Mary Cheney Criticizes Her Sister's Position on Gay Marriage

Liz is running for Senate in Wyoming and supports a "traditional definition of marriage," Mary is in a same-sex marriage

Wyoming Senate candidate Liz Cheney's (R) opposition to gay marriage is drawing criticism from her lesbian sister.

Cheney, running against Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), reiterated on Sunday morning that she doesn't support gay marriage. That drew rebukes from Mary Cheney and her wife, Heather Poe.

Poe took to Facebook to rip Liz Cheney for her comments.

"I was watching my sister-in-law on Fox News Sunday (yes Liz, in fifteen states and the District of Columbia you are my sister-in-law) and was very disappointed to hear her say "I do believe in the traditional definition of marriage," she says in a Sunday afternoon post.

Comments

[Charles.H.Anziulewicz@wv.]

Someone needs to tell Liz Cheney that absolutely NOTHING is happening to "traditional marriage" as it applies to people who are Straight (i.e. heterosexual). The human population will always be predominantly heterosexual, and Straight couples will continue to date, get engaged, marry, and build lives and families together as they always have. None of that is going to change when Gay couples decide to tie the knot also.

Liz Cheney says marriage equality should be handled by the states, not the federal government. Problem is, MOST of the legal benefits and protections of marriage come from the federal government. During its recent DOMA decision, the Supreme Court could have issued a comprehensive ruling requiring Gay and Straight couples to be treated equally, at ALL levels of government, but instead they chose to punt on the some of the details.

So what now? Most of the legal benefits of marriage come from the federal government. Take survivor benefits under Social Security, for example. Legally married Gay couples in Iowa are now entitled to those benefits, but suppose one of those couples relocates to West Virginia, which has a statutory ban on same-sex marriage. Does the state have the power to forcibly annul that marriage? And if so, does the couple now LOSE those federal benefits?

[PM]

Liz Cheney says marriage equality should be handled by the states, not the federal government. Problem is, MOST of the legal benefits and protections of marriage come from the federal government.

Amazing how easily the federal government can move in on functions historically left to the state merely by involving itself where it has no authority and passing out prizes. I sure hope that never happens with police departments, highways, minimum drinking age...

[Charles.H.Anziulewicz@wv.]

As for "traditional marriage," who DOESN'T support it? If any of my single Straight friends finds a compatible person of the opposite sex to get "traditionally married" to, no one will be happier than me. The fact that I support marriage equality for Gay couples does not mean I'm somehow opposed to "traditional marriage." I look at this from a purely Constitutional standpoint. And unless the Constitution only applies to people who are Straight, there is no justification for denying law-abiding, taxpaying Gay couples the same legal benefits and opportunities that Straight couples have always taken for granted.

[PM]

As for "traditional marriage," who DOESN'T support it?

No True Scotsman good libertarian should. It's one of the most egregious examples of the government's pernicious involvement in areas of life where it has no legitimate authority (and no constitutional purview either, in the case of the fedgov). Shit, even Gillespie SLD's his gay marriage rah rah sessions.