Rick Perry signs NOM’s marriage pledge

Presidential candidate Rick Perry has signed the National Organization for Marriage’s marriage pledge, the group announced on Friday. The Texas governor has a record of anti-LGBT sentiment including support for sodomy laws and close associations with anti-gay hate groups.

“Kudos to Gov. Rick Perry for making it clear: he’s a marriage champion,” said Brian Brown, president of NOM, in a statement on Friday. “By doing so, Perry makes crystal clear that, contrary to the conventional wisdom, gay marriage is going to be a bigger issue in 2012 than it was in 2008, because the difference between the GOP nominee and Pres. Obama is going to be large and clear.”

The NOM pledge asks candidates to support a federal constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriage, to overturn marriage equality in the District of Columbia and to appoint a commission to investigate supporters of marriage equality.

Already, GOP candidates Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum, and Mitt Romney have signed the pledge.