John Hawkins, a former state senator for the 12th district, spearheaded the campaign to pass a constitutional ban on marriage equality in South Carolina in 2005. The ban in still on the books in the state keeping gays and lesbians from the same marriage rights straight couples celebrate in the state.
Today, however, Hawkins has had a change of heart on the issue. From Live5News in Charleston:
"I was wrong about pursuing the marriage amendment," Hawkins said. "I wish I hadn't been so strident against it."
Hawkins said his opinion changed over the past eight years because of "enlightenment, empathy and understanding."
"Alliance for Full Acceptance" Executive Director Warren Redman-Gress said he invited Hawkins to speak before the group's bi-monthly meeting after reading a Facebook post from the former lawmaker, which detailed his changed opinion.
"I'm really hoping that people are going to walk away from this with a little bit of healing," he said. "It would be great if everyone who stood against us in the Senate said, ‘We were wrong; In fact, you really do deserve equal rights.'"
Hawkins served in the state Senate from 2001 until 2009 and currently works as a lawyer in Greenville. He says he has no plans to run for public office again.
"People can change," "There is hope for change for people in all stripes for acceptance of our fellow human beings and their right to marry."
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