Mitt Romney Tells Faith And Freedom Coalition Audience “My View Is That We Should Defend The Defense Of Marriage Act” And Wants Constitutional Amendment Defining Marriage As That Existing Between One Man And One Woman, Rick Santorum’s Wife Says Presidential Candidate Has Been “Vilified” By Gay Activists, Weekend Named Best Drama By Gay And Lesbian Critics

In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, making a rare debate-day appearance at a revival meeting-like event packed with Christian conservative voters, Mitt Romney tweaked his traditional stump speech to highlight a handful of social issues he rarely mentions unprompted on the trail. MSNBC reports that Romney's appearance -- along with those of the other four remaining presidential candidates -- at today's Faith and Freedom Coalition (a coalition headed by conservative cultural war oddity Ralph Reed) event underscores the importance of the conservative Christian vote in the state. In a December NBC News/Marist poll of likely South Carolina voters, 44-percent identified themselves as fundamentalist or evangelical Christians, and capturing even a slice of this constituency could help Romney close out his third consecutive primary victory in a state where most polling shows him holding onto a narrow lead. The former Massachusetts governor's brief remarks today went beyond his normal jobs-and-economy-focused message to contrast his positions on social issues with those of President Obama."[Obama's] path is one which sends the vice president of the United States to China, where he tells the people there that he understands their one child policy -- where he understands ... all that's associated with it, the abuses associated with that policy." Romney said. "My view is the next president of the United States should stand up for the sanctity of human life in the United States, and anywhere in the world in which it is threatened. This president has tried to pave the path for same-sex marriage to spread across the country. My view is that we should defend the Defense of Marriage Act and that we should have a constitutional amendment that defines marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman."Romney also made mention of new endorsers Jay and Jordan Sekulow, heads of the conservative American Center for Law and Justice, with the elder Sekulow well known for arguing conservative social causes before the Supreme Court. Not mentioned by Romney this afternoon: his newest endorser, former presidential candidate Jon Huntsman, who suspended his campaign and endorsed Romney at a press conference this morning. "Now I know why we had a hard time confirming Jon Huntsman," Faith and Freedom coalition chairman Ralph Reed joked near the end of the event. "I was in touch with his campaign all day yesterday."

Rick Santorum's wife came to his defense Monday, and Santorum elaborated on his opposition to gay marriage, when a South Carolina supporter asked him how she should explain her presidential preference to her gay son. "My youngest son is gay," said an emotional mother from Greenville, S.C. "I debated for the longest time how to handle my support of you, because what he's been hearing is, 'oh, Rick Santorum hates gays.'" She added that she has a "sense of guilt [for supporting Santorum], because his friends react to what they hear -- help me," she said. "How do I deal with that?" According to The Washington Examiner, Karen Santorum, Rick's wife, answered first. "I think it's very sad what the gay activists have done out there; they vilify him, and it's so wrong," she said. "Rick does not hate anyone." Mrs. Santorum noted that opponents "can't even find one example" of her husband hating gay people. Rick Santorum cast his opposition to same sex marriage as a "public policy difference," lamenting that "some see that public policy difference as a personal assault." Rick added, "There's all sorts of other relationships that people have, and they are valuable relationships -- whether they are amorous relationships or friendship relationships or familial relationships -- they're all important, they all have value they all should be affirmed. But that does not mean that we should change the laws to order -- to create an atmosphere where children and families are not being promoted." The mother noted that her son, though gay, does not have a problem with Santorum's opposition to same sex marriage because he doesn't support gay marriage either. She was primarily concerned about the perception that Santorum hates gay people.

Andrew Haigh’s Weekend, a British film about the relationship that develops between two men during the course of a brief hook-up, has been named both best film of the year and best LGBT film of the year by the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association. Announcing the winners of its Dorian Awards on Monday, GALECA, which is made up of 50 critics and entertainment journalists, also singled out Meryl Streep for film performance of the year for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady, and Michael Fassbender, who earned the "We’re Wilde About You Rising Star of the Year" prize for his performance as a sex addict in Shame, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 50/50, the cancer comedy starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt was named "Unsung Film" of the year, while David Weissman and Bill Weber's documentary We Were Here, about how AIDS affected San Francisco in the '80s, took two awards – best documentary and best LGBT documentary. American Horror Story and Modern Family were selected best TV drama and TV comedy respectively. Modern Family also earned an award as best LGBT-themed TV show of the year. Awards for campiest film and TV show of the year, whether intentional or not, were given to The Muppets movie and ABC's Revenge. In other categories, Glee and Lady Gaga Presents the Monster Ball Tour tied for TV musical program of the year; Jessica Lange’s turn in American Horror Story, for which the actress also won a Golden Globe, was hailed as TV performance of the year; ABC’s sitcom Suburgatory was chosen "Unsung TV Show"; Kathy Griffin was proclaimed “Wilde Wit of the Year”; and Betty White was recognized with a “Timeless Star” award.