An overview of the founding of Project Right Side and its mission: to prove gay marriage can be a conservative value.

1. Is Same-Sex Marriage
Compatible With
Conservative Values?

3. What is Project Right Side?
 Project Right Side is a non-profit think
tank dedicated to providing political
research and analysis.
 Committed to improving political
conditions for LGBT issues and
convincing Republicans same-sex
marriage can be a conservative
value.
 Launched by former Republican
National Committee chairman Ken
Mehlman in 2012.

4. Who is Ken Mehlman?
 Served as the 62nd Republican National
Committee Chairman and campaign manager for
President Bush’s 2004 election.
 Came out as gay to the Atlantic in 2012, stated
that he would be devoting time to same-sex
marriage activism.
 Organized dozens of socially moderate
Republicans to sign a prominent amicus brief
against Prop 8 in 2013.
 Hired at private equity firm KKR as the Head of
Public Affairs in late 2013.

5. Why Same-Sex Marriage is a
Conservative Value
“Maximizing freedom isn't the only conservative value
enhanced by allowing civil marriage for same-gender
couples. It will promote stability, responsibility and
commitment -- family values that we often encourage
in public policy.”
“Marriage encourages people to think beyond their
own needs, to create loving households, to build a
support network so people can be cared for in
sickness, old age and hard times. “
– Ken Mehlman

6. Lots of Republicans Agree!
 "I support the right of all Americans to marry the person they
love and choose because I believe doing so promotes both
values: it keeps politicians out of the most private and personal
aspects of peoples’ lives – while also encouraging more families
to form and more adults to make a lifetime commitment to one
another.” – Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
 "Same-sex couples should have the right to civil marriage. Our
time on this earth is limited, I know that better than most. Life
comes down to who you love and who loves you back—
government has no place in the middle.” – Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL)
 "I have come to believe that if two people are prepared to
make a lifetime commitment to love and care for each other in
good times and in bad, the government shouldn’t deny them
the opportunity to get married.” – Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH)

7. 61% of young Republicans
favor same-sex marriage
“Today, 61% of Republicans and
Republican leaners under 30
favor same-sex marriage while
just 35% oppose it. By contrast,
just 27% of Republicans ages 50
and older favor allowing gays
and lesbians to marry.”
– Pew Research Center

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