If you look at attitudes today and where they are headed, it’s clear to me that supporting equal rights, including the rights to civil marriage, is a net positive for winning elections, as well as the right thing to do,” Ken Mehlman said in an interview. “By contrast, opposing equal rights is a net negative that gets problematic to more voters each year.”

Ken Mehlman

Ken Mehlman joined KKR in 2008 and is Global Head of Public Affairs. Prior to joining KKR, Mr. Mehlman was a partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld with a bi-partisan practice in legislative and regulatory counseling. He previously served in high-level positions on Capitol Hill and at the White House, including serving as Chairman of the Republican National Committee. Ken Mehlman came out as gay in an interview with the Atlantic Monthly in 2010. Since then he has actively worked for the cause of marriage equality and has used his connections in the Republican party to fight for equal rights, same-sex marriage, and the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." He is on the board of the American Foundation for Equal Rights and continues to speak out on the issue.

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