The Huffington Post: on Civil Rights

Alison Grimes: Both supportive and apprehensive about marriage equality

Grimes' campaign issued a virtually identical statement in February when the same federal judge ruled that Kentucky must recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. This isn't the first time Grimes has seemed reluctant to discuss the issue: In August, she declined to express her views on marriage equality in an interview with Politico. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), whom Grimes is attempting to unseat, opposed the ruling.

Amanda Curtis: Repeal state ban on sodomy; make gay sex legal

"The good news," according to Curtis, is that that the bill--designed to repeal a law that targets gay individuals--will move forward in the state House after a 60-38 vote. "The bad news is that there are 38 people in the House who think that's how their district wants them to vote, or they are not listening to their district and believe so strongly that gays should be felons that they have a moral obligation to keep it that way."

Curtis said it was hard for her to hold herself back from walking "across the floor" during debate on the bill in order to "punch" her colleague, state Rep. Krayton Kerns, who "insinuated that if you are gay you do not have a moral character." In 1997, the state Supreme Court ruled that the 40-year-old ban on sodomy was unconstitutional, but the state legislature has yet to repeal the statute.

Baron Hill: 2006: Marriage is sacred; 2015: guarantee marriage equality

During his final years in Congress, in 2011, the pro-LGBT Human Rights Campaign gave Hill a 70% rating on issues of equality. Though Hill did oppose amending the Constitution to ban same-sex marriage, he didn't exactly champion the right for same-sex couples to wed either. In fact, he campaigned against it. During his 2006 re-election campaign, Hill ran an ad in which he said that "marriage between a man and woman is sacred." But support for same-sex marriage has become significantly more mainstream since Hill's time in office.

Baron Hill: For ENDA & against DADT & in Congress; evolved on marriage

"Baron is proud to support marriage equality--bottom line, everyone deserves equal rights," the statement read, adding, "Like many Americans, Baron's personal views have continued to evolve on this issue and he feels strongly that no Hoosier should be made to feel less equal because of who they love."

LGBT equality has been a hot topic in Indiana since Gov. Mike Pence (R) signed a so-called religious freedom law that could have allowed businesses to deny service to same-sex couples. After significant national backlash, Pence signed a revised version of the measure.

Bob McDermott: Amendment for marriage only by opposite-sex couples

Another would redefine the term 'place of public accommodation' to allow any religiously-affiliated organization--including hotels, restaurants, movie theaters, hospitals, retail stores, even mortuaries--to deny services to LGBT people. Neither bill has a single co-sponsor.

McDermott is leading opposition to a bill to ban public school teachers from promoting 'gay conversion therapy,' a practice discredited by all leading national medical and psychological authorities because it is ineffective, risky, and can be harmful.

Carly Fiorina: Marriage is between a man and a woman; but civil unions ok

Chris McDaniel: Dems want homosexual marriage legal in all 50 states

Condoleezza Rice: Supports civil unions but not gay marriage

Don Blankenship: I'm an American person; 'Chinaperson' isn't racist

"I have an issue when the father-in-law is a wealthy Chinaperson and there's a lot of connections to some of the brass, if you will, in China," Blankenship said on a radio show.

During Tuesday night's debate, Blankenship repeated his claim that McConnell had "conflicts of interest with China." The candidate has made attacking the Senate majority leader a centerpiece of his GOP Senate primary campaign.

Heidi Heitkamp: AdWatch: Featured in DSCC ad: "Elect more women to Senate"

"It's time to end the culture wars and get to work for the middle class. Time to elect more women to the U.S. Senate," a female narrator says, followed by clips of 11 female Democratic challengers and incumbents up for reelection endorsing the ad. "Send a Democratic woman to the Senate," the commercial's text reads under portraits of the women. "Send them all."

Howard Schultz: Better race relations starts with conversation

"Many shared personal experiences & offered ideas about how to move the conversation, our company & our country forward. People spoke with such conviction and vulnerability. Everyone demonstrated compassion and personal courage. The Forum was at times uncomfortable, yet overall it was enlightening. It provided many of us, myself included, with a deeper understanding around issues of race and the realities facing our country.

Jason Carter: Civil marriage equality, but don't tell churches what to do

The statement came in response to an editorial in The GA Voice that criticized him for sidestepping the issue, despite attending various LGBT-related events.

Carter himself later said, "I have, for a very long time, supported marriage equality. Everybody who knows me knows where I stand on the issue. I haven't had a conversion. I do think it's important for people to know that no one in the movement is talking about telling churches what to do. But as far as the government is concerned, marriage equality is something I have believed in for a very, very, very long time since before I got into politics."

Jerry Sanders: Proud to testify for same-sex marriage equality

My thinking on this important issue has evolved significantly in the past few years. Not long ago, I believed that civil unions were an acceptable alternative for same-sex couples. Like many people, I mistakenly thought there was no difference between a civil union and a marriage.

My eyes were opened in 2007, when I had to decide whether to support a ban on same-sex marriage in my capacity as mayor of San Diego. I realized that my position was inconsistent with one of my core principles: that every community deserves to be treated with equal dignity and respect.

