Seriously. It’s apparently one of those little tidbits that was overshadowed by the Nixon pardon and Chevy Chase pratfalls.
The former president was a member of the Republican Unity Coalition (RUC), a gay-straight board of heavy hitters, including former Wyoming Senator Alan Simpson, which advocates “making homosexuality a ‘non-issue’ for the Republican Party.” (An FYI: Mary Cheney, of all people, served on RUC’s board in 2002-2003). Clearly there are very few Gerald Fords in either party today.
And from the Advocate, Oct. 29, 2001:
In an interview published Monday, former President Gerald Ford said the federal government should provide the same benefits for same-sex couples and married couples.
His comments make him the highest-ranking Republican ever to publicly support equal treatment for same-sex couples.
Ford told Detroit News columnist Deb Price in a telephone interview that the provisions should include Social Security, tax and other federal benefits.
“I think they (same-sex couples) should be treated equally. Period,” he said.
In addition, he stated support for a federal law banning workplace discrimination against gays: “That is a step in the right direction. I have a longstanding record in favor of legislation to do away with discrimination.”
Well.
The Fray
gnomic says:
Its telling how much the Republican party has been overrun by social conservitives (so much less accurate and more polite than “bigoted racist f*cknuts”) when you see what ex-PRes Ford and conservitive founder Barry Goldwater has to say about the current cabal of Republicans. Real conservitives are for limited government that stays out of people’s business, champion’s the constitution and civil rights, and exercises fiscal conservitism.
Ken says:
It appears that former President Ford had either gotten senile or lost hismoral morings. It appears he has gone the way of Jimmy Carter, who has really lost his marbles, at least the ones that contributed to common sense analysis. Aside from the biblical exposition of the gay life style, physiology as well as mental sanity, procreativity and moral stability oppose any rational support of the gay for the gay lifestyle, to say nothing about its’ debilitating affect on society as a whole. No, there is not any rational basis for supporting gays or there agenda in any realm of today’s society. Their aberrant, abhorrant and degenerative living has no place in this society, nor any other. Those, who support their lifestyle, have either lost their moral compass, or have a limited understanding of history and what happens to societies that support or promulgate such lurid lifestyles.
Leland says:
So Ken, we gather that you have no wish to participate in any kind of alternative life style. I can understand that, it doesn’t appeal to me either.
But what difference does it make to you if others choose to live that way? No one is forcing you to jump into bed with anyone. The best part for you is that according to your belief system, God is going to get them in the end.
I don’t see the problem here.
gnomic says:
My ambivolence and apathy toward Gerald Ford for most of my life was immesurable until this week when I learned that he privately opposed the war in Iraq, but publicly supported it and didn’t want his views known until after his death. Now I think of him as a coward that didn’t have the backbone to stand up and make a difference when it mattered.
For a party that claims to stand on principle, Many Republicains such as PResident Ford and Colin Powell seem to have little backbone when it counts. Its only after they leave the state that they use what little they have to take cheap shots from the cheap seats.
GaryL says:
Gay marriage is a non issue. No one should care who someone else marries. I am a happily married heterosexual male. Does anyone really care? Not really.
I feel that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is very important. And if someone who is gay wants to marry someone they love who happens to also be gay is perfectly fine with me. And yes I am a Virginian. “Virginia is for Lovers” after all.
Dave Hurley says:
TO Ken,
Your ignorance about homosexuality is appalling and unfortunately common place. You have a hateful message and you don’t seem to realize or care that you’re talking about fellow Americans who contribute in every way to the success of our nation and society.
Fortunately, you are a dying breed as each generation, on the whole, becomes educated and enlighten and thereby unafraid of those different.
Dave Hurley
Phoenix
Phoenix
gnomic says:
Ken,
Barry Goldwater, the father of modern conservitism, also though gays should be allowed to marry, have equal rights, and serve thier country. And for all the nonsence about somehow putting my marrage at risk or harm to society, I have yet to see a single credible example of any problem that homosexuality causes that hetrosexuals haven’t caused as well.
Get back to me on that will, ya?
WILLOBIE says:
The Defense of Marriage
“Ouch! Did you feel that, Hon?”
“No, what was it?”
“I felt someone pecking away at the sanctity of our marriage. Somewhere, somehow, a pair of queers got married and took something away from our own blessed union.”
“What do you mean, ‘blessed union’? We were married by a justice of the peace.”
“Well even so, it was ‘holy’ matrimony, because we are a blessed couple, a man and a woman.”
“But you’re an agnostic. How can you prattle on about our holy matrimony even though we had a civil ceremony?”
“Because God hates queers and doesn’t want them to be married like normal folk. We need to defend our right to be married and keep the heathenish homos from taking away our exclusivity.”
“O.K., sweetie. If you feel that strongly about it, lets renew our vows in a church and strike a blow for the sanctity of sanctified marriage. Would Babdist do? Or even ordinary Baptist?”
“No. If you needed an exorcism performed would you call Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson? They are long on harangue and short on sacrament. This is serious business, so even Episcopal, for all their vestments and sacraments may not be enough, because who knows if their Apostolic Succession measures up. Lets do Greek Orthodox.”
“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!”
“You’re damned right, Hon!”
© Joseph Chiaravalloti, May 10, 2009
Dorene says:
Gerald Ford was a great man. It’s a shame that he’ll be forever remembered for a few stumbles and a single pardon. It’s also a shame that of the handful of teens I talked to yesterday, only one even knew he’d been a president. :/