GOP Nomination Candidates on Gay Marriage -- in Their Own Words (ContributorNetwork)

Surging Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum made headlines -- and raised some eyebrows -- when he compared gay marriage to polygamy while campaigning during the lead-up to the New Hampshire primary. Santorum's comments raised the ire of some in the audience, who booed him loudly. But Santorum's stance on gay marriage should be no surprise. Both he and the rest of the front-runners for the GOP nomination have delivered their positions on gay marriage in clear terms. Here's a roundup of the candidates' views on gay marriage in their own words.

Rick Santorum

During a college campus campaign event in New Hampshire, Santorum was asked about his stance on gay marriage. During his response, he told the questioner "If reason says that if you think it's OK for two, then you have to differentiate with me as to why it's not OK for three." Santorum later explained his opposition to gay marriage, saying "I believe we are made the way God made man and woman, and man and woman come together to have a union to produce children, which keeps civilization going, and provide the best environment for children to be raised."

Mitt Romney

During the Jan. 7 debate in New Hampshire, Mitt Romney reiterated his opposition to gay marriage. But Romney continued, "If people are looking for someone who will discriminate against gays ... or say they don't have full rights in this country, they won't find that from me." Asked when he last spoke out for gay rights, Romney replied, "Right now."

Ron Paul

During an interview with ABC's John Stossel in the run-up to the 2008 Republican nomination, Ron Paul said "sure" when Stossel asked if gays should be allowed to marry. Paul explained, "They can do whatever they want and they can call it whatever they want, just so they don't expect to impose their relationship on somebody else. They can't make me, personally, accept what they do, but they gay couples can do whatever they want. In fact, I'd like to see all governments out of the marriage question. I don't think it's a state function. I think it's a religious function. There was a time when only churches dealt with marriage, and they determined what it was. But 100 years or so ago for health reasons they claim that the state would protect us if we knew more about our spouses and we did health testing and you had to get a license to get married and I don't agree with that."

Newt Gingrich

Last September, Gingrich told the Des Moines Register, "I believe that marriage is between a man and woman. It has been for all of recorded history and I think this is a temporary aberration that will dissipate. I think that it just fundamentally goes against everything we know."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120109/pl_ac/10808521_gop_nomination_candidates_on_gay_marriage__in_their_own_words

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