Jerry Sanders: 2007: Switched from supporting civil unions to marriage

Running for mayor in 2005, I did not believe that marriage equality was an issue for city governments to address. When I was asked, I said I supported civil unions, believing they were an acceptable compromise on a divisive issue.

In 2007, the City Council challenged California's ban on same-sex marriage. I had 10 days to decide whether to sign or veto the resolution. I was advised that signing the resolution could end my political career, because I would be reversing a position I took as a candidate. [Listening to both sides], I realized that all opposition to same-sex marriage, including my own opposition, was grounded in prejudice. I knew my position was wrong, and that marriage equality was an issue I needed to address as mayor. And I knew I would sign the resolution.

Jim Gray: Openly gay mayor of Lexington: not all are anti-gay

"Well, I would first say there's no place for bigotry and prejudice and discrimination, and it always threatens liberty and justice and freedom," he said in an interview, discussing Kentucky's Democratic voters rallying around him. "I won the primary, [winning in] every county in the state. And we expect momentum heading into the fall. And I see people across the state who are interested in the issues that are really pressing issues.

Jimmy Carter: Supports civil marriage equality

Joni Ernst: Federal ban ok, but leave same-sex marriage to states

During Thursday's Republican debate, the candidates vying for the GOP nomination were asked for their take on same-sex marriage. "I do believe that marriage is between one man and one woman, and I also believe that this is a state's right. And I have a record of this here in the state of Iowa," she said. "It is up to the people to make that decision, so allow the states to make that decision."

Ernst noted her work on a bill in the Iowa state Senate authorizing a vote on a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in the state. Ernst was one of the bill's co-sponsors. But despite her support for the right of the people "to make that decision," she said she would back a federal constitutional amendment barring gays and lesbians from getting married. "If it would come up at the federal level, I would support it," she said.

Justin Amash: Repeal DOMA: Government shouldn't be involved in marriage

This sparked a series of tweets with HuffPost about where he stands on repealing DOMA. Amash emphasized that his support for repealing DOMA is tied to his belief that government shouldn't be involved in anyone's marriage. Amash's spokesman explained the congressman's libertarian-leaning position on the matter earlier this week: "In his ideal world, the governments--at all levels all together--would get out of marriage. But as a federal legislator, he's in charge of shaping federal law and so he's willing to oppose the federal government's definition of marriage in DOMA."

Michael Enzi: We need civility for gays; not more laws

Q: How do you plan to help Wyoming live up to its name as 'The Equality State' for the LGBT community?

A: Everything can't be done by law. What we need to have is a little civility between people. We always say that in Wyoming you can be just about anything you want to be, as long as you don't push it in somebody's face. I know a guy who wears a tutu and goes to bars on Friday night and is always surprised that he gets in fights. Well, he kind of asks for it. That's the way that he winds up with that kind of problem. The biggest thing that we need is civility.

Mike Chenault: Lambasted laughing at same-sex equality issue, apologizes

Republican Party: Remove Rep. from committees for "white supremacist" comments

"I think we spoke loud and clear that we will not tolerate this in the Republican Party," McCarthy added. "That is not the America I know, and it's most definitely not the party of Lincoln."

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) also denounced King, saying his statements were "unwelcome and unworthy of his elected position." McConnell added, "If he doesn't understand why 'white supremacy' is offensive, he should find another line of work."

King held seats on the House committees on agriculture, the judiciary and small business.

Rick Snyder: Recognize 300 gay marriages conducted in 2014

"The judge has determined that same-sex couples were legally married on that day, and we will follow the law and extend state marriage benefits to those couples," Snyder said. The U.S. Supreme Court decided in January to take up the decision. The court's ruling, expected by June, could end the debate on gay marriage in the United States once and for all

Snyder called on his fellow Republicans in January to keep up efforts to end discrimination against LGBT individuals.

Rick Snyder: Add LGBT anti-discrimination to civil rights law

However, that same month, Snyder remained silent as the state's attorney general argued for Michigan's gay marriage ban. The governor's own position on gay marriage has been described as "head-spinning."

Steve Grossman: Embrace marriage equality in the Democratic Party platform

If a plank is adopted, it would be the first time the party's platform has embraced marriage equality. The Democratic platform will be ratified at the national convention, which begins Sept. 3 in Charlotte, N.C.

Terri Lynn Land: Women want job flexibility more than equal pay

"Well, we all like to be paid more and that's great, but the reality is that women have a different lifestyle," Land said at the 2010 Senior Women's Club event. "They have kids. They have to take them to get dentist appointments, doctor's appointments, all those kinds of things. And they're more interested in flexibility in a job than pay."

Women make 74 cents to every dollar a man makes for work in Michigan. Michigan is ranked 45 out of 50 states in terms of how much women are paid compared with men.

American Bridge 21st Century, which publicized the video, is a liberal super-PAC that conducts opposition research on behalf of Democratic candidates and liberal issues.