Laura Bush Gay Marriage: Former First Lady Wants No Part Of Same-Sex Advocacy Campaign

Former first lady Laura Bush has requested to be removed from a national TV advertisement for a same-sex marriage advocacy campaign, the Dallas Morning News reported.

The Respect for Marriage Coalition, co-chaired by the Human Rights Campaign, included a clip of Bush in its TV spot that also features film excerpts of President Barack Obama, former Vice President Dick Cheney and former Secretary of State Colin Powell, expressing their opinion of same-sex marriage.

Footage of a 2012 CNN interview with Larry King captured Bush saying, “When couples are committed to each other and love each other, then they ought to have the same sort of rights that everyone has.”

The Respect for Marriage Coalition launched its $1 million campaign Wednesday that includes print ads, which will be featured in a number of well-known newspapers, such as Politico, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

The group has decided to stop running the 30-second spot after Friday, instead of editing Bush’s part out, a coalition spokesperson told the Washington Post. It has already been aired on CNN and MSNBC.

According to Bush family spokeswoman Anne MacDonald, the former first lady “did not approve of her inclusion in this advertisement nor is she associated with the group that made the ad in any way.”

However, the Post notes that it is common for organizations to use excerpts in this fashion but not common for public figures to not want to be involved with campaigns that depict their support for an issue.

“We used public comments for this ad from American leaders who have expressed support for civil marriage,” the coalition said in a statement to Politico.

“We appreciate Mrs. Bush’s previous comments but are sorry she didn’t want to be included in an ad. The ad launched a public education campaign that will now move to new and different voices that reflect the depth and breadth of our support.”

Several advocacy groups have notably made efforts to spotlight more GOP members with attitudes in favor of gay advocacy, such as Bush’s daughter Barbara, who was featured in a video by the Human Rights Campaign supporting marriage equality.

Cindy McCain, the wife of 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain, also posted for a photo campaign protesting California’s ban on gay marriage.

None of the other figures featured in the ad have commented on the issue.