Bush Opposes Gay Marriages, Voiding of Scout Ban

Questioned by an anti-gay rights publication, Texas Gov. George W. Bush said Tuesday that he opposes gay marriages and that a court erred in striking down a ban on gays in the Boy Scouts. Bush opposed adoptions by gay couples as well.

Publishers of the newsletter said Bush’s comments were “a good start” but they had more questions about the Republican presidential front-runner’s position on gay rights.

Bill Horn is a leading anti-gay rights activist who publishes a newsletter called “Straight from the Heart.” He’s been questioning presidential campaigns about their views on gay issues.

Pushed to detail the governor’s positions, the Bush campaign sent Horn a brief statement Tuesday.

“Gov. Bush believes marriage is between a man and a woman and therefore does not believe in gay marriages,” the statement said. He also opposed adoption by gay couples because “he believes children ought to be adopted in families with a man and woman who are married.”

Bush told the newsletter that he believes the New Jersey Supreme Court was wrong when it struck down the Boy Scouts’ ban on gays in the organization.

“He believes the Boy Scouts is a private organization and they should be able to set their own standards,” Bush’s statement said.

“This is a good start,” Horn said. “There are a couple of other things we want answers on.”

Horn said he would press Bush to offer views on “the gay agenda in public education” and on domestic partner laws allowing benefits for partners in a gay relationship.

Horn said the questions had been posed to all the Republican presidential candidates, and only former Transportation Secretary Elizabeth Hanford Dole and Arizona Sen. John McCain had failed to respond.

The other candidates also opposed the gay rights initiatives, Horn noted.