BOSTON (AP) – While Gov. Mitt Romney was in Washington arguing for a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex unions, another high-profile Republican was in Boston delivering a homily at a gay wedding.
Former Gov. William F. Weld attended the wedding Tuesday of his former revenue commissioner and college friend Mitchell Adams and chief of staff Kevin Smith at King’s Chapel.
Weld says he’s opposed to any constitutional amendment barring gay marriage, but says there is room in the Republican Party for people with a variety of opinions.
“I think the Republican Party is a big tent,” Weld said after the ceremony. “If I’d been down there (in Washington) I would have been testifying on the opposite side of the issue, but you can have Republicans testifying on opposite sides.”
The marriage was the first same-sex ceremony Weld has attended.
“I was terrified when I saw I’d been assigned the homily. I didn’t know what a homily was so I just told war stories about Mitchell and Kevin,” he said.
In his testimony before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Romney said same sex marriage “may affect the development of children and thereby future society as a whole.”
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino also attended the wedding. Menino said he has seen growing acceptance of gay marriage.
“I found more and more people support same-sex marriage as I go around the city,” he said.
The nuptials drew other high profile guests including forming acting Gov. Jane Swift, Senate President Robert Travaglini, state Auditor Joseph DeNucci and former Attorney General Francis Bellotti.
AP-ES-06-22-04 1822EDT
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