Charlie crist gay
Charlie Crist Supports Lgbtq+ Marriage, Raises Gubernatorial Speculation
Ex-Florida Gov. Charlie Crist was once known for organism a staunch Republican, but these days he's better established for jumping between party lines.
Earlier this week, the Republican-turned-Independent-turned-Democrat posted a Facebook update in back of Delaware's marriage equality legislation.
"Some fantastic news: On Tuesday, Delaware became the 11th state to allow marriage equality. And just a few days ago, Rhode Island adopted a similar measure, which followed victories last fall in Maine, Maryland and Washington. I most certainly support marriage equality in Florida and look forward to the time it happens here," he wrote.
Despite his support for the issue, Crist's comments are being met with suspicion rather than applause. In the span of his extensive political career, Crist spread himself across the full gamut of political parties, confusing the public's sympathetic of his genuine policy alignments.
Crist's party switching is particularly perplexing regarding queer marriage. In 2006, he opposed gay legislation while serving as Florida's attorney general and even petitioned to append a same-sex exclude to th
New Dem Charlie Crist backs gay marriage
Charlie Crist for marriage equality—and so, the transformation is complete.
The former Florida governor, who went from Republican to independent to Democrat in just two years, became the latest politician to evolve on gay marriage Wednesday, when he took to Facebook to declare his support:
"Some amazing news: On Tuesday, Delaware became the 11th state to allow marriage equality. And just a few days ago, Rhode Island adopted a similar measure, which followed victories last fall in Maine, Maryland and Washington. I most certainly support marriage equality in Florida and look forward to the date it happens here."
Crist jumped ship from the GOP help in 2010 after losing a central battle to now-Senator Marco Rubio. He later ran as an independent against Rubio in the general election, but lost by 19 points.
By last December, Crist became a full-blown Democrat. He said he regretted signing a petition in 2006 that called for a same-sex marriage ban.
"Would I complete it today? No," said Crist in December, reports the Tampa Bay Times. "I think the optimal way to assess where my heart is is to look at the deeds that I have done, whether as attorn
Former Gov. Charlie Crist: Homosexual marriage stance was political
Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is not the latest politician to move in favor of gay marriage, but he's the latest to admit that his original stance had more to do with his political persuasion.
Crist, running as a Democrat for the Florida governorship, admitted this week in the LGBT publication "Watermark" that his original stance against same-sex attracted marriage was purely political.
Crist posted a link to the interview on his Facebook page.
Crist said he was being a "good Republican," and begged forgiveness.
Crist, a former Republican, left the party in 2006 during his campaign for U.S. senator, and ran as an independent. Last year he registered as a Democrat and announced his race to take back the governor's mansion.
But many interrogate whether this latest position change has more to do with politics than with genuine feeling.
"This isn't the first issue position Charlie Crist has changed and probably isn't the last position he'll change," said Nathan Gonzalez with The Rothenberg Political Report. "This is just the process that you have to undergo when you switch from a Republican t
PolitiFact: Has Charlie Crist always supported civil unions?
As former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist campaigns to reclaim his old chair in Tallahassee, he's finding that he's having to defend himself over positions and opinions that he had expressed while a Republican governor.
Crist switched from the Republican party in 2010 to independent (technically referred to as "No Party Affiliation" or NPA) and then to a Democrat in late 2012. He's now campaigning for governor as a Democrat.
At a recent fundraiser in Fort Lauderdale, Crist emphasized to reporters that his position regarding civil unions has never changed. Crist said this:
"I always supported civil unions, but I thought about it just as President Obama thought about it, and I have come to the decision, as the Pope said himself, ‘Who am I to judge?’ I’ve always been a live-and-let live kind of guy. That’s what’s in my heart."
PolitiFact examined Crist's claim, and reporter Joshua Gillin reports that Crist's claim rates MOSTLY FALSE.
Gillin says that, ultimately, Crist said one thing and voted against that same thing when it was time to make a decision.
"Back in 2006 and 2010