WASHINGTON — Mitt Romney reiterated his opposition marriage equality for same-sex couples again Saturday morning while delivering commencement remarks at Liberty University, an anti-gay school that bans openly LGBT students from attending.
Mitt Romney
Romney, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, made his remarks at the private Christian university located in Lynchburg, Va., just days after President Barack Obama announced his historic support for marriage equality.
“The American culture promotes personal responsibility, the dignity of work, the value of education, the merit of service, devotion to a purpose greater than self, and, at the foundation, the pre-eminence of the family.
[...]
“As fundamental as these principles are, they may become topics of democratic debate. So it is today with the enduring institution of marriage. Marriage is a relationship between one man and one woman. The protection of religious freedom has also become a matter of debate.
“It strikes me as odd that the free exercise of religious faith is sometimes treated as a problem, something America is stuck with instead of blessed with. Perhaps religious conscience upsets the designs of those who feel that the highest wisdom and authority comes from government.”
Among those honored at Liberty’s commencement this morning was S. Truett Cathy, founder of the fast-food chain Chick-fil-A, which has made significant financial contributions to anti-LGBT organizations.
Romney made his remarks hours after Rick Santorum called on the GOP nominee to use marriage equality as a “potent weapon” in his campaign.
“This morning, Mitt Romney spoke out against marriage equality at a school that does not even allow openly LGBT students to enroll. It is unbelievable that in this day in age – when a majority of Americans support marriage equality and a majority of Americans explicitly approve of President Obama’s leadership on marriage equality – Mitt Romney instead is taking up the mantle of far-right anti-gay organizations who seek to demonize LGBT families,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese, in a statement.
“Mitt Romney continues to insist he’s against discrimination, but his remarks on marriage equality and the company he keeps paints a very clear and a very disturbing picture of the anti-LGBT forces that are driving Romney’s campaign,” Solmonese said.
Excerpts from Romney’s speech are here, courtesy of ABC News:
A USA Today/Gallup poll released Friday indicated that a majority of Americans – and an even stronger majority of independent voters – approve of the President’s position on marriage equality.
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of course he does, he is a prick
How completely expected.
this is a truly vile man
i denounce the golden tablets
Come November, let’s just make him sashay away.
this is why he’ll never make president
Well its good to know he just lost the run for President OBAMA 2012!!!!!!!
Make up ya mind u dumb prick!! or stfu bend ova n take it like a man!! asshole!
Smh….
He is speaking at Liberty University where LGBT Americans are barred, don’t worry Mitt is right at home among bigots you see BYU university (the largest privately owned university in the country, owned by the LDS Church (Mormons) doesn’t allow LGBT people either) Water always seeks it’s own level, or in this case sewer water. BTW BYU didn’t allow African Americans until 1978 when threatened with the loss of the Church’s tax exempt status.
He also believes his underwear is magic. wtfh?
BOOOOOOO! But not surprised at yet another Romneyism
I’m ashamed to say I am from the city that houses this “school.”
i wonder what the LGBT students think of that speech? yes there are gay students there.
hes a douchebag….an asshole…and a bully
grrrr
They weren’t exactly thrilled to have him there either though as I remember (the Mormon thing…), I think some of their own textbooks referred to it as a “cult”…
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/20/libertys-choice-of-romney-leads-to-angry-student-response/
In 2012, there are really universities that can ban gay students?
It amazes me that there would be people who follow this guy … Urgh.
damn romney! this not 1950s!
I have been to lynchburg and its like something outta deliverance
I am a mormon Mom who supports my son 100 percent….this man will never go against his faith and beliefs no matter how warped….I don’t believe he is an evil man….brainwashed maybe but I know many LDS people and they do not hate gays……ok go ahead and bash me for my comments if you choose to do so … I am no longer active in the Church but I do know many Mormons who are the most loving people ever….
Why he would bring that up during a commencement speech just shows how ignorant he really is!
do we really want this moron running our great country? look how much progress we have made! In many states gays and non christians have the same rights other people, christians do not have nearly the power they used to, this nation is so close to becoming so great we just need the final step forward, are we about to let this bully ruin everything we worked so hard for??
Idiot
Why did he turn a graduation ceremony into a stomping ground. I thought this was about the young people who worked so hard for this day! What a dick!
oh forgot to mention my son is gay…i love him with all of my heart…i support him in every way and he loves me too!
Ron Paul has supported gay marriage since 1987… Romney is a joke. Obama just recently announced his support of gay marriage. Romney and Obama are both flip-floppers.
Pray the gay away! That’ll fix it!
p.s. … the remark about the magic underwear was actually funny…but seriously you don’t know what you’re taking about .. no offense intended….most people (including me) have times when they know nothing about what they are talking about
This just makes me sick! Romney is an effin hypocritical bully!!!
