A real leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus. "Many people fear nothing more terribly," he insisted, "than to take a position which stands out sharply and clearly from the prevailing opinion."

That is why when those who live in the public eye speak out for the truth -- that what is best for children and by extension society, is a family headed by a wedded man and woman - they should be commended. This past week, three leading politicians took that stand, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), Representative Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) and Senator Marco Rubio(R-Fla.).

First, Senator Rubio made it clear that he is proud of where he stands: "Just because I believe states should have the right to define marriage in the traditional way does not make me a bigot,"

This was followed by Representative Gohmert articulating why those of us who stand for marriage do: "(W)hen you look historically, you see the nuclear family home... you see society break down, and you see a society, a civilization in decline, all under the name of advancement -- but it's normally on the road to the dust bin of history." It's hard, he explained, "to argue biologically that is what nature intended or we would not have had a second generation on this earth."

And then, this past weekend Speaker Boehner made it clear when he said on a Sunday morning news show that he will not waver: ""I believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. ... It's what I grew up with. It's what I believe. It's what my church teaches me."

Please take the time today to thank these brave men for standing up for marriage and showing true leadership.