Gavin Newsom, the Democratic San Francisco mayor, gave an interview to Rolling Stone in which he discussed gay marriage and the lack of public support from other Democrats.

From Rolling Stone

"Where's the moral courage? It's lost. I have the luxury of saying this from San Francisco, I certainly respect what it's like saying this in parts of Kentucky or North Carolina, but also believe this issue won't go away for the Democratic party we stand up on historic principles.

We've never run the 90-yard dash on equality - ever. The history of this party is civil rights, women's rights, human rights, labor rights, gay and lesbian rights. And for us to hold up civil unions and say that separate is somehow now equal - when just a-year-and-a-half we ago celebrated the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board - is transparent to the people. They see through the Democrats.

I tell all of my fellow Democrats this is not going to go away. As long as we allow this to be dangled in front of us because of our unwillingness to say publicly what so many of us are saying privately, it will haunt the Democratic party. And it will be used as a wedge issue just as it is being dangled in front of congressional candidates in the November election.

Not every Democrat in Washington agrees with gay marriage. But I will make the case - based on some strong evidence - that an overwhelming majority do. But they just can't say it. And that is a limitation that is causing more damage than the issue. Because, again, it shows a weakness of character.

This is really one of the great final civil rights struggles, and again I say to my colleagues in the Democratic party: Why are you a Democrat if you can't stand on a fundamental construct that has always distinguished our party. That we didn't sit around. We advanced the issues of equality. We engaged the American people head on."

NATIONAL AFFAIRS EXCLUSIVE: Mayor Gavin Newsom on Gay Marriage [Rolling Stone]

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