Cheney Says He Would Back Gay Marriage Ban

Vice President Dick Cheney, who has said states should handle the issue of gay marriage, now says he would support President Bush if he proposes a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

Cheney, whose daughter is a lesbian, told two Denver newspapers he still believes states should handle the issue, but would support Bush’s position.

Bush has said he respects homosexuals’ rights but draws the line at gay weddings. He asked government lawyers to research ways to legally define marriage as a union between a man and a woman after courts in Massachusetts and other states recognized the right of gays to the civil benefits of marriage.