Laura Bush Exempts From Pro-Gay Marriage Ad

U.S. former first lady Laura Bush has requested that her spot be removed from a pro-gay marriage advertisement that launched this week. The ad is part of a $1 million print and broadcast media campaign by the Respect for Marriage Coalition.

A new advertisement launched by the Respect for Marriage Coalition on Wednesday.

"Mrs. Bush did not approve of her inclusion in this advertisement nor is she associated in any way with the group that made the ad.

The commercial features a 2010 clip from the former first lady speaking on her support for gay marriage. She tells CNN's Larry King: "When couples are committed to each other and love each other that they ought to have the same sort of rights that everyone has."
Bush's support for gay marriage came as a surprise to much of the U.S. public, as her husband, former U.S. president George W. Bush, has openly voiced his opposition to gay marriage.

According to the  Respect for Marriage Coalition, this new commercial will reportedly hit various Sunday talk shows today. It is expected to also run as full-page print advertisements in major national newspapers, including The New York Times, and online advertisements will appear in the upcoming days.

Currently, there are two gay marriage cases facing the Supreme Court: California's Proposition 8 gay marriage ban, and the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

It was announced today that the Obama administration is considering intervening in the Supreme Court's Proposition 8 case in an attempt to urge the court to overturn the state's ban on gay marriage.