Family and Marriage

As a pro-family Libertarian, I support government doing the one and only thing it can do that actually strengthens your family -- staying out of the way. Families are more financially secure when they keep more of their money and have less of it taken from them in taxes. Families are stronger when they make decisions on important matters such as education and healthcare themselves rather than acting under the orders of bureaucrats. Families are more secure when they are defined by their members rather than by statutes and regulations. As your president, I will strive to protect your family by reducing the size, scope and power of the federal government.

There are two sides to marriage, and neither of them are the government's business. On one side, we have emotional commitment expressed in a ceremony -- usually, though not always, a religious ceremony. On the other, we have a standardized form of legal contract applying to the practical and legal matters arising from that commitment. The maximum extent to which government has any legitimate business in these affairs is in even-handed enforcement of those contracts. Certainly it has no business peering under the clothing of the ceremony's participants, or comparing the genitalia of the parties to the contract.

I oppose the "Defense of Marriage Act," the "Marriage Protection Act," and all other unconstitutional legislation (or constitutional amendments) intended to deny same-sex partners the equal protection of the law as mandated by the 14th Amendment or to relieve the states of their obligations under the Constitution's "full faith and credit" clause. It is a black mark on our record as a nation that thus far only one state, Massachusetts, has abolished marriage apartheid. If elected, one of my primary objectives will be to prevent the federal government from acting -- unilaterally, or in connivance with the other 49 states -- to halt the march toward full freedom and equality for those of all sexual orientations.

As Commander in Chief, I will push Congress to repeal the odious "don't ask, don't tell" policy which makes "second-class citizens" of men and women who serve in our nation's armed forces, and I will direct the Secretary of Defense and his or her subordinates to ignore sexual orientation in matters of military recruitment, retention and discipline.

As chief executive, I will order all departments of the executive branch to accept, as a matter of course and absent strong evidence to the contrary, all uncontested claims of marriage as valid. If for any reason evidence of your marriage is required, a church or associational certificate or a signed contract or covenant will enjoy the same status as proof of marriage as a state-issued license or other government document.

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I endorse the Stonewall Libertarians policy statement:

I believe in full equality for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered individuals regardless of their sexual orientations or perceived gender identity or presentation. I would call for the immediate repeal of federal and state Defense of Marriage Acts. I would do away with the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, thus allowing our gay and lesbian service men and women to serve their country openly and proudly. I oppose the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment and all state constitutional amendments seeking to define marriage as a bond between one man and one woman. I would do away with all special benefits and privileges granted to individuals on the basis of their marital status. I would like all state governments and localities to get out of the business of granting marriage licenses and allow people to enter into contractual relationships to order their lives as they see fit, but so long as the government continues to grant marriage licenses to heterosexual couples, I believe gay couples are entitled to the "equal protection" of the laws and should be allowed to obtain government issued marriage licenses as well. I do not believe the government should require religious institutions to perform marriage ceremonies that go against their church doctrine. I oppose all laws that discriminate against gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered Americans and feel they deserve full equality under the law.

My response to the Outright Libertarians candidate survey reflects 100% agreement with that organization's relevant positions.