Despite support for gay marriage being at a record high, Tony Perkins, president of the conservative Family Research Council, is arguing that the Supreme Court’s upcoming decision on the issue will not be the final say.
“The court is not going to settle this issue. In fact, I think it does a disservice to both sides if the court weighs in on public policy like this,” said Perkins on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “The courts are designed to interpret the constitution and the constitutionality of the laws, not create public policy. When they do that, they create division and they erect barriers to reaching consensus on public policy like this.”
Gay marriage is currently legal in 37 states and the district of Columbia. The Supreme Court will hear legal arguments on Tuesday on the issue and the case could ultimately settle whether the right to marry someone of the same-sex is protected by the Constitution.
“Face the Nation” host Bob Schieffer acknowledged that Perkins’ organization has been labeled as an anti-gay, hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center and that the show was inundated with requests to not have Perkins on as a guest.
Perkins also argued that if the nation’s highest court rules in favor of gay marriage, it will be open season of people of faith, an eyebrow-raising argument that former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee made last week. The potential Republican presidential candidate and staunch social conservative suggested criminal charges could be brought against those who preach against same-sex marriage or those who refuse to marry gay couples.
Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry — a group lobbying for gay marriage — said on “Face the Nation” that Perkins is an “outlier” while the vast majority of Americans embrace gay couples being able to tie the knot.









