At the “Thanksgiving Family Forum” in Des Moines on Saturday, Michele Bachmann told the audience that “family” is defined as only between a man and a woman. Bachmann had previously called for marriage to be defined as the union of a man and a woman but has now come out against families that don’t fit that definition.

“I will do whatever it takes because the first and foremost unit of government in this nation is family and the family is defined as one man, one woman, no other definition will do. That’s the definition i will champion as President of the United States.”

Bachmann also praised Minnesota Republicans for passing an anti-gay marriage amendment and said that she got death threats when she carried the bill back in 2004.

Bachmann made he remarks at the “Thanksgiving Family Forum,” a presidential debate hosted by the Family Leader, an anti-gay group associated with the Family Research Council, and the National Organization for Marriage, a group that is working with the Catholic church and the Minnesota Family Council to pass an amendment in Minnesota.

Here’s a transcript of Bachmann’s remarks.

I carried and championed a marriage amendment when I was a state Senator in Minnesota. I saw when the judges imposed marriage in the state of Massachusetts, that Minnesota would likely be the next state and I knew that couldn’t happen.

It was a very unpopular thing in Minneosta when i proposed this amendment. I was public enemy number one, but I knew it was right, I knew it was the right thing to do and I stuck with it despite the odds. Our family…
We had to get our children out of the home because of all of the death threats we had gotten.

But I knew it was right and we persevered. I stayed with that amendment and I saw that amendment through and even when I left for Congress, continued to work with my successors and we successfully passed it thought the legislature and now in 2012 it will be on the ballot in Minnesota.

I’m extremely proud of it, but that isn’t the last step. because of what Sen. Santorum said, this will make it to the Supreme Court. There’s no question. President Obama said he will not uphold the Defense of Marriage law so it will go to the Supreme Court.

Why is it that the big decisions always get made by the Supreme Court? They aren’t the lawmakers. It’s the Congress that are the lawmakers.

So we have to … I will get behind legislation in the congress and I will also get behind the Federal Marriage Amendment.

I will do whatever it takes because the first and foremost unit of government in this nation is family. And the family is defined as one man, one woman, no other definition will do. That’s the definition I will champion as President of the United States.

Here’s video of her remarks: