Marco Rubio Lashes Out At Same-Sex Marriage: Courts Don’t ‘Have The Power To Do This’

Finally commenting on Florida allowing same-sex couples to marry, Senator Marco Rubio has announced his position on same-sex marriage, and it’s worse than you might think.

Finally entering the national conversation, Republican Marco Rubio blasted same-sex marriage advocates Wednesday. Despite being the U.S. Senator from Florida, Rubio has been fairly mum on the topic, even though his state saw at least ten state and federal challenges to its 2006 ban on same-sex marriage.

“If they wanted to change that law, they should have gone to the legislature or back to the Constitution and try to change it,” Rubio said. “I don’t agree we should be trying to make those changes through the courts.”

The 43-year old who attends both Southern Baptist and Roman Catholic churches perhaps did not make the connection that his marriage policy would have prohibited interracial marriage, s that was secured “through the courts” too.

“While I believe that marriage should be between one man and one woman, while people want to change that law — and a lot of people apparently do – there is a way to do that,” Rubio added. “You go through the legislature, or you go on on the ballot, but I don’t agree the courts have the power to do this.”

Rubio of course is mistaken.

The courts do have the power to strike down unconstitutional laws, in fact, that’s a large part of the Supreme Court’s role – guarding the Constitution.

In a press conference Wednesday, Rubio continued his anti-gay attacks.

“I do not believe there is a U.S. Constitutional right to same sex marriage,” he said, ignoring the fact that well over 50 state and federal court decisions, since DOMA was struck down by the Supreme Court, support the right of same-sex couples to marry.

While holding essentially the same position as Jeb Bush, Rubio also took a far more angry and defensive tone.

“The trend that I will not accept, however, is the growing attitude that belief in traditional marriage equates to bigotry and hatred,” he told reporters. “Just as California has a right to redefine marriage to include same-sex couples, Florida has a right to define it as one man and one woman.”

 

Image by Gage Skidmore via Flickr