Four of Five Candidates for Michigan Governor Back Gay Unions

Four of the five major party candidates in the Michigan gubernatorial race would support a bill establishing civil unions for same-sex partners, the Detroit Free Press reports. Answering questions the paper posed in a survey to all candidates, Democrats Jim Blanchard, David Bonior, and Jennifer Granholm, along with Republican Joe Schwarz, said Michigan should continue to ban gay marriage but should instead establish recognition of domestic partnership. Republican Dick Posthumus opposes both.

The paper also asked the candidates about their stand on adoption by gay men and lesbians and whether they think the state's sodomy law should be overturned. Granholm, who has the endorsement of the pro-gay Pride political action committee, said she supports adoption by gays but declined to take a stand on the sodomy law other than to say, "We shouldn't have laws that invade the privacy of consenting adults," according to the Free Press. Schwarz declined to state his stand on adoption, saying the issue is in the courts. The paper did not say where Schwarz stands on the sodomy law or where the other candidates stand on either of the issues.