One Iowa in the News: Gingrich responds to, but does not sign, controversial marriage pledge

from The Des Moines Register.

Newt Gingrich has provided a response but did not sign a controversial marriage pledge that calls for opposition to same-sex marriage rights.

Gingrich, who has a half sister who is a lesbian, has previously said in Iowa that same-sex marriage “is a temporary aberration that will dissipate.”  In his letter to The Family Leader, he advocated a federal constitutional amendment that would deny marriage rights to same-sex couples.

The Family Leader is a high-profiled organization in Iowa that advocates for evangelical Christians that is headed by former Iowa candidate for governor Bob Vander Plaats. The group’s 14-point marriage pledge calls for opposition to anything but one-man/one-woman marriage.

...Vander Plaats this summer said only candidates that sign the pledge would be considered for an endorsement by The Family Leader. Gingrich, a former U.S. House Speaker and 2012 Republican presidential candidate, in July spoke at an event held by The Family Leader but declined to sign the pledge. He said in July that he and his staff would continue to review the document.

...The letter is little more than political pandering to conservatives on the backs of gay and lesbian families, said Troy Price, the director of One Iowa, the state’s largest civil rights group focused on gay and lesbian issues.

“Only time will tell whether this will be enough for the Family Leader to break its commitment to its members and endorse someone who won’t sign their pledge, but one thing is clear –  Newt Gingrich is the last person who should be telling loving and committed couples, regardless of whether they are gay or straight, about marriage and how they should be living their lives,” Price said.

Read the full article from The Des Moines Register.
Read more One Iowa in the News.
Read more In the News.
Find out more about the candidates--visit One Iowa's Caucus Tracker!