thus cannot be recognized within the scope of "marriage". The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Southern Baptist Convention, and National Organization for Marriage argue that children do best when raised by a mother and father, and that legalizing same-[...] marriage is, therefore, contrary to the best interests of children. These viewpoints differ from the professional consensus of social scientists and other experts that children raised by lesbian or gay parents do not differ in any important respects from those raised by heterosexual parents and that no credible empirical research suggests otherwise.

Political parties and candidates

National

The Republican Party’s 2008 platform supports a ban on same-[...] marriage through a federal constitutional amendment, along with state constitutional amendments banning same-[...] marriage and the Defense of Marriage Act.

All four major candidates for president and vice-president in the 2008 general election were opposed to same-[...] marriage. That included then-Senator Barack Obama, who stated "I believe that marriage is the union between a man and a woman. For me as a Christian, it is a sacred union, you know? God is in the mix." Notably, however, Obama supported "full civil unions and federal rights for same-[...] couples", opposed the passage of Proposition 8 in California, and planned to repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act. In late 2010, while President, Obama said that his views were evolving. As of May 2012, Obama has granted same-[...] couples hospital visitation rights, concluded that DOMA is unconstitutional, endorsed the Respect for Marriage Act, and announced his support for same-[...] marriage.

Elected officials

Former Presidents

• George W. Bush (R-Texas)

Governors

• Mike Beebe (D-Arkansas)
• Terry Branstad (R-Iowa)
• Jan Brewer (R-Arizona)
• Sam Brownback (R-Kansas)
• Chris Christie (R-New Jersey)
• Tom Corbett (R-Pennsylvania)
• Mitch Daniels (R-Indiana)
• Nathan Deal (R-Georgia)
• Mary Fallin (R-Oklahoma)
• Nikki Haley (R-South Carolina)
• Dave Heineman (R-Nebraska)
• Gary Herbert (R-Utah)
• Bobby Jindal (R-Louisiana)
• John Kasich (R-Ohio)
• Paul LePage (R-Maine)
• Susana Martinez (R-New Mexico)
• Bob McDonnell (R-Virginia)
• Matt Mead (R-Wyoming)
• Jay Nixon (D-Missouri)
• Beverly Perdue (D-North Carolina)
• Sean Parnell (R-Alaska)
• Rick Perry (R-Texas)
• Brian Sandoval (R-Nevada)
• Rick Scott (R-Florida)
• Rick Snyder (R-Michigan)
• Scott Walker (R-Wisconsin)
• Dennis Daugaard (R-South Dakota)
• Robert Bentley (R-Alabama)
• Phil Bryant (R-Mississippi)
• Bill Haslam (R-Tennessee)

Former Governors

• Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee)
• George Allen (R-Virginia)
• Haley Barbour (R-Mississippi)
• Kit Bond (R-Missouri)
• Phil Bredesen (D-Tennessee)
• George W. Bush (R-Texas)
• Jeb Bush (R-Florida)
• Donald Carcieri (R-Rhode Island)
• Jim Douglas (R-Vermont)
• John Hoeven (R-North Dakota)
• Mike Huckabee (R-Arkansas)
• Mike Johanns (R-Nebraska)
• Tim Kaine (D-Virginia)
• Linda Lingle (R-Hawaii)
• Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia)
• Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska)
• Sarah Palin (R-Alaska)
• George Pataki (R-New York)
• Tim Pawlenty (R-Minnesota)
• Tom Ridge (R-Pennsylvania)
• Bob Riley (R-Alabama)
• Mitt Romney (R-Massachusetts)
• George Voinovich (R-Ohio)
• Mark Warner (D-Virginia)

