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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The ever-evolving King Barry.... Hope and Change will arrive on the autumn winds. Mickey Mouse has a chance to beat his Arrogance.
Maybe. But Mitt "I saved Detroit, really I did!" Romney doesn't.
PS – Wasn't Mitt for gay marriage before he was against it? Just like the individual mandate, abortion rights, Planned Parenthood, the stimulus, .... And why is Mr. Severely conservative pro-life having a fundraiser at the home of the manufacturer of the Morning After Pill? Face it, Obama has more integrity in his left pinkie than Romney has shown in his entire life. He just showed that again today.
Finally, agree or disagree with gay marriage, at least he had the nerve to come out and say something.
wrm.... this is miss direction,.. "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain" Obama can't make this about the economy so he has to inject Gay rights into it. By Pandering to the Gays he has alienated the Center and Right of the electorate. Foolish move and it will be the end of his Presidency
I hope his base rewards this step of faith.
No surprise here, we all knew he was lying for votes.
OBAMA 2012 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I AM GAY AND PROUD............
funny that you would use the word faith....
has my vote! I am promise this kind of action will get him re-elected. People respond to integrity.
Took him more than four years to do it. I think he was afraid.
What does gay marriage have to do with integrity?
Where's the integrity? You're projecting your ideals onto his reversal and change in policy and calling that integrity. I'm with you, integrity is important – But making a statement like this is completely tangential to integrity.
THANK YOU
Hes an idiot!! I am sure his daughters have enough experience and wisdom to share with this lame prez! unbelievable!!
What an idiot!!!
Integrity? He was for it when he ran for senate, against/neutral concerning it when he ran for president the first time, and now he is saying he is for it.
One component of integrity is when you say what you believe, believe what you say and follow through on it. You are hard pressed to find integrity anywhere in Washington.
You mean he was against it until he was for it.
Yep unlike Romney changing his ideas more rapidly than someone would change their slacks
Yes. It's called thinking and learning.
Actually, he was for it several years ago, but didn't admit that he was completely for it for fear of losing the conservative vote. Since he's not getting the conservative vote anyway, he finally came out and was honest about the position that he's had all along (though he has a story about why that wasn't his position). Personally I find this very compelling, even if he hasn't been truthful in the past – if he freely admits stuff that differentiates him from the Republicans, stuff I agree with, then he very well might have my vote. (He didn't four years ago.)
People's views change. Just a few short years ago I was a Fox News watching, Glenn Beck reading, neo-con. Now I know better.
Good job Barack!
" man/man woman/woman do not produce a family...and families are the backbone of a better and stable society."
Are you implying that if a woman is born barren (infertile), she should not be allowed to be married later in life because she can't have children? Are married couples that don't have children excluded from the benefits of marriage? I didn't think so.
My wife will soon hit menopause. I guess it's time to get rid of her, and marry a young fertile babe.
Would have made this statement a year ago? Two years ago? It definitely is an election year. I see this as a flip-flop. When Obama does it, he gets praise for his "evolving" ideas. When Romney does it, he gets slammed left and right. I want a President that is going to stick by what he believes. I really don't like the pandering here.
Democrats believe in equality for all and for them not to be aloud to get married infringes on there basic civil rights everyone should have the same rights whether there gay or straight because thats in all fair ness let them be just as unhappy as the married men and woman
I think it's more important that a president demonstrate flexibility and open-mindedness than one who is rigid and intollerant. This is nothing like Romney, who flip flops for the sake convenience. Obama has demonstrated that he has listened to all sides of the issue, learned and ammended his thought process accordingly. Nothing wrong with this, and it's not a sign of a weak leader.
He's not pandering. If anything he is going to lose a lot of votes over this. Especially from the black community. Romney probably experiences this as well but when he says things like he deserves some credit for saving the auto industry, that is pure rhetoric and clearly a flip-flop from how vehemotely he opposed the auto bailouts.
So you don´t want a president whom is able to reconsider his opinion based on new evident or testimonies?
In the simplest of terms, a ban on gay marriage is a violation of the separation of church and state. There is no non-religious argument against gay marriage (as seen by all the vitriolic "Christian" comments that don't seem to emulate the compassion of their savior). Governments at the federal and state level should absolutely and unconditionally recognize the right for gay couple to marry. Churchs are free to recognize whatever marriage they want as they are free to do so, so long as it doesn't break the law. That's the beauty of separation of church and state.
The same people who oppose gay marriage are the same people that believe its ok to marry their cousin.
Why! Is that what you did ? The a stupid response!
Civil rights are defined as "a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression."
Not allowing gays to marry or adopt when everyone else can is interfering with their participation in civil life.
Gays are not given access to the rights and benefits that come with marriage.
This discrimination is unwarranted.
This is DEFINITELY a civil rights issue! Thank you so much for the support, Obama!
Next we will want to marry our pets!!
Finally.. Now what about letting non-violent offenders out of prison and allowing people the freedom to use a medicine that's less lethal than water or ibuprofen?
FLIP-FLOP. FLOP-FLIP.
DUMB/STUPID..........
now guess why we go back spiritually? what is 2012 and where we humans are heading? all at wwwTheDimensionMachineCOM
I promise you God and Jesus are for equality for all. God made gay people, and having them in our world is a test to see whether we can really be kind, compassionate, and tolerant as Jesus taught. If we treat them unfairly, we have failed the test, and we will be condemned. If we give them equal rights, God will reward us for being good human beings.
This is why America should kick his ass out of office. A "Christian" president should know what is said in the Bible about gay people and the outcome of Sodom and Gomorrah. Mark my words Gods wrath will be felt over this country because of this!
It's already feeling it
More than Christians live in this land. BTW which Bible you read and preached to you teaches such improper language and hatred. Don't think so. You are hiding your impropriety and ignorance with your religious quote.
Well, this just shows how this president is disconnecting himself from the people's will. North Carolina this week, along with California 2 years ago and Florida 4 years ago VOTED AGAINST GAY MARRIAGE. Now the president is going to IMPOSE HIS VIEW on the American People. That is the making of a DICTATOR.
He stated an opinion, how does that make him a dictator? Are you really that stupid?