Ken Mehlman: 'Why Republicans Should Support Gay Marriage' (VIDEO)

Former RNC chairman Ken Mehlman, who announced earlier this year that he is gay, recently explained that members of the GOP need only to "look in the mirror" to understand that there is a viable path to supporting gay marriage in the "party of Lincoln."

"Well, as I've said and made some news about it earlier this year, I think that, I hope that people like myself and others can try to persuade people in the Republican Party that if you think about some pretty important issues that we all believe in, whether it's freedom, whether it's, frankly, the value of community, that on issues like, for example, the freedom to marry, the right to marry, it's consistent with the Republican philosophy to be supportive of two adults who love each other -- whether they be gay or straight -- having the right to get married," Mehlman said in an interview with The Big Think.

Mehlman continued:

"I do hope the Republican Party in the future, will look in the mirror and leaders in the party will think about where we stand and say, 'You know what? The party of Lincoln ought to be about letting adults who love each other to be married.' And the party of Lincoln ought to be about giving people more personal freedom. And the party of Lincoln, frankly, ought to be about encouraging the community that is built when two people who love each other decide they're going to spend their whole lives together. And that requires people to look in the mirror and it requires people in the past who haven't been on that side, to think about where they want to be on this issue."

After coming out in August, Mehlman told HuffPost that he planned on joining forces with gay rights activists to fight for marriage equality in California. He also maintained that there was a place at the GOP table for people who shared his values, a claim that may have been backed up by a recent study that showed support for the party growing among gays.

"I think the Republican Party is a diverse party with lots of different views, and I think it's a mistake to presume that people who disagree with what I think is the right answer -- which is freedom to marry -- are inherently motivated by divisive instincts," Mehlman said.

WATCH:

Comments

[marecek]

09:13 AM on 12/12/2010

I've got another title that might also work. How about: "Why Gays Shoudn't Vote for a Party that Considers them Sub-Human, Degenerate, Immoral, Abominations"

Just a working title. Might need some more adjectives.

[Tails]

06:33 PM on 12/12/2010

I sort of did that as a paper for a Freshman psych class.

It ended with me having to hire some 12 attorneys to keep the Young Republicans away from me.

[msblynne]

08:20 AM on 12/12/2010

Just like picking a black RNC chair, shamelessly pandering and hoping that Americans wont notice that Steele is the only black republican, and Mehlman the only gay republican. Howz the TP going to handle this? Start a birther witchhunt on Mehlman (they were a bit late to figure out the bither thing, so Steele skated).

[libluv235]

04:58 AM on 12/12/2010

If you renounced the repubs maybe you could counteract some of your bad karma.

[lodazal]

03:38 AM on 12/12/2010

The Republicans can't/won't support gay marriage. It's part of their holy trinity. Their base expects them to be pro gun, pro God and anti gay.

[DrBlunt]

08:02 AM on 12/12/2010

So what you're really trying to say is ~ They Are A Mess I Guess... :)

[Freesia2]

03:26 AM on 12/12/2010

"I think the Republican Party is a diverse party with lots of different views...."

You were the chairman of the RNC????  Ummm...did you ever actually go to work, Ken? Or, did you ever actually meet  any Republicans?

[George Global]

02:42 AM on 12/12/2010

I'm really kinda mixed on this one.
He could hide silently, keeping on the think tank payroll being paid in exchange for his low profile.
Instead...he's on the front lines.

Good on him...

[marecek]

09:19 AM on 12/12/2010

He's on the front lines, my foot. Get serious. He finally wants to come out, so now he has to own up to his past, self-hating behavior.

[Alfredo Zapata]

10:21 PM on 12/11/2010

The GOP loves to call themselves the "party of Lincoln", meanwhile they remain the Party of no, Rush, Palin, Bachmann, Boehner, Cantor, Demint, McCain, Brewer, Schmitt, Foxx, Foley, Vitter, Perry. None of these folks are worthy of Lincoln's legacy.

[Mij13]

12:17 AM on 12/12/2010

So true. I think Lincoln would be disgusted with the way the GOP is behaving right now, as we all should be.

[Ioan Lightoller]

10:17 PM on 12/11/2010

Nice thought, but the rights of GLBT people will never be important to most Republicans...indeed most people in this country...because so many these days lack common empathy with the plight of others--if they are not directly affected they simply do not care. This is why you see posts that there are other more important things than DADT repeal or DOMA repeal. If they had their rights circumscribed the way GLBT Americans do, they might well be singing a different tune.

[George Global]

02:45 AM on 12/12/2010

The rights of slaves were never important to lots of folks, either.
However, freedom was the first step...on a long road...but the first step nonetheless.

Don't need them to care about the GLBT, just get the votes so it doesn't matter.

[giverny98]

09:46 PM on 12/11/2010

Too bad he didn't have the stones to say it when he was in a position that could have impact on the topic.

[ron ray]

06:28 PM on 12/11/2010

Ken, howver viable the path the gop won't take it. while there are a few principled conservatives left, the party's success is built on hate and fear.

[CPAwADD]

05:49 PM on 12/11/2010

As long as opposing the civil rights of gay people gains them more votes than it costs them they won't do it. They will not alienate the evangelicals.

[ahumbleopinion]

10:51 PM on 12/11/2010

Yes, the GOP does not care about rights and principles, they care about votes. If and when they think they can get more votes by supporting gay rights than opposing them, they will make the switch. Not before.

[CPAwADD]

08:47 AM on 12/12/2010

They care about power.

[vinnieboiblue]

04:15 PM on 12/11/2010

Ken Mehlman , can stick it in his ear. He has no credibility, for when he was a powerbroker within, the party, he denounced gays and the Log Cabin Republicans!

[FiscalConservativesUnite]

03:18 PM on 12/11/2010

Gay marriage is not our top priority, economic freedom is more important.. Especially with a far leftist like Obama in the white house.

[Curt H]

07:46 PM on 12/11/2010

The rights of minorities will never be important to the majority. The value of freedom and liberties are just as important as the economy. Those that use the excuse well we have the economy to worry about, or we have two wars to worry about , or we have....... there will always be excuses to deny the civil rights to others and those that think this is justified should be ashamed of themselves. Period. Our government is big enough to handle more than one thing at a time.

[JohnJay60]

09:18 PM on 12/11/2010

Right, which explains why gay equality was top of Republican agenda until January 2009 and will return as a top priority in January 2013?

[EducatedWoman]

02:36 PM on 12/11/2010

Well, I wish the best of luck to Ted Olson and LCR, and now Ken Mehlman. Too bad some of the party of Lincoln (that would be you, Ken) used to dance with the social conservatives who brung them. Still, an abrupt U-turn is better than stubbornness that takes you further in the wrong direction.

[DanSc]

02:34 PM on 12/11/2010

Republicans should support gay marriage, even if only because the Pres. and VP are on the record for being against it.

[tjconkster]

06:20 PM on 12/11/2010

That was the strategy.....then RepubliCorp/Republican Tea Party said no.....

[jwmellott]

07:37 PM on 12/11/2010

Quiet-- you're not supposed to talk about liberal duplicity.

[George Global]

02:58 AM on 12/12/2010

Where's the duplicity jw?
They're on record as opposing it...
I think it's very unfortunate...but it's also very open...and has been.