U.S. Senators

• Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee)
• Kelly Ayotte (R-New Hampshire)
• John Barrasso (R-Wyoming)
• Roy Blunt (R-Missouri)
• John Boozman (R-Arkansas)
• Scott Brown (R-Massachusetts)
• Richard Burr (R-North Carolina)
• Bob Casey (D-Pennsylvania)
• Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia)
• Dan Coats (R-Indiana)
• Tom Coburn (R-Oklahoma)
• Thad Cochran (R-Mississippi)
• Bob Corker (R-Tennessee)
• John Cornyn (R-Texas)
• Mike Crapo (R-Idaho)
• Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina)
• Joe Donnelly (D-Indiana)
• Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming)
• Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina)
• Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)
• Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)
• John Hoeven (R-North Dakota)
• Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas)
• Jim Inhofe (R-Oklahoma)
• Johnny Isakson (R-Georgia)
• Mike Johanns (R-Nebraska)
• Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin)
• Tim Kaine (D-Virginia)
• Jon Kyl (R-Arizona)
• Richard Lugar (R-Indiana)
• Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia)
• John McCain (R-Arizona)
• Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky)
• Jerry Moran (R-Kansas)
• Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)
• Rand Paul (R-Kentucky)
• Rob Portman (R-Ohio)
• Pat Roberts (R-Kansas)
• Marco Rubio (R-Florida)
• Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama)
• Richard Shelby (R-Alabama)
• John Thune (R-South Dakota)
• Jon Tester (D-Montana)
• Pat Toomey (R-Pennsylvania)
• David Vitter (R-Louisiana)
• Mark Warner (D-Virginia)
• Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi)

Former Senators

• Wayne Allard (R-Colorado)
• George Allen (R-Virginia)
• Bob Bennett (R-Utah)
• Kit Bond (R-Missouri)
• Sam Brownback (R-Kansas)
• Jim Bunning (R-Kentucky)
• Conrad Burns (R-Montana)
• Robert Byrd (D-West Virginia)
• Hillary Clinton (D-New York)
• Norm Coleman (R-Minnesota)
• Larry Craig (R-Idaho)
• Mike DeWine (R-Ohio)
• Elizabeth Dole (R-North Carolina)
• Pete Domenici (R-New Mexico)
• John Ensign (R-Nevada)
• Bill Frist (R-Tennessee)
• Trent Lott (R-Mississippi)
• Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska)
• Mel Martinez (R-Florida)
• Rick Santorum (R-Pennsylvania)
• Gordon H. Smith (R-Oregon)
• Ted Stevens (R-Alaska)
• Jim Talent (R-Missouri)
• Craig Thomas (R-Wyoming)
• George Voinovich (R-Ohio)
• John Warner (R-Virginia)

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives

• Robert B. Aderholt (R-AL4, 1997-pres.)
• W. Todd Akin (R-MO2, 2001-pres.)
• Rodney Alexander (R-LA5, 2003-pres.)
• Michele Bachmann (R-MN6, 2007-pres.)
• Spencer Bachus (R-AL6, 1993-pres.)
• John Barrow (D-GA12)
• Roscoe G. Bartlett (R-MD6, 1993-pres.)
• Joe Barton (R-TX6, 1985-pres.)
• Gus Bilirakis (R-FL9, 2007-pres.)
• Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (D-GA2, 1993-pres.)
• Marsha Blackburn (R-TN7, 2003-pres.)
• Speaker John Boehner (R-OH8, 1991-pres.)
• Kevin Brady (R-TX8, 1997-pres.)
• Henry E. Brown, Jr. (R-SC1)
• Michael C. Burgess (R-TX26)
• Dan Burton (R-IN5)
• Ken Calvert (R-CA44)
• Eric Cantor (R-VA7)
• John R. Carter (R-TX31)
• Tom Cole (R-OK4)
• Henry Cuellar (D-TX28)
• John Abney Culberson (R-TX7)
• John J. Duncan, Jr. (R-TN2)
• Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO8)
• Jeff Flake (R-AZ6)
• J. Randy Forbes (R-VA4)
• Trent Franks (R-AZ2)
• Pete Gallego (D-TX23)
• Scott Garrett (R-NJ5)
• Phil Gingrey (R-GA11)
• Bob Goodlatte (R-VA6)
• Ralph M. Hall (R-TX4)
• Wally Herger (R-CA2)
• Sam Johnson (R-TX3)
• Walter B. Jones (R-NC3)
• Steve King (R-IA5)
• Jack Kingston (R-GA1)
• Frank D. Lucas (R-OK3)
• Donald A. Manzullo (R-IL16)
• Jim Matheson (D-UT4)
• Thaddeus G. McCotter (R-MI11)
• Mike McIntyre (D-NC7)
• Howard P. McKeon (R-CA25)
• Candice S. Miller (R-MI10)
• Gary G. Miller (R-CA42)
• Jeff Miller (R-FL1)
• Sue Wilkins Myrick (R-NC9)
• Randy Neugebauer (R-TX19)
• Mike Pence (R-IN6)
• Collin C. Peterson (D-MN7)
• Joseph R. Pitts (R-PA16)
• Nick Rahall (D-WV13)
• Harold Rogers (R-KY5)
• Mike D. Rogers (R-AL3)
• Paul Ryan (R-WI1)
• Pete Sessions (R-TX32)
• David Scott (D-GA13)
• Bill Shuster (R-PA9)
• Lamar S. Smith (R-TX21)
• Cliff Stearns (R-FL6)
• John Sullivan (R-OK1)
• Bennie Thompson (D-MS2)
• Michael R. Turner (R-OH3)
• Ed Whitfield (R-KY1)
• Joe Wilson (R-SC2)
• Kevin Cramer (R-NDAL)

