Patrick Murphy on Marrying Gays

Today on Morning Edition Steve Inskeep introduces us to newly elected Representative Patrick Murphy, a self-described "blue-dog" Democrat from suburban Philadelphia. Apparently Murphy comes from a district that voted Republican since 1992 so he has to convince his constituents that he is not too liberal--thus the "blue-dog" label.

Host Steve Inskeep asked then how Murphy would come down on traditional Democratic issues like choice and gay marriage. Murphy sees choice as an equality issue and therefore supports a woman's right to choose. As for gay marriage he stated (and here I paraphrase but listen to the link): that is also an equality issue and if they want to go and get a civil union he supports that.

That is not equality by any standard. Now I haven't done the research on how he campaigned, but our elected representatives ought not be able to say that they support something that they do not. Supporting civil unions is not supporting equal rights for all people. Either you support gay rights to marry or you do not. If you support some other process by which gay Americans can have something that sort of looks like marriage but really isn't "marriage" because it isn't a marriage--because marriage is between a man and a woman, then just say so, will ya'?