Third GOP Senator Announces Support for Marriage Equality

I know it’s a drop in the bucket. I know there are much larger issues with how Lgbtq people are denied their rights and dignity and safety.

But I still find it encouraging. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, has become the third sitting US GOP senator to support marriage equality, and has announced it with a mix of pragmatism and idealism.

She said this on twitter, which, to me, is important because it makes it crystal clear how one can be a Conservative and support marriage equality:

“Americans should be able to love & marry whom they choose - gay or straight- & government should get out of the way.”

Now, to me, this plain statement exposes the weakness of the conservative position that lgbtq marriage is a bad thing. Their own principles should have them saying, “this is not the business of the government, to legislate who can marry.”

And here is a bit I found spot-on. Here she’s talking about the basic inequality afforded a lesbian couple that had adopted four kids in her state.

“Yet despite signing up and volunteering to give themselves fully to these four adorable children, our government does not meet this family halfway and allow them to be legally recognized as spouses. After their years of sleepless nights, after-school pickups and birthday cakes, if one of them gets sick or injured and needs critical care, the other would not be allowed to visit them in the emergency room – and the children could possibly be taken away from the healthy partner. They do not get considered for household health care benefit coverage like spouses nationwide. This first-class Alaskan family still lives a second-class existence.”

Lisa Murkowski, I don’t know your other positions but thank you for standing up on this one!