A group advocating same-sex marriage has agreed to former first lady Laura Bush’s request and removed her from a video campaign pushing gay rights.
The Respect for Marriage Coalition expressed regret on Thursday, saying, “[we] are sorry she didn’t want to be included in an ad,” according to an Associated Press report. Earlier this week, the group had announced a $1 million campaign using print and video to push legislative changes to legalize same-sex marriage.
The video, released Wednesday, used previous statements from Mrs. Bush — along with statements from former Secretary of State Colin Powell and former Vice President Dick Cheney — that suggested favor for same-sex marriage laws.
Mrs. Bush said, in a previous interview on CNN: “When couples are committed to each other and love each other then they ought to have the same sort of rights that everyone has,” according to a report by AP.
Mrs. Bush’s spokeswoman, Anne MacDonald, said the first lady “did not approve of her inclusion in this advertisement nor is she associated in any way with the group that made the ad,” the AP reports.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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