The 'evolutn' of Obama's stance on gay marriage

Contents:

• OBAMA CLAR SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE
• THE 'EVOLUTN' OF OBAMA'S STANCE ON GAY MARRIAGE
• OBAMA BACKS GAY MARRIAGE

OBAMA CLAR SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE

Print Obama today announced that he now supports same-sex marriage, reversg his longstandg opposn amid growg prsure om the Democratic base and even his own vice an terview wh ABC News’