Former U.S. Representatives

• Wayne Allard (R-CO4)
• George Allen (R-VA7)
• J. Gresham Barrett (R-SC3, 2003-2011)
• Roy Blunt (R-MO7)
• John Boozman (R-AR3)
• Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL5)
• Jim Bunning (R-KY4)
• Richard Burr (R-NC5)
• Robert Byrd (D-WV6)
• Saxby Chambliss (R-GA8)
• Dan Coats (R-IN4)
• Tom Coburn (R-OK2)
• Thad Cochran (R-MS4)
• Larry Craig (R-ID1)
• Mike Crapo (R-ID2)
• Philip M. Crane (R-IL8)
• Lincoln Davis (D-TN4)
• Nathan Deal (R-GA9)
• Jim DeMint (R-SC4)
• Mike DeWine (R-OH7)
• Joe Donnelly (D-IN2)
• John Ensign (R-NV1)
• Mary Fallin (R-OK5)
• Lindsey Graham (R-SC3)
• Chuck Grassley (R-IO3)
• Peter Hoekstra (R-MI2)
• Duncan Hunter (R-CA52)
• Jim Inhofe (R-OK1)
• Johnny Isakson (R-GA6)
• Bobby Jindal (R-LA1)
• John Kasich (R-OH12)
• Jon Kyl (R-AZ4)
• Trent Lott (R-MS5)
• Jim Marshall (D-GA3)
• John McCain (R-AZ1)
• Jerry Moran (R-KS1)
• Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO4)
• Rob Portman (R-OH2)
• Adam H. Putnam (R-FL12)
• George Radanovich (R-CA19)
• Tom Ridge (R-PA21)
• Bob Riley (R-AL3)
• Pat Roberts (R-KS1)
• Rick Santorum (R-PA18)
• John B. Shadegg (R-AZ3)
• Richard Shelby (R-AL7)
• Jim Talent (R-MO2)
• Gene Taylor (D-MS4)
• Craig Thomas (R-WY)
• John Thune (R-SD)
• Todd Tiahrt (R-KS4)
• Pat Toomey (R-PA15)
• David Vitter (R-LA1)
• Zach Wamp (R-TN3)
• J. C. Watts (R-OK4)
• Roger Wicker (R-MS1)
• Rick Berg (R-NDAL)

Other notable elected officials

Maryland

• Delegate Don H. Dwyer, Jr. (R-31)

New York

• Senator Rubén Díaz, Sr. (D-32)

Rhode Island

• Senate President M. Teresa Paiva-[...] (D-13)

Organizations

See also

• U.S. state constitutional amendments banning same-[...] unions
• List of U.S. state constitutional amendments banning same-[...] unions by type
• Marriage in the United States
• Same-[...] marriage law in the United States by state
• List of supporters of same-[...] marriage in the United States