Romney rejects anti-marriage equality pledge

Former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney’s campaign will not sign a conservative Iowa Christian group’s far-reaching pledge opposing marriage equality, making him the first GOP presidential candidate to reject it. Two of Romney’s rivals, Minn. Rep. Michele Bachmann and former Penn. Sen. Rick Santorum, have signed The Family Leader‘s 14-point pledge, which calls to denounce marriage equality, pornography, same-sex military accommodations and forms of Islamic law.

A spokeswoman for Romney told The AP in a written statement that the oath “contained references and provisions that were undignified and inappropriate for a presidential campaign.”

None of the other GOP presidential hopefuls, including former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, have said whether they will sign the pledge or not.

Romney, who supported rights for gay couples in Massachusetts, was criticized by some Iowa social conservatives during his 2008 campaign, when he finished second in the caucuses after aggressively courting Christian conservatives.

[via The AP]