My experience with many of my gay and lesbian friends is that they form unions as strong as any other union I’ve seen and raise children that are good strong children and are either heterosexual or homosexual lesbian depending on themselves not their parents.
– Colin Powell
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell appeared on CNN’s The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and shook the political arena Wednesday when he officially endorsed same-sex marriage. Not many republicans have publicly stated their support for same-sex marriage, but Colin Powell said he has “no problem” with allowing gay couples the same opportunity for marriage equality.
“As I’ve thought about gay marriage, I know a lot of friends who are individually gay but are in partnerships with loved ones. And they are stable a family as my family is,” Powell said. “And they raise children. And so I don’t see any reason not to say that they should be able to get married under the laws of their state or the laws of the country, however that turns out. Its seems to be the laws of the state.”
Powell acknowledged “religious objections” to the issue and even respects their views.
“I respect the fact the at many religious denominations have different points of view with respect to gay marriage and they can hold that in the sanctity of their place in religion,” he said.
But Powell says the government needs to respect the union of same sex couples.
“In terms of the legal matter of creating a contract between two people that’s called marriage and allowing them to live together with a protection of law seems to be the way we should be moving in this country, so I support the president’s decision,” he said.
Most Americans, he said, increasingly understand times have changed.
“It’s like the change of gays in the military an I supported removing that barrier to serve us. I hope everyone carefully looks at this, he said. I understand the religious objections to this. At the same time we are a country that’s open to diversity and change. My experience with many of my gay and lesbian friends is that they form unions as strong as any other union I’ve seen and raise children that are good strong children and are either heterosexual or homosexual lesbian depending on themselves not their parents.
