Not All Republicans Hate Gays

Cindy McCain, wife to GOP presidential candidate John McCain has come out in support of gay marriage. She is lending her image to an ad campaign to support the fight against California’s Prop. 8.

She is photographed with duct tape on her mouth and NOH8 written on her cheek.

Adam Bouska/noh8campaign.com

NOH8 is a gay rights group that has been challenging the Proposition 8, the law banning same sex marriage which was passed by California voters in 2008.

From the NO H8 Campaign website:

In the year since we’ve started the NOH8 Campaign, we’ve often been surprised at some of the different individuals who have approached us showing their support. Few, though, have surprised us more than Cindy McCain – the wife of Senator John McCain and mother to vocal marriage equality advocate Meghan McCain. The McCains are one of the most well-known Republican families in recent history, and for Mrs. McCain to have reached out to us to offer her support truly means a lot. Although we had worked with Meghan McCain before and were aware of her own position, we’d never really thought the cause might be something her mother would get behind. We have a huge amount of respect for both of these women for being brave enough to make it known they support equal marriage rights for all Americans.

You can read more here.

Of course daughter Meghan McCain has long been an active supporter of gay right and marriage equality. She is scheduled to speak at George Washington University’s “Marriage Equality Week,” on February 9th unless a student Republican group makes a big enough stink. The organization feels as if they have been duped by Miss McCain who was coming to speak about the changing face of the Republican party. Which is exactly what she is talking about.

Senator John McCain has released a statement saying he respects the views of his family but still “believes the sanctity of marriage is only defined as between one man and one woman.”

Whatever John.

In addition to Cindy and Meghan McCain there is another Republican, who thinks for himself, by the name of Ted Olson. Mr. Olson is a lifelong Republican and conservative lawyer who was head of the legal counsel for Ronald Reagan and advised Republicans in their efforts to impeach Bill Clinton. In 2000 he argued Bush v. Gore and won, giving the presidency to George W. Bush.

Ted Olson is the attorney who is arguing on the behalf of two gay couples in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, a federal case challenging Proposition 8.

Olson says he believes in individual liberty and freedom from government interference in the private lives of citizens. Discriminating against people because of their sexual orientation is a violation of both.

Mr. Olson has gotten a lot of flack from his Republican colleagues as well as from some gay activist groups who believe gay rights should be taken in baby steps rather than going straight to the Supreme Court.

You can read more about Ted Olson and this historic case here.

Ted Olson also might be remembered as the husband of Barbara Olson, the CNN commentator and attorney, who was a passenger on American Airlines flight 77, the plane that crashed into the Pentagon on 9/11.