Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) called for Floridians to “respect the rule of law” in response to news that the state would allow same sex couples to marry.
Bush’s statement came after a judge ruled on Monday that couples could immediately begin getting marriage licenses in the Miami-Dade County area with same sex marriage becoming legal throughout the state soon after.
Bush said he hoped that “we can show respect for the good people on all sides of the gay and lesbian marriage issue.”
As The New York Times noted, Bush’s remarks were far more sympathetic than the ones he gave on Sunday night when he said in a brief interview that “it ought to be a local decision. I mean a state decision.”
He added that “the state decided. The people of the state decided. But it’s been overturned by the courts, I guess.”
Here’s the full statement below:
We live in a democracy, and regardless of our disagreements, we have to respect the rule of law. I hope that we can show respect for the good people on all sides of the gay and lesbian marriage issue – including couples making lifetime commitments to each other who are seeking greater legal protections and those of us who believe marriage is a sacrament and want to safeguard religious liberty.
