Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) predicted that “sooner or later gay marriage is probably going to be approved by the Supreme Court” on “The Doug Wright Show” on Wednesday. Hatch was clear that he didn’t think legalizing same-sex marriage was “the right way to go.” Nonetheless, he argued “anybody that does not believe that gay marriage is going to be the law of the land just hasn’t been observing what’s going on,” and later stated that the “trend right now in the courts is to permit gay marriage.” Hatch also argued that popular opinion, especially among younger voters was moving towards support of gay marriage.
Partial transcript as follows:
WRIGHT: I thought it interesting here in the state of the Utah we have the United Church of Christ. Our neighbors attend that church in Holladay, and they have actually filed a lawsuit saying, ‘We feel like our religious liberties are being denied because we do accept gay marriage, we would like to — within our religious practices — perform a gay marriage and we are being denied that right here in the state of Utah. So, our religious rights are being violated.’
HATCH: Well, these are very tough questions, but they need to be answered, and they need to be answered with good law, which this bill is. Lets face it: anybody that does not believe that gay marriage is going to be the law of the land just hasn’t been observing what’s going on. And, you know, they get mad at Shelby, the federal district judge, because he made that ruling…
But I think it is a portend of the future, that sooner or later gay marriage is probably going to be approved by the Supreme Court of the United States, and certainly as the people in this country move toward it, especially young people. I don’t think that’s the right way to go, on the other hand, I do accept whatever the courts have to say…
The trend right now in the courts is to permit gay marriage and anybody who doesn’t admit that just isn’t living in the real world.
(h/t RCP Video)
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett