Cory Booker on Civil Rights

Equal marriage rights for same-sex couples are coming

I don't think that we as a country should allow religious differences to undermine the forces that protect the individuality and the uniqueness and diversity of our Nation. I think one of the most intimate choices one can make is who to spend your life with and to be able to choose someone to be your life partner, and proclaim it to the world, "This is my spouse. This is my chosen soul that I am going to take on the world with." To me is such an intimate personal issue, but it also should be a fundamental right when you are in America. I think it's wrong that I can marry certain Americans or Newark residents and I can't marry others. This is a same sex couple. Right now, the law says in New Jersey that I can't marry them. Until I can marry people equally, I don't think I should be doing that at all. I think people need to know what I know with great certainty that equal marriage rights are coming. Source: YouTube video interview, "FreedomToMarry" , Jun 30, 2010

Until college, tolerated gays but was disgusted personally

Until college, tolerated gays but was disgusted personally I was in my tolerance stage or the "I don't give a damn if someone is gay, just as long as they don't bother me" stage. I was well trained in my tolerance. I stopped telling my gay jokes. Of course, I had my gay friend.

Yet, while I was highly adroit

Source: Stanford Daily column (student newspaper), vol. 201, #33 , Apr 8, 1992

Growing up gay today is like growing up Black decades ago

Growing up gay today is like growing up Black decades ago Our gay counselor [had with me] our first real conversation about homosexuality. He told me of people who religiously prayed to God to help them become straight. He told me of the years of denial and the pain of always feeling different. And he told me Source: Stanford Daily column (student newspaper), vol. 201, #33 , Apr 8, 1992

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*Other big-city mayors on Civil Rights:*	*Cory Booker on other issues:*
Mike Bloomberg (I,New York City) Cory Booker (D,Newark,NJ) Julian Castro (D,San Antonio,TX) Rahm Emanuel (D,Chicago) Phil Gordon (D,Phoenix) Tom Menino (D,Boston) Michael Nutter (D,Philadelphia) Annise Parker (D,Houston) Mike Rawlings (D,Dallas) Jerry Sanders (R,San Diego) Antonio Villaraigosa (D,Los Angeles) *Former Mayors:* Rocky Anderson (I,Salt Lake City) Tom Barrett (D,Milwaukee,WI) Jerry Brown (D,Oakland,CA) Rudy Giuliani (R,New York City) Dennis Kucinch (D,Cleveland,OH) Sarah Palin (R,Wasilla,AK)	Abortion Budget/Economy Civil Rights Corporations Crime Drugs Education Energy/Oil Environment Families/Children Foreign Policy Free Trade Govt. Reform Gun Control Health Care Homeland Security Immigration Infrastructure/Technology Jobs Principles/Values Social Security Tax Reform War/Iraq/Mideast Welfare/Poverty

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