Explore Candidates and Issues
John Edwards on Gay Rights
This candidate has withdrawn from the election
Checked NO in response a Human Rights Campaign questionaire asking if the candidate "Supports allowing civil marriage rights for same-sex couples."
"I feel enormous personal conflict about this issue... My wife Elizabeth spoke out a few weeks ago, and she actually supports gay marriage. I do not. But this is a very, very difficult issue for me, and I recognize and have enormous respect for people who have a different view of it."
Checked YES in response a Human Rights Campaign questionaire asking if the candidate "Supports civil unions for same-sex couples."
"My position on same-sex marriage has not changed... I do believe, strongly, in civil unions and the substantive rights that go with that."
"Civil unions? Yes. Partnership benefits? Yes. But it's a jump for me to get to gay marriage. I haven't yet got across that bridge."
Checked YES in response a Human Rights Campaign questionaire asking if the candidate "Supports repeal of the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Policy."
"'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' is not just wrong now, it was wrong when it began. It's been wrong the entire time."
Checked YES in response a Human Rights Campaign questionaire asking if the candidate "Supports extending federal benefits, rights, privleges and responsibilities to same-sex couples and their children provided the partnership meets certain federal standards of commitment and mutuality of interest."
"I, actually, was the first candidate to come out with a universal health care plan, which I'm very proud of, and I've made it very clear that those rights to gay and lesbian couples would be exactly the same as they would for straight couples. And so those health care benefits would be available to -- to someone in that situation."