President Opposes Same-Sex Marriages But He Is Undecided On Pending Dole-Backed Bill To Limit Them

President Clinton opposes homosexual marriages, but has not decided what position to take on pending legislation designed to limit them, White House press secretary Michael McCurry said Monday.

The “same-sex marriage” issue has emerged as a potential point of controversy in the 1996 elections, with conservative Republicans hoping to use it to draw a distinction between Clinton and Senate Majority Leader Robert J. Dole, the presumptive Republican nominee.

McCurry said Clinton has been on record since at least the 1992 presidential campaign opposing same-sex marriages, although it is not clear that the president has ever spoken publicly on the subject. His opposition in 1992 came in response to a campaign questionaire from the Human Rights Campaign Fund, a gay and lesbian organization.

Asked yesterday why Clinton opposes same-sex marriages, McCurry said, “He believes this is a time when we need to do things to strengthen the American family, and that’s the reason why he’s taken this position.”

The issue arose after Hawaii’s Supreme Court issued a ruling that appeared to favor the legality of same-sex marriages, although the entire matter was sent back to lower courts there for further adjudication. Since then Republicans have argued that if Hawaii legalizes such marriages, other states will be required to recognize them.

The legislation introduced in Congress, entitled the Defense of Marriage Act, says states would not have to recognize such marriages and defines marriage as “the legal union between one man and one woman” for purposes of interpreting federal legislation. Dole is a co-sponsor.

Clinton has enjoyed strong support from gay and lesbian organizations throughout his presidency, but suffered considerable damage politically from his endorsement of allowing gays in the military at the beginning of his presidency. Part of his reelection strategy is designed to soften his image as a social liberal, while attempting to avoid offend key groups in the Democratic constituency.

McCurry refused to elaborate on his statement about Clinton’s desire to strengthen the family, even after he was asked about arguments advanced by gay or lesbian groups that the legalization of same-sex marriages would lend stability to relationships.

Elizabeth Birch, director of the Human Rights Campaign, said the Republican-sponsored legislation is “part of a strategy calculated to put President Clinton in a corner,” and charged that the legislation was part of a broader, “mean-spirited” attack on gays and lesbians.