US President George W. Bush said he respects homosexuals but draws the line at gay weddings, and he disclosed that government lawyers are exploring measures to legally define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.
"I think it is very important for our society to respect each individual, to welcome those with good hearts, to be a welcoming country," Bush said Wednesday.
"On the other hand, that does not mean that somebody like me needs to compromise on an issue such as marriage," he added. "I believe in the sanctity of marriage. I believe a marriage is between a man and a woman, and I think we ought to codify that one way or the other."
Bush said, "That is the definition of marriage, and we've got lawyers looking at the best way to do that."
His remarks seemed to signal a shift from his position earlier this month, when he said a constitutional ban on gay marriage that has been proposed in the House might not be needed. Representative Marilyn Musgrave was the main sponsor of a proposal to amend the Constitution to read: "Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman." It was referred on June 25 to the House Judiciary subcommittee on the Constitution.
Bush ran as a "compassionate conservative" in 2000, and is still trying to bridge the gap between his conservative base and critical swing voters. Some advisers fear any hint of intolerance will alienate middle-of-the-road Americans. Recent polls have shown that just over half of Americans oppose gay marriage, and about four in 10 support it.
"I am mindful that we're all sinners, and I caution those who may try to take the speck out of the neighbor's eye when they got a log in their own," the president said, invoking a biblical passage from the Gospel of St. Matthew.
Despite his calibrated language, Bush's statement touched off passionate responses from groups with an interest in the issue.
"There is a real movement for same-sex marriage, and if the president doesn't intervene, and if he doesn't take leadership in this area, we could lose marriage in this country the way we know it," said Franklin Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and the son of the Reverend Billy Graham. "I think the president is doing the right thing."
Gay-rights activists took offense at Bush's comment that "we're all sinners," interpreting the remark as directed at them.
"While we respect President Bush's religious views, it is unbecoming of the president of the United States to characterize same-sex couples as `sinners,"' said Matt Foreman, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force's executive director.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Bush had not meant to single out homosexuals as "sinners."
"The president doesn't believe in casting stones," McClellan said.
The Human Rights Campaign, which says it is the nation's largest gay and lesbian political group, called Bush's exploration of a law on gay marriage a "call to codify discrimination."
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