The Gov and Gay Marriage

Dan Weintraub has a very good column in the Sacramento Bee providing context on Schwarzenegger's recent announcement that he is opposed to a ballot measure reaffirming California's ban on gay marriage. Weintraub is right that Schwarzenegger has essentially made his position on the issue no position: the governor has said he wouldn't mind if the courts or the voters legalized same-sex marriage.

In my own interviews with Schwarzenegger while reporting on him for the LA Times and for a 2006 book (and UPDATE: take a look at this excellent Kate Folmar piece on the subject), I found him more elusive on this subject than any other. In Weintraub's column, a prominent social conservative is quoted as saying the governor has "flip flopped" from his supposed position of believing marriage should be "between a man and a woman." I don't know how anyone can say Schwarzenegger flip flopped when he never flipped in the first place. In fact, Schwarzenegger has already receited the "a man and a woman" line more as a legal fact -- California voters did that by approving Prop. 22 in 2000 -- rather than his view of how things should be. And during the recall, his statement on the subject was, "gay marriage is between a man and a woman." An all-time classic malaprop, it seemed at the time. Now, a small part of me wonders whether it was a clever dodge.

I once spent almost an entire interview trying to pin Schwarzenegger down on the issue. He repeated again and again that the California constitution says what it says. I thought I had him when I asked, "Yes or no, did you vote for Prop 22?" That occasioned a pregnant pause and a slightly worried look. Then, with the glint back in his eye, the governor said, "I don't remember." With that, he ended the conversation.

Such behavior is consistent with Schwarzenegger's longstanding strategy of avoiding discussion of social issues; he prefers to talk about the budget, political reform, health care and other such topics. But on this issue, his dance has begun to feel a little bit like cowardice. Those who know Schwarzenegger have little doubt about his true views. Weintraub points out that some top Schwarzenegger aides, including his chief of staff, are openly gay or lesbian and in committed relationships. But it's deeper than that with him. Schwarzenegger grew up in a frankly sexual bodybuilding culture in which being gay was accepted. One wonders if any of his old friends are giving him a hard time about his failure to take a stand now.