Carly Fiorina Is Trying to Be More Antigay, Win More Votes

As she shores up her rising support in Iowa, Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina is backing away from equality for same-sex couples.

Fiorina is now tied for third place in Iowa, according to the Real Clear Politicspolling average, competing neck and neck with Sen. Ted Cruz, who is known for being outspokenly socially conservative, and antigay in particular.

In an interview with Jan Mickelson, a conservative radio host in the state, Fiorina said recently that the Supreme Court's decision legalizing marriage equality nationwide is actually not the "law of the land." Right Wing Watchcalled her out for that stance, saying it totally contradicts what she said when the ruling came down in June.

"I think the Supreme Court ruling will become the law of the land, and however much I may agree or disagree with it, I wouldn't support an amendment to reverse it," Fiorina had said on-camera in an interview posted with a conservative blog at the time. She added, "I very much hope that we would come to a place now in this nation where we can support their decision and at the same time support people's right to have, to have, to hold religious views and to protect their right to exercise those views."

Now Fiorina claims she never said that.

"I think that is a quote from someone else, not from me," she claimed when confronted about her comments by Mickelson, the conservative radio host.

It's unclear whether this means Fiorina now once again supports a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, or whether she's jumping on the "judicial tyranny" bandwagon that is being led by the likes of Cruz and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee.

Fiorina later elaborated on some of what she now truly feels about marriage equality, saying every state needs an Indiana style "Religious Freedom Restoration Act" -- the one that made its way through the legislature there before being taken back by lawmakers overwhelmed by national backlash.

"We need to invest our political capital and our leadership now in protecting religious liberty all across this nation, which means every state needs to enact a religious freedom protection act, as we have a national act," said Fiorina in a follow-up interview with Mickelson. "And it also reminds us how important it is who's on the Supreme Court. So, let's focus our energies on making sure we have the right nominees and the right protections and liberties."

For its parts, the Human Rights Campaign attacked Fiorina for backpedaling on her original statement and then returning to regressive views on LGBT equality.

"Carly Fiorina is playing politics with the constitutional right of LGBT Americans to be treated equally under the law in order to advance her longshot campaign for president," said JoDee Winterhof, the HRC's senior vice president of policy and political affairs, in a statement. "What Carly Fiorina can't deny is that her track record includes support for the discriminatory Prop 8 and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence's anti-LGBT right to discriminate bill. Carly Fiornia's extreme anti-LGBT positions put her out of the mainstream of the American people."

Watch the original Fiorina comment, followed by her denial of having said it: