We here on Instant Tea have written more than once about the anti-gay bent of the Tea Party, or at least of politicians who have Tea Party support (see examples here, here and here).
Well, according to a story posted today on WashingtonPost.com, the Tea Party itself takes no stand on “social issues” like gay marriage, but instead focuses solely on “fiscal issues.” But at least some individual Tea Party members think last week’s federal court rulings declaring parts of the federal Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional were a good thing.
In the two cases, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley challenged DOMA, saying that marriage should be defined by the states and that DOMA violates the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by infringing on state’s rights. Judge Joseph Tauro agreed.
And the Tea Party folks apparently think that is just great.
Phillip Dennis, Texas state coordinator for the Tea Party Patriots, told the Post: “I believe that if the people in Massachusetts want gay people to get married, then they should allow it, just as people in Utah do not support abortion. They should have the right to vote against that.”
And Everett Wilkinson, state coordinator for the Florida Tea Party Patriots, said: “Any time a state’s rights or powers are encouraged over the federal government, it is a good thing.”
Wilkinson also claimed that “several hundred” members of his group are gay, but acknowledged that “Our stance might be different from someone who’s in Oklahoma.”
