Dr. Oz Campaign Stop: Venue Opposed to Marriage Equality
TV presenter and Senate candidate Mehmet Oz, better known as Dr. Oz, has said he supports a federal law that would ensure marriage equality, so his campaign stop at a venue that refuses to accommodate same-sex weddings raised eyebrows.
The Washington Post reported that Oz, who is campaigning for a Senate seat to represent Pennsylvania, was featured at a Nov. 2 campaign event at Stone Gables Estate. The venue's website "says it is 'a biblical faith-based ministry/business,' [and] includes a section labeled 'Our Core Values' that states that it hosts wedding services 'as ordained by God's Word, the Holy Bible, that are consistent with the written truth that marriage is the union of one man and one woman,'" the Post detailed.
Jezebel noted that Oz's past "campaign event venues included a museum where he stood in front of Hitler's car. Notably, the $5,000-a-plate event was hosted by Rep. Matt Gaetz's (R-FL) in-laws."
The campaign for Oz's Democratic opponent in the race, John Fetterman, responded to the choice of venue, saying in an email to Jezebel that "Oz is currently on TV lying to the people of Pennsylvania that he is a moderate, but now he is holding a campaign event at a venue that bans same-sex couples, has January 6th marchers on his staff, and is rallying with Trump and Mastriano this weekend."
"As a candidate for the U.S. Senate, Oz has has been supportive of same-sex marriage," the article added, explaining that "After Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas suggested the court reconsider its landmark 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, Oz indicated he would support a federal law to codify same-sex marriage."
A bill called the Respect for Marriage Act would accomplish the goal of protecting marriage from Supreme Court reversals like the one in June that rescinded the Constitutional rights of women to obtain abortions. Supporters of the act say it would protect marriages not only of same-sex couples but also of interracial couples and couples of differing faith traditions.
The Respect for Marriage Act passed the House of Representatives earlier this year, but its introduction to the Senate has been delayed until after next week's midterm elections. The bill's chances in the Senate are viewed as highly uncertain.
At the Nov. 2 event, Oz pitched a more moderate message than many Republican candidates, telling the audience, "You got to have less extremism, more balance in Washington," the Post reported.
"It's what's gonna allow us to cope with the challenges that this country faces."
The Fetterman campaign took aim at those remarks in its email to Jezebel, saying, "How are you going to 'reject extremism' in DC if you won't reject it right here in PA?"
Oz, who tweeted out his support for a federal law protecting marriage equality in September, "did not mention gay marriage in his brief 10-minute remarks," the Post noted.
The selection of the anti-marriage equality venue is not the first indication that Oz may not be the ally he claims to be. As previously reported, Jezebel has challenged Oz's "flip flops" in the past when it comes to legal equality for the LGBTQ+ community.
The candidate "is hardly an LGBTQ rights supporter, speaking out against trans athletes and backing bills mimicking Florida's dehumanizing 'don't say gay' legislation," Jezebel declared last month.