Texas governor and possible GOP presidential candidate Rick Perry drew criticism from his conservative voter base recently after remarking that New York’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage was, in his words, “fine with me.” On Saturday, Perry clarified his stance on gay marriage – and solidified his support for a constitutional amendment protecting the traditional definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman.
USA Today reports that Perry emphasized his conservative position with regard to marriage equality by saying, “I am for the federal marriage amendment…And that’s about as sharp a point as I could put on it.”
Perry also addressed his now infamous “fine by me” statement in a recent interview with the Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins, explaining that his remark was in reference to states’ rights under the 10th amendment – and not designed to imply support for same-sex marriage itself.
Perry has yet to make a decisive announcement regarding his 2012 candidacy. However, he reportedly said that, should he choose to run, his campaign would revolve around job creation and economic recovery.
