Dick Cheney, and 53% of the country, support marriage for gay couples.

Words we never thought we’d read in the same sentence: Dick Cheney Gay Marriage Advocate. Perhaps this shouldn’t come as such a surprise; attitudes about gay rights are (to borrow a term from president Obama) “evolving” faster than any equal rights issue in the nation’s history, by some estimations. It was only a few months ago that support for marriage for gay couples inched over the line of becoming a majority position. A new AP Poll is now putting support at 53% across the U.S.

It’s not hard, with a little bit of empathy, to understand why marriage is so important to gay couples. The issue has been a political wedge for decades, but we’re seeing a heartening shift in the public dialogue: in the clip below, the Cheneys don’t talk about marriage in the abstract. They talk about their daughter, Mary, and her partner and children. As we continue to recognize that gay issues are really about the lives of gay people, more hearts and minds will change, paving the way for the legal equality we so desperately need.

What I see here are two loving parents and grandparents who have put politics aside because they see something more important happening. And what’s more, Cheney makes it clear that he hasn’t abandoned his ideology: for him, marriage equality is about the essential freedom all Americans are entitled to. A gesture like this has amazing potential to help this issue rise above partisan lines; if Dick Cheney can come out in support of marriage for gay couples, what’s preventing the rest of us?

Take Action: Share this post and video with your friends — let’s celebrate our culture changing to embrace marriage for all, and help the 44% still opposed see all we’re asking them to support is freedom and the gay people they already care about!

John Huntsman: Republican Gay Rights Champion, or Regular Republican?

Republican presidential candidate John Huntsman  changed his position on the freedom to marry this week, according to The New Civil Rights Movement. Previously, Huntsman has presented himself as LGBT Republicans’ candidate; Charles Moran, a prominent Log Cabin Republican, endorsed his campaign with semi-depressing compliments:

Moran wrote that Huntsman supported legislation that established civil unions for gays in Utah in 2009 and also set up regular meetings with the Log Cabin Republicans as governor.

It’s pretty chill, being the gay rights champion of the Republican candidates. You just need two gay rights credentials, and one of them can be “regular meetings”!

But maybe Hamilton isn’t going to be a gay rights champion at all. The New Civil Rights Movement argues that Huntsman radically changed his position on the freedom to marry on TV this morning.

On MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Huntsman said, “I think redefining marriage is something that would be impossible and it’s something I would not be in favor of,” adding, ironically, what now amounts to his stump speech, saying, “But I believe, just subordinate to marriage we have not done an adequate job in the area of equality and reciprocal beneficiary rights. I’ve spoken out about that, my support of civil unions, some people like it, some people don’t.”

I can’t tell if this is a radical position change, or if this is just a radical wording change. Does he support equal rights for gay and straight couples, and he just doesn’t want to call the gay version “marriage”? Or does he want gay couples to be “subordinate” to straight couples rights-wise as well?

Huntsman will probably clarify his position soon, but I’m curious what you guys think—is legally labeling same-sex marriage “marriage” important to you, or do you just care about the associated rights? Discuss in the comments! And support New Yorkers’ freedom to marry by calling your senator here.