President Barack Obama said in an interview with ABC that "it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married."
With his Wednesday announcement, the president reversed his longstanding position on the issue. It came on the heels of his own vice president and education secretary saying they were in favor of gay marriage.
According to an ABC blog post, Obama further described his thought process as an "evolution" that progressed as he discussed the issue with staff members, gay and lesbian service members and his own family.
He said he thinks Americans are growing increasingly comfortable with the concept of gay marriage and cited his own daughters' views on the matter.
“It’s interesting, some of this is also generational,” he said. “You know, Malia and Sasha, they have friends whose parents are same-sex couples. There have been times where Michelle and I have been sitting around the dinner table and we’re talking about their friends and their parents.
"And Malia and Sasha, it wouldn’t dawn on them that somehow their friends’ parents would be treated differently. It doesn’t make sense to them, and frankly, that’s the kind of thing that prompts a change in perspective.”
Read CNN's full coverage of President Barack Obama's stance on gay marriage
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Post by: CNN's Eliott C. McLaughlin Filed under: Barack Obama • Civil Rights • District of Columbia • Gay and lesbian • Politics • U.S. |
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It's about time, I'm proud of him for standing up for this rather than playing it politically safe and being on the fence. Marriage equality will be here in the next 20-30 years, and what's happening now are just the most stubborn and ignorant digging their heels in for one last stand. That's the fun thing about progress, it can be slowed to a crawl but never truly stopped.
I am ashamed of him! this is not about marriage equality...but the hell is that? please read a little before making stupid statements
Integrity move...took a bit but he got there. And before the November election even!
Some day people will generally look back at people who oppose gay civil rights/marriage equality like we look at the people who opposed african-american civil rights 40 years ago. They will be on the wrong side of history, decency and just all-around fairness.
Good for the president! His indecisiveness on the issue was frustrating. It's good to know we have a common sense person in charge for once. I mean seriously people, if you're somehow against the idea of two people who love each other not being able to get legally married, you're a dreadful person. In 50 years, people look back on you as people today look back on those that supported racial segregation. You're kidding yourself if you think differently.
Finally. Good for him.
Well, we all know how to vote now. Romney 2012! If Obama is reelected just think of all the immoral things he is going to try and stuff down our throats. He must be stopped!!!
right wing troll
Lame. You were never going to vote for Obama anyway.
Voice of Reason? Sounds like Voice of Paranoia!
Indeed, we need bigotry and intolerance to win the day. Good.
He just proposed doing something morally correct?
I thought God wanted us to love each other...This argument has probably been used against you a thousand times. You need to hear it. Gay people are people too. Asserting yourself over them and believing they don't deserve the rights you have is seriously disgusting. The God I believe in wouldn't want that.
Change your name to the VoiceOFReligion PLEASE! AND KEEP IT TO YOURSELF. Obama 2012
I'd like to stuff my immoral you know what down your bigoted throat.
Change your name to the VoiceOFReligion PLEASE! AND KEEP IT TO YOURSELF. Obama 2012
The American people's view of Obama is evolving. Those who opposed him in 2008 see him as a Marxist and the most dangerous man to ever occupy the White House. And a growing number of those who supported him in 2008 now see an unmasked man and don't like what they see. Obama will be a one term president. And history will not be kind in its reflections on him.
Saved Detroit, prevented a 2nd Great Depression (which is where we'll be if Mitt wins–just look at England, Ireland & Spain), got Osama, ended DADT, finally brought us into the 21st century on health care. Yeah, history won't be kind to him–as long as your only source of history (as yours clearly is) is FOX and World News Daily,
Seeing the comments, I am beginning to think the bible belt is Taliban territory.
Obama just won the election. Romney is going to lose because he is a heartless corporatist.
I'm pretty sure he just lost it, there are way too many old people who vote that won't let this fly. So his kids have friends with gay parents, that's nice. That's no way to win an election, though.
You must return the to Occupy protests immediately. Your insight is missed at their braintrust. Oh,.. and get a job and move out of your parents basement and stop milking the WiFi at Starbucks.
Obama needs to go.
"Obama needs to go."
Let me finish that sentence for you: Obama needs to go... TAKE A VICTORY LAP!
Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman, ' for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
Genesis also talks about polygamy, daughters seducing their fathers, slavery, and fathers selling their daughters into marriage. I guess we can assume you're into all that as well...
BRILLIANT move. This election was only about the economy, but now it will be about social issues as well. Guess Obama camp decided that the economy was too risky to bank on.
It is about time! I'm so tired of one group of people forcing their ideas onto the rest on how to live their lives!
Another.............yet another......... reason to not vote for that person.....and I didn't even need another reason.
On the road to oblivion, Obama just made a hard left turn into the Grand Canyon of political suicide....
And waved down to Bush, Cheney, Mitt, and the GOP as their clown car burst into flames...
To everybody who says this means that Obama's not a Christian: Just for the record, I was married in a Christian church by a Christian reverend here in Massachusetts almost eight years ago. Not all Christians have a problem with equal marriage, so don't generalize.
Doesn't the president know it's his job to hate the same people I hate? TIME TO ACCUSE HIM OF SOMETHING ON THE INTERNET.
So you hate gay people
Honest question – is he trying to throw the election?
Supreme Court will strike down his heath care law next month, now he comes out in support of something that can kill his election in swing states (Ohio, Florida, North Carolina). Is this just about becoming a martyr when he loses?