Vice President Dick Cheney publicly diverged from President George W. Bush on same-sex marriage in August 2004, arguing at a campaign event in Iowa that the question of marriage recognition should be settled by individual states, not a constitutional amendment.
Cheney, whose daughter Mary is openly gay, said he believed "freedom means freedom for everyone" and that people should be free to form the relationships they choose. He conceded that Bush sets administration policy and has backed a federal amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman.
The remarks drew criticism from conservative groups. Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council told the Washington Post that mixed signals from within the White House complicated efforts to defend traditional marriage, and questioned why Cheney alone was permitted to depart from the administration's position.
The Senate had already voted down a proposed constitutional amendment, 48 to 50, the previous month. California's Supreme Court had also ruled that month to void roughly 4,000 same-sex marriages performed in San Francisco, finding the city's mayor had exceeded his legal authority in sanctioning them.
Gay marriage was emerging as a central issue ahead of the November presidential election, with Democratic nominee John Kerry opposing any constitutional amendment on the subject.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in August 2004, in its own words.