Marriage Group Rips Gingrich for Saying Gay Unions 'Inevitable'

Traditional-marriage advocates have slammed Newt Gingrich for his assertion that same-sex unions are "inevitable" and Republicans must accept it if they want to win future elections.

“Sometimes good men say stupid things, and this is one of those times,’’ said Frank Schubert of the non-profit National Organization for Marriage.

Last week, Gingrich told the Huffington Post that while he still defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman, he could accept a distinction between a "marriage in a church from a legal document issued by the state.’

The former Republican House Speaker suggested the GOP also accept the distinction.

"I think that this will be much more difficult than immigration for conservatism to come to grips with," Gingrich said.

“It is in every family. It is in every community. The momentum is clearly now in the direction in finding some way to ... accommodate and deal with reality.

“And the reality is going to be that in a number of American states — and it will be more after 2014 — gay relationships will be legal, period."

In his rebuttal, Schubert, the NOM's national political director, praised Gingrich as having “provided a valuable public service to America,’’ but called his conclusion that gay marriage is inevitable "ridiculous."

"His comments suggest the results of marriage races in Maine, Maryland and Washington, which allowed three deep-blue states to endorse redefining marriage means that it is inevitable.

“I wonder if the speaker also thinks that the Republican Party is doomed and can never again win a national election. After all, marriage performed, on average, 6.6 points better than did the Republican ticket in these very Democratic states."

Schubert also insisted that same-sex unions are "no more inevitable than is permanent Democratic control of the White House."

Last year, the National Organization for Marriage lauded Gingrich for signing its “presidential marriage pledge,’’ a promise to uphold marriage as “the union of one man and one woman’’ if he were to become the nation’s commander-in-chief.