Republican mayor of San Diego Supports Gay Marriage

[pegkerr]

Turns his back on campaign promises to oppose gay marriage in an emotional press conference:

It really is poignant; he gets choked up partway through, and you really can see he has wrestled with this personally:

"I have close family members and friends who are a member of the gay and lesbian community. Those folks include my daughter Lisa, as well as members of my personal staff.

"I want for them the same thing that we all want for our loved ones—for each of them to find a mate whom they love deeply and who loves them back; someone with whom they can grow old together and share life’s experiences.

"And I want their relationships to be protected equally under the law. In the end, I couldn’t look any of them in the face and tell them that their relationship—their very lives—were any less meaningful than the marriage I share with my wife Rana.

Edited to add: cakmpls pointed out the site for the office of the mayor, where you can send an email:
http://www.sandiego.gov/mayor/contact/index.shtml

Comments

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

Here's the site for the office of the mayor, where you can send an email:
http://www.sandiego.gov/mayor/contact/index.shtml

[awelkin.livejournal.com]

What an excellent man, full of integrity.

I wish him well.

Catherine

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

I have done so. Thanks!

[naomikritzer]

That's really lovely. (It's also not terribly recent - that press conference was held in September 2007, apparently. But it's still lovely.)

[wintersweet.livejournal.com]

And yet my La Jolla cousin doesn't get it.

Argh.

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

Oh yes. That vid is being passed all OVER the state.

[(Anonymous)]

I respectfully disagree with the "full of integrity" comment.

He ran on a platform that stated he was against gay marriage, then changed his position after he was elected. How could he do that to his supporters?

To me, that demonstrates a LACK of integrity.

[faithhopetricks.livejournal.com]

Wow, that is wonderful. Thank you so much for linking to it.

From Kira Martin

[(Anonymous)]

Well, Peg...I truly am grateful that you posted this and so much so, that I linked it to my Facebook account! It was well said by the Mayor... Thanks!

Vote,
Kira

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Well, I find opposing full civil rights for gays to be a moral issue, and I think that people can evolve in their morality. So your question, to me, is sort of the equivalent of saying, "He ran on a platform that stated that he opposed interracial marriage, and then changed his position. How could he do that?"

He said, and I believe, that he belatedly wised up and realized that it was the right thing to do.

To me, doing the right thing is more important than doing the consistent thing.