Mitt Romney: Gay Marriage

"But [Mitt] Romney is against gay marriage."

Mitt Romney is against gay marriage being called, "gay marriage," but if you pay attention to what Mitt Romney is now saying, he actually supports the "rights" of gay marriage. Carefully consider what Mitt Romney said about gay marriage on May 10, 2012:

"My preference would be to have a national standard that defines marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman. That would then allow states to determine what rights would be provided for people of the same gender that wanted to have a relationship. There could be domestic partnership benefits, for instance, where one state might decide to provide hospital visitation rights, another state might decide to provide that as well as benefits of other kinds." (Mitt Romney on Fox News, May 10, 2012)

Are there "rights" and "benefits of other kinds" of marriage that Mitt Romney would withhold from homosexual couples (see Bible Verses on Homosexuality)? For example, what about the right to adopt children? Mitt Romney specified during the same interview:

"I know many gay couples that are able to adopt children. That’s fine. ... If two people of the same gender want to live together, want to have a loving relationship, or even want to adopt a child - in my state individuals of the same sex were able to adopt children. In my view, that’s something which people have a right to do." (Mitt Romney on Fox News, May 10, 2012)

When Mitt Romney ran in 1994 for the U.S. Senate seat held by Massachusetts' Ted Kennedy, he was more pro-gay marriage than the liberal Kennedy. Romney's campaign even distributed pink flyers at gay pride parade and Mitt Romney promised:

"As we seek to establish full equality [for gays], I will provide more effective leadership than my opponent, [Edward Kennedy]."

Does Mitt Romney at least admit this today? In his May 10, 2012 interview, Romney claimed with a straight face:

"And as you know, for a long time, I think from the beginning of my political career, I made it very clear that I believe marriage should be a relationship between a man and a woman." (Mitt Romney on Fox News, May 10, 2012)