Video: Bush’s daughter “comes out” in support of gay marriage

I’ve got to give it to former first daughter Barbara Bush.

It’s hard enough to disagree with your parents in private. But by choosing to speak out for equal marriage as part of the “New Yorkers for Marriage Equality” campaign, she’s taking a courageous and important public stand in favor of justice and equality, and I’m loving it.

The New York Times has a great story about Bush’s participation, including details about other prominent Republican leaders whose family members have stepped out to embrace same-sex marriage, and the generational split in attitudes towards same-sex marriage that suggests slow but certain progress for the LGBTQ agenda.

Check her out in the video below, part of an initiative by the advocacy group Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality. Transcript is included after the jump.

Transcript:
“I am Barbara Bush, and I am a New Yorker for marriage equality. New York is about fairness and equality. And everyone should have the right to marry the person that they love.”

The video ends with Ms. Bush, who lives in Manhattan, imploring the state’s residents to “join us.”

While calls for marriage equality seem to me like common sense at this point, we should still be thankful when someone puts it on the line to speak up for equality. HRC has created a simple way for you to send a note to Barbara expressing your appreciation for her speaking out for equal rights. Click here to send your message of thanks.

And for a more nuanced take, check out The Root on whether or not the gay-marriage agenda adequately reflects the needs and desires of gay families, which new research shows are browner and poorer than expected.