Colin Powell Supports Marriage Equality

Jim Burroway

May 24th, 2012

In 1993, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Colin Powell was among those who supported the proposal enshrine the military’s ban on gays in the military under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” It wouldn’t be until 2007 when he would begin to say that he thought the ban should be revisited, and he waited until 2010 as DADT’s repeal was working its way through Congress before finally calling for the ban to be lifted. Yesterday, Powell added his voice to those who support marriage equality:

I have no problem with it. And, it was the Congress that imposed ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ though it was certainly my position and my recommendation to get us out of an even worse outcome that could have occurred, as you’ll recall. But as I’ve thought about gay marriage, I know a lot of friends who are individually gay but are in partnerships with loved ones, and they are as stable a family as my family is, and they raise children. And so I don’t see any reason not to say that they should be able to get married.”

Priya Lynn

May 24th, 2012

Its sooo fullfilling to watch an opponent evolve into an ally.

Jay Jonson

May 24th, 2012

It is so annoying to see people distorting history especially since they know exactly what they did. The good thing is that at least Powell realizes that his tenacious and demagogic insubordination to President Clinton, which resulted in the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, which as implemented was much worse than the previous ban, will not burnish his legacy. I am glad that he now knows he was on the wrong side of history, but we cannot allow him to re-write history. See the blog at glbtq.com to refresh your memory.

MattNYC

May 24th, 2012

Welcome words, but his tardiness on all of these issues speaks louder. He’s done the damage already and is just trying to sell books and making sure he keeps gets invited to the White House…

This is not “evolution.” This is a man who knew in his heart and mind that the lies he spoke as a soldier and as Secretary of State would have horrible consequences for a nation and his fellow citizens.

I feel like this is a “death-bed” confession–just better timed.

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