McSally’s anti-gay marriage fist bump

by David Safier

Martha McSally is against gay marriage. She’s very clear about that. Less clear is who she thinks should decide the issue, the states or the federal government. She’ll say she thinks gay marriage is an issue for the states to work out, but she’s also on record supporting an amendment to the U.S. Constitution “to define marriage as only the union of one man and one woman.” You can’t have the states make decisions on an issue that’s written in the Constitution. Once again, McSally is trying to have it both ways.

But no matter where McSally stands on gay marriage — and how many contradictory stands she takes on the topic — she shouldn’t turn it into a laugh line. This is an important issue the country is divided on, and it should be discussed thoughtfully and respectfully. That means McSally probably shouldn’t laugh, then fist bump her CD-2 primary opponent Mark Koskiniemi during an August 15 debate after saying, “I do believe that marriage is between one woman and one man.” The “joke” went over well with Koskiniemi as well as the audience at the Eastside Republican Club Candidate Forum.

You can watch the clip here.

McSally’s answer begins:

“I do believe that marriage is between one woman and one man. [Laughter from McSally, Koskiniemi and the audience] And I do believe it’s primarily a state issue for states to work out.”

However, in an answer to the 2012 Center for Arizona Policy survey, McSally circled “Support” for this statement:

3. Amending the United States Constitution to define marriage as only the union of one man and one woman.

It can’t be both a constitutional amendment and something for the states to work out.

On a related topic on the same survey, McSally circled “Opposed” on expanding antidiscrimination laws to include LGBT protections. Here’s the statement she opposed:

8. Adding “sexual orientation,” “gender identity,” or “gender expression” to the protected classes of race, religion, age, sex, and ancestry in antidiscrimination law.

I wonder if she’s taken another stand on that one too — and if she’s got a good “joke” to go along with it.