"Marriage was ordained by God, instituted among men; it is the glue that binds the American family, and the safest harbor in which to raise children. That is why it is so important to put in that most sacred of documents an affirmation of the foundation of our society - traditional marriage," - Mike Pence, the third-ranking Republican in the House.
He says he chose his "lifestyle" - that his heterosexual orientation was something he didn't experience as a given.
He offers absolutely no recognition of the issues that gay couples face in keeping their families together in the face of massive discrimination by their own government. He endorses nothing like domestic partnerships or civil unions. One of David Cameron's shadow cabinet members, Nick Herbert, is coming to Washington soon to explain how conservatism is indeed compatible with gay civil equality - and how the British Tories have moved to embrace the "Virtually Normal" position and are now very competitive with gay voters. There is a legitimately conservative alternative to this fundamentalism. It just doesn't exist in today's GOP - and has been effectively purged from it.