@Logan Davis, while it’s true Romney once said he could “be a better friend to the gay community than Ted Kennedy”, Obama has always been accepting of his stance on gays – read “The Audacity of Hope”, he says so. Yes he backed down on it to run for president, all pols pander, but at least he stood up finally. Mitt will never admit his own lies.
Not surprised at all. Obama’s political strategy is working. I hope he gets rid of DOMA. Romney on the other hand is really not helping himself or his image.
Prejudice is alive and well in the Republican party. No news there.
Question – are degrees from these universities recognized?
@Joaquin Stewart, whoa! “pray the gay away”?!?! hell no! beause don’t work it! get life!
Preaching Hate to the hateful. Pure ugliness.
@Gregory Mae Smith, Hey, Michele Bachmann said it, so it must be true, amirite? lol
he is an azz
he mormon mormon only think their relligion is the real religion the founder of that religion was high drugs when it was fond
I should have added sarcasm tags. To be clear, I am a proud and loud supporter of equal rights for all.
@Joaquin Stewart, oh! i get it. i still don’t agree with Michelle Banmann shit!
Time to rev up the Gay Vote
Yeah, Michele Bachmann is bat guano crazy. Just like all the other narrow minded bigots.
Don’t blame me, I’m from Minnesota.
@ Joaquin Stewart, now i understand, oh wow! Damn Michele Bachman! because sometimes, churchs user say “pray the gay away” make me hell mad. i hate that word! ugh!
oh Mittens, still a douche I see.
Vote, vote, vote we have to keep this creep out!
FUCK you Romney and FUCK you Liberty University. You’re all a bunch of bigots.
Romney against discrimination ?
Shame on him. Smh
God made all of us equal in his, or her, eyes. The moment you look down on another person is the moment you deny God’s presense, and shame on you for that.
OBAMA 2012!!!!!
Here is my response, a novel about lgbt mormon youth and the outcome from the disregard and rejection. http://www.amazon.com/Without-A-Testimony-Jerod-Killick/dp/098794391X/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_3
To everyone, Romney is a total prick and it has been stated that he bullied in High School, oh Hell no. I don’t want this evil monkey as a president or anything else. I totally support the LGBT area 100% and have friends who are and Love them to death. Screw these idiots.
Gregory Mae Smith: Pray the gay away is as progressive as Earth being the center of the universe, eclipse prediction being withcraft, and Jim Crow laws. The counter arguments of equality for all being falsely equated with marrying your pet is laughable at best and should be condemned and sent to the dustbin of history.
Shame on him! He’s such a hypocrite!!!!
The truly shocking thing about this is that Liberty University not only let a Mormon on their grounds, but they let him speak in public!!
Ryan, seems to be the trend. Even the evangelical movement is starting to back him. Now how weird is that! Hate defiantly has strange bed fellows.
Mormon ism does go lockstep with the modern tea party crowd and talk radio talking points. That is, “alternative lifestyles” (whatever the hell that means) are OK as long as they are not caught. If caught, go to church and claim to be “cleansed”. Wash and repeat every week.
Asshole Gays can Vote!
This guy is going to lose terribly. And I’ll be laughing at him for it.
NO VOTE HERE!
He is a bit of a hypocrite .
RACIST,CLASSIST gAY BASHER..FOR PRESIDENT…BOO ROMNEY.
ass
He’s disgusting.
I started to listen to this and two seconds into it I thought, he doesn’t have a damn thing to say that I want to hear. Not until he says Congratulations Mr. President, you WON again and I lost!
Never trust anything out of Liberty University!
Ditto
I don’t trust anything a politician says anyway.
>.> I hate all these politicians. We need to go back to the good old days, where you don’t need to be a corrupt shit head to run for president. Put someone who, ya know, actually cares about the country and not about their own personal fortune or fame!!!
He is a bastard!
And YOU PEOPLE want this homophic bully to run your Country ???
Wow! It really took a lot of courage to take such a bold stand at Liberty University! :P
I don’t like him
Fuck You Romney !!
This guy says people these days have a problem with people who exercise their religion. No we have a problem with people who use their beliefs as an excuse to dictate our lives whether we have the same faith or not. And that has been what several of our politicians and religious leaders have been doing. You believe what you believe and you may practice it whenever but You have no right to impose your beliefs upon me or anyone else
A**hole!
just another idiot this guy
He is such an asshat!! In 94 when he was running for Gov of Mass he said that he would be better than Ted Kennedy for gay rights and that all people deserved equality. Guess NOM was the highest bidder on this campaign.
Fascist.
This is why this idiot won’t be getting my vote.
He’s lucky anyone even married him~~he’s a dork.
Why is this so important him? What is he so afraid of? What is he hiding?
i hope your proud of the hate you spread, you rotten son of a bitch. I hope one of your children one day say to you daddy i an gay. lets see then.
http://bible.cc/deuteronomy/12-32.htm
This is why it’s very important to get involved, to educate others in any way possible and to vote/help other people to vote. This douche cannot be allowed to win this fall. He’s a liar and a career politician regardless.