A messy divorce, a gay cousin from DeKalb County who traveled to New York to get legally married, the influence of young Democrats, being a self-proclaimed "bald-head fat redneck" — these are the reasons DuBose Porter, the new chair of the Democratic Party of Georgia, gave as to how he evolved on the issue on marriage equality.
Porter spoke about his "evolution" at today's Democratic Party LGBT Caucus meeting where he spoke openly and frankly about his past and what he hopes for the future of the party on progressive issues, including gay marriage.
DuBose Porter, former Speaker of the House of the Georgia General Assembly, was elected to lead the Democratic Party of Georgia on Aug. 31. And he says he has evolved on marriage equality and is putting his anti-gay past — including in 2004 voting twice in favor to support the state's constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage — behind him.
After the GA Voice asked today about his position on marriage equality, Porter issued this statement late today:
"My opinion on marriage equality has evolved like most everyone else’s in the country. People need the right to marry who they love. Period," he said.
Michelle Nunn, daughter of former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn, officially jumped into the race today as a Democrat to replace Republican U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss — and she's already been tagged as being President Obama's "hand-picked liberal" by none other than gay-hating GOP candidate Karen Handel.
Nunn is CEO of Points of Light, a nonprofit with close ties to the Bush family.
In an interview with Jim Galloway, political reporter for the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, Nunn said she personally favors marriage equality.
“It’s the economy, stupid.”
Campaign strategist James Carville’s tagline for Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential race has been a political catchphrase ever since.
“It’s about the empathy, stupid.”
That’s the headline Slate.com writer Dalia Lithwick used to sum up the importance of President Barack Obama’s May 2012 announcement that he had come to personally support same-sex marriage.
“It’s our equality, stupid.”