The Celebrity Truth

Country superstar John Rich, half of the duo Big & Rich, has come out against gay marriage, only to retract his comments a day later after they caused controversy stating that he wishes "to state clearly my views."

In an interview with The Tennessean, Rich said he opposed gay marriage saying, ""I think if you legalize that, you’ve got to legalize some other things that are pretty unsavory.

"You can call me a radical, but how can you tell an aunt that she can’t marry her nephew if they are really in love and sharing the bills? How can you tell them they can’t get married, but something else that’s unnatural can happen?"

Big & Rich Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records

However the country rocker clarified his comments after they caused controversy within the gay and lesbian community.

"My earlier comments on same-sex marriage don’t reflect my full views on the broader issues regarding tolerance and the treatment of gays and lesbians in our society. I apologize for that and wish to state clearly my views. I oppose same-sex marriage because my father and minister brought me up to believe that marriage is an institution for the union of a man and a woman. However, I also believe that intolerance, bigotry and hatred are wrong. People should be judged based on their merits, not on their sexual orientation. We are all children of God and should be valued and respected."