Gingrich says politicians don't have power to change a 'religiously inspired definition.' Gingrich: No gay marriage evolution

Reacting to Sen. Rob Portman’s sudden support of same-sex marriage, former GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich said Friday that he believes marriage is between a man and a woman “no matter what politicians decide.”

“Well, my stance hasn’t evolved. I observed in December that we’re faced with realities that are different than my personal beliefs,” Gingrich, a former House Speaker, said on CNN. “I believe as the Bible teaches, marriage is between a man and woman. I actually think that marriage is between a man and a woman no matter what politicians decide. I don’t think they have the power to change what is a religiously inspired definition.”


Portman (R-Ohio) made public earlier Friday that he has changed his mind of same-sex marriage and now supports it after his son Will, 21, came out to him two years ago during his freshman year at Yale.

“I’m not going to second guess Rob Portman. He’s an old personal friend. I think when you have somebody in your immediate family who comes in, you have three choices: You can say say, ‘I believe my principles so much, I’m kicking you out.’ You can say say, ‘I still believe in my principles, but I love you.’ Or you can say, ‘Gee, I love you so much I’m changing my principles,’” Gingrich said.

He continued: “Rob picked the third path. That’s his prerogative. I’m not going to second guess him. But I would also say that historically in the long run, marriage will be between man and woman, that’s been the definition for thousands of years and I don’t think politicians will change that.”

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Gingrich added that the country would have a “complicated” next few years as some states legalize same-sex marriage and others do not.

“Whether you are for traditional marriage or you are for somehow changing it, we have to understand how complicated the next few years are going to be as we sort out just the practical legalities, which is different than what we think the moral principles are,” Gingrich said on CNN.

Gingrich also called the “old guard” of the Republican Party “crusty” and “anti-ideas” but said he thinks GOP will be OK in the long-run heading into the 2016 presidential election cycle, agreeing with what Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said during a speech at the annual conservative CPAC conference.

“I think we’ll be fine in the long run, but the old guard of the party sometimes gets a little too crusty and a little too anti-ideas. I think that’s unfortunate,” Gingrich said.