Laura Bush asks to be removed from marriage-equality ad
One day after a coalition of more than 80 organizations supporting marriage equality unveiled a new ad featuring clips of three prominent Republicans voicing their support for same-sex marriage, Laura Bush has requested to be removed from the ad.
In a statement to The Dallas Morning News, Bush spokeswoman Anne MacDonald said Wednesday that the former first lady “did not approve of her inclusion in this advertisement nor is she associated with the group that made the ad in any way.”
According to MacDonald, “When she became aware of the advertisement last night, we requested that the group remove her from it.”
Bush is featured alongside former Vice President Dick Cheney, former Secretary of State Colin Powell and President Barack Obama voicing their support for same-sex marriage.
“When couples are committed to each other and love each other then they ought to have the same sort of rights that everyone has,” Bush says in a clip pulled from a 2010 interview with CNN’s Larry King.
The television ad is part of a $1 million ad campaign unveiled by the coalition, which is co-chaired by the Human Rights Campaign and Freedom to Marry, and begin running on cable networks yesterday and is scheduled to run during the Sunday talk shows in the weeks ahead. Full-page print versions of the ad were scheduled to run in major national newspapers, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, with online ads appearing on major news websites.
It is not yet clear if the Respect for Marriage Coalition will remove Bush from the TV, print and online ads. Requests for comment from Metro Weekly were not immediately returned.
UPDATE: In a statement to Politico, the Respect for Marriage Coalition announced a new ad to replace the one featuring Bush.
“We used public comments for this ad from American leaders who have expressed support for civil marriage,” the group said. “We appreciate Mrs. Bush’s previous comments but are sorry she didn’t want to be included in an ad. The ad launched a public education campaign that will now move to new and different voices that reflect the depth and breadth of our support.”
The new ad features a Republican and former Marine, Craig Stowell, discussing his support for same-sex marriage and his gay brother.
Support Metro Weekly’s Journalism
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
