Sen. Nelson Vows to Support Gay Marriage

In a statement to the Tampa Bay Times editorial board, Florida Sen. Bill Nelson has pledged to support gay marriage.

According to the statement, Nelson pledged to sign a petition asking the Supreme Court to overturn the prohibition of same-sex marriage.

Nelson, a 70-year-old Democrat, said in the statement:

"It is generally accepted in American law and U.S. society today '. . . that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.' I believe that. The civil rights and responsibilities for one must pertain to all."

Nelson joins a growing list of Democrats to support same-sex marriage. His statements represent a change in his position on gay marriage.

According to the Huffington Post, now only six Senate Democrats have not voiced their support for same-sex marriage. 

Sens. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) all do not support gay marriage, Huffington Post reported. 

The following is Nelson's full statement to the editorial board: 

Below is the full statement Nelson gave the newspaper:

"It is generally accepted in American law and U.S. society today "that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.''

I believe that. The civil rights and responsibilities for one must pertain to all.
Thus, to discriminate against one class and not another is wrong for me.
If we are endowed by our Creator with rights, then why shouldn't those be attainable by gays and lesbians?
Simply put, if the Lord made homosexuals as well as heterosexuals, why should I discriminate against their civil marriage? I shouldn't, and I won't.
So I will add my name to the petition of senators asking the Supreme Court to declare the law that prohibits gay marriage unconstitutional."

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