Former Gov. Mitt Romney said Sunday if gay couples want to live together, then “that’s their right,” but he still feels marriage should be defined as a relationship between a man and woman.
“And I think the ideal setting for raising a child is in a setting where there’s a father and a mother,” Mr. Romney, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee, told NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “Now, there are many other different settings that children are raised in, and people have the right to live their life as they want to. But I think marriage should be defined in the way that it’s been defined for several thousand years.”
NBC’s David Gregory noted that Massachusetts paved the way for same-sex marriage in earnest while Mr. Romney was governor, despite his objections. Now, 17 states and the District of Columbia allow it.
At the time, Mr. Romney said the change would have “a lasting impact” on society. On Sunday, he acknowledged it will take a long time to see what happens.
“It’s something which happens over generations, in fact,” he said. “And again, I think the ideal setting is where there’s a mom and a dad that can invest their time and their resources in supporting the development of a child.”
He said the issue is important to many Americans, but shouldn’t be framed in terms of political winners and losers.
“I think you stand for various principles. You communicate those to the American people, and they either support those or not,” he said. “Sometimes, if something is lost, well, you move on to the next issue. You wish you’d have won that one, but you move on.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.