A.G. Gancarski
Ron DeSantis walked a tightrope between spiritual and secular law during a Thursday town hall on CNN when addressing a question about same-sex marriage.
Asked if he still believes marriage is exclusively an opposite-sex union, DeSantis differentiated between the “Church” position and that of government.
“That’s just what marriage is with the church and I respect the Supreme Court’s decision. We’ve abided by that in Florida even though our Constitution defines it as between a man and a woman,” DeSantis said, referring to the Obergefell decision.
DeSantis followed the answer up with a promise to protect arguable discrimination from churches and their adjuncts, though.
“But I think what we need to recognize is, you know, you are going to have people try to wield power against our religious institutions and try to marginalize them simply by upholding the biblical definition of marriage. And so I’m going to protect those religious institutions to be able to do what has always been done in terms of how they consider marriage as a sacrament.”
This interview was at least the second time in the campaign that DeSantis said he recognized the legality of same-sex unions.
During an interview in September on the CBS Evening News, he offered assurances that the Supreme Court wouldn’t do what they did to abortion law and scuttle current protections if he were President, based on his expectations of “reliance interest … with respect to precedent.”
He said that “because there’s a significant reliance interest, that they would not view that the same as they did with Dobbs. And I think that’s likely to be, to be the case going forward. I don’t think you’re gonna see them reevaluate that.”
The Governor’s suggestion that even a more conservative court wouldn’t overturn the 2016 ruling that made same-sex marriage the law of the land might offer reassurances to those who heard his more critical comments after President Joe Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law.
At the time, DeSantis told Fox News viewers there was “no need” for the legislation, which protected both same-sex and interracial unions.
6 comments
Dont Say FLA
January 5, 2024 at 7:14 am
A church should have absolute say regarding who and whom can marry each other at that church, but nowhere else. and their opinion should carry no weight under any law.
For example if a male and female couple really love the Hindu temple because they love elephants and they want to get married at the Hindu temple but they’re Baptists, the Hindu temple would be well within their rights to say “Efff Offf”
Michael K
January 5, 2024 at 9:22 am
Whose church is Ron talking about – and why should it even matter? My church, like so many others in this nation, has been performing gay marriage ceremonies for years.
I read this and see wiggle room for folks like DeSantis to undo gay marriage under the banner of “religious liberty” as they’ve done to women and choice. Don’t believe him for a second that it is “settled” law. Clarence Thomas has admitted his goal is to undo “Obergefell.”
MH/Duuuval
January 5, 2024 at 10:31 am
“DeSantis told Fox News viewers there was “no need” for the legislation, which protected both same-sex and interracial unions.”
This could be termed the Clarence Thomas exception.
Barbara
January 5, 2024 at 2:08 pm
There are so many different religions and churches as there are people. Separate church and government and keep government and churches out of control over our bodies.
Di
January 6, 2024 at 12:46 pm
Exactly
cam
January 8, 2024 at 6:20 am
“At the time, DeSantis told Fox News viewers there was “no need” for the legislation, which protected both same-sex and interracial unions.” So then simply pass the legislation. If there is “no need” for it, it can be passed with unanimous consent and be done… after all it doesn’t matter. No need to waste time arguing
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