Clint Eastwood lent his support to the fight for gay marriage, adding his name to a legal brief that calls on the US supreme court to legalise same-sex unions.
The Oscar-winning film-maker and actor made an eccentric appearance at last year’s Republican national convention, berating an empty chair to the amusement and bemusement of guests. He now joins a breakaway group of moderate Republicans that threatens to expose a split in the party.
Eastwood is a resident of the state of California, where a constitutional amendment, Proposition 8, limits marriage to a man and a woman. Next month the supreme court is due to hear arguments about the legality of the ban. The arguments could eventually lead to the proposition being overturned and gay marriage being legalised.
The 82-year-old director was one of more than 80 Republicans who signed the “friend of the court” brief, which was then released by the American Foundation for Equal Rights. A recent poll found that 61 per cent of California voters are in favour of same-sex marriage.
The Obama administration has asked the US supreme court to strike down California’s same-sex marriage ban, arguing that it violates the constitution’s guarantee of equal rights. While a powerful backing of same-sex marriage, it did not call for a full federal legalisation of same-sex marriage, as campaigners had hoped. – (Guardian service)