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Giving voters yet another presidential candidate who favors marriage equality, Roseanne Barr won the nomination of the Peace and Freedom Party during its convention this weekend.
"I am the only serious comedian in this campaign," she joked during the convention. "Both of the others are clowns.”
The television star has long been an outspoken supporter of LGBT rights. She was named The Advocate's "Person of the Year" in 1994 and included in its "Heroes" list for successfully fighting producers and network executives to include some of television's first realistic portrayals of gay characters. She has two siblings who are gay and who have long been in relationships. Barr's sister and partner have been together for 25 years and have twin daughters. Her brother and partner of 26 years have grandchildren.
"They deserve every ounce of equality with any other Americans," Barr told The Advocate. "They are wonderful, productive human beings, and are the reason I am such an activist for LGBT issues and always will be.”
Always the comedian, she added, "I just wish one of my relationships had lasted as long as theirs!”
While Barr is a long-shot to win the highest office in the United States, her name on the Peace and Freedom ticket combined with that of her vice presidential selection — peace activist Cindy Sheehan — is hoped to drive party membership, which will help ensure Peace and Freedom remains on ballots nationwide.
Last cycle, the party ran famed consumer advocate Ralph Nader. He was a former Green Party candidate, a nomination Barr had also sought but was beaten by Jill Stein — who also favors marriage equality.
Another third-party option for LGBT voters might be former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson, who favors marriage equality and is running on the Libertarian Party ticket after dropping out of the Republican Party's primary. President Obama, a Democrat, also favors marriage equality, while Republican Mitt Romney wants to outlaw it via an amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
