AMERICAN WEDDINGS BLOG
Stay up to date with the latest wedding ceremony trends, script writing inspiration, tips and advice for first-time officiants, and news that matters to couples and wedding ministers.
Stay up to date with the latest wedding ceremony trends, script writing inspiration, tips and advice for first-time officiants, and news that matters to couples and wedding ministers.
Published Thursday, Sep. 19th, 2024
Well, it’s that time again – election season! We’re less than 50 days away from the U.S. General Election, when millions of Americans will cast their vote for our next president. Will it be Kamala Harris, or will it be Donald Trump? Only time will tell!
In the meantime, we’ve gathered quotes from each candidate expressing their position on same-sex marriage. But this article isn’t intended to send your cortisol levels into the stratosphere. Our goal here is to provide context for our ministers regarding a matter that is very close to our hearts here at AMM – the rights of all people, including our LGBTQ+ friends and family, to become married.
So relax your shoulders, open your heart, find that place of stillness and let go for a minute, and let your inner voice guide you…
Donald Trump has spoken out against gay marriage many times in the past, and made 'traditional marriage' (marriage between one man and one woman) an important part of his platform. This year, same-sex marriage isn't mentioned in the Republican Party's platform, and it's unclear what Trump's current position on same-sex marriage might be if he is re-elected. (Photo: Donald Trump, 2024, taken by Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, CC BY-SA 2.0,Wikimedia Commons)
Trump: “No, I’m just not in favor of gay marriage. I live in New York. New York is a place with lots of gays, and I think it is great. But I’m not in favor of gay marriage.” (2011)
Trump: (Speaking about Obergefell v Hodges) "If I’m elected I would be very strong in putting certain judges on the bench that I think maybe could change things…I disagree with the court, in that it should have been a states' rights issue.” (2016)
Trump: (When asked if he would appoint judges who would overturn federal protections for same-sex marriage) “I would strongly consider that, yes.” (2016, same source as above)
Trump: “They should not be able to marry… And to be honest with you, as far as civil unions are concerned, I haven't totally formed my opinion. But there can be no discrimination against gays. I'm against gay marriage; I took a lot of heat for that.” (2011)
(Note that Trump’s official 2020 and 2016 Republican Platform publication stated: “Traditional marriage and family, based on marriage between one man and one woman, is the foundation for a free society and has for millennia been entrusted with rearing children and instilling cultural values...We also condemn the Supreme Court’s lawless ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges…”
Kamala Harris has been a strong & vocal supporter of same-sex marriage for decades, and even officiated some of the first gay marriages in California in 2004. Kamala Harris' views on gay marriage are clear this election: she's an ally. (Photo: Kamala Harris, 2024, The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Harris: (On The Respect of Marriage Act) “I had the honor to perform some of our nation’s first same sex marriages at San Francisco City Hall in 2004, where couples celebrated not only a joyful union, but the protection and respect of fundamental human rights. The right to start a family and raise children. The right to be who you are, openly and proudly. The right to support the person you love, whether at a hospital bedside, a military deployment ceremony, or applying for citizenship.” (2022)
Harris: (Tweeting about officiating a lesbian wedding) “About to marry the #Prop8 plaintiffs Kristin Perry and Sandra Stier. Wedding bells are ringing!” (2013)
Harris: “I think that there’s probably some law and physics that says that when you have so many people in one space who are experiencing pure joy, it just changes the whole energy. You feel it… And it was an extraordinary experience to be a part of those days in this movement where we took it upon ourselves to acknowledge what should have been acknowledged, which is the love and the devotion and the dedication that two people are prepared to commit to each other.” (2023)
Harris: “The idea that we have people who do not have rights equal to others is ridiculous.” (2010)
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Kamala Harris, wedding officiant! The VP officiated stepson Cole Emhoff’s wedding: Here’s her best marriage advice, officiant attire & support of gay marriage
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