Oregon Republican
U.S. senator Gordon Smith apologized for comments he
made last week that appeared to link same-sex marriage
to polygamy, according to The [Portland]Â Oregonian newspaper.
During a gay
rights forum in Washington, D.C., last week, Gordon was
asked to explain his support of domestic-partner benefits
for same-sex couples while also supporting a
constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union
between one man and one woman.
Gordon, who is
Mormon, then compared the persecution of polygamists to
that same-sex couples are facing.
"Part of
what I fear, as you start defining marriage -- we have a
long history of doing that in this country, and my
Mormon pioneer ancestors were the victims of that.
They were literally driven from the United States in
the dead of winter for following their religious
beliefs," said Smith, according to the Wall
Street Journal.
Smith apologized
on Tuesday for mentioning polygamy while discussing
same-sex marriage.
"If
you'd grown up a Mormon and spent your life trying to
get out from the shadow of that legacy -- it's
an emotional scar that you carry," Smith said,
according to The Oregonian . "I meant no offense by sharing that
part of my history." (The Advocate)
