Retired Gen. Colin Powell — the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff whose voice in 1993 in support of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was used by those fighting to uphold the law in Congress and the courts up until its repeal in 2010 — is as strong a sign as any of the changing views of the country on marriage equality.
Today, in an interview clip just released, the former secretary of state told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer of same-sex couples that he knows, “[T]hey are as stable a family as my family is … [a]nd so I don’t see any reason not to say that they should be able to get married.”
Powell served as secretary of state under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005, and his name was raised often as a potential Republican presidential or vice presidential candidate — although he declined interest in either role.
The news comes two weeks after President Obama announced on May 9 that he had “evolved” on the issue and now believes that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry. Blitzer referenced Powell’s role in “installing” DADT and then asked, “Are you with the President in supporting gay marriage?”
Powell responded, “I have no problem with it. And, it was the Congress that imposed ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ though it was certainly my position and my recommendation to get us out of an even worse outcome that could have occurred, as you’ll recall. But as I’ve thought about gay marriage, I know a lot of friends who are individually gay but are in partnerships with loved ones, and they are as stable a family as my family is, and they raise children. And so I don’t see any reason not to say that they should be able to get married.”
Thailand is one step closer to legalizing marriage equality after lawmakers in the country's lower house of parliament voted to approve a bill permitting same-sex couples to wed.
The bill overwhelmingly passed by a vote of 400-10 in its final reading on March 27.
It now heads to the country's Senate, where it must be approved, before finally having Thailand's king sign off on the policy change. The law could be enacted as soon as 120 days after the king's assent, reports Al Jazeera.
If the bill surmounts those obstacles, Thailand would become the third Asian country to legalize same-sex nuptials, following Taiwan and Nepal.
Leo Varadkar, Ireland's youngest, first openly gay, and first multiracial prime minister, announced on March 20 that he is stepping down from office.
Varadkar resigned as leader of the Fine Gael political party and will resign as prime minister -- or taoiseach -- once a successor is named.
Standing on the steps of the Government Buildings in Dublin, the 45-year-old said he was stepping down for "personal and political" reasons, "but mainly political," reported The Guardian.
"I believe this government can be re-elected," Varadkar said. "I believe a new taoiseach will be better placed than me to achieve that -- to renew and strengthen the top team, to refocus our message and policies, and to drive implementation. After seven years in office, I am no longer the best person for that job."
Former CNN anchor Don Lemon announced that his new digital show on X was canceled following his interview with the app's owner, Elon Musk, as part of the show's inaugural episode.
The Don Lemon Show was set to start streaming on Monday, March 18, on the social media platform. Lemon said that he believed he had a good interaction with Musk, who apparently did not take kindly to the interview.
"We had a good conversation," Lemon wrote in a statement. "Clearly he felt differently. His commitment to a global town square where all questions can be asked and all ideas can be shared seems not to include questions of him from people like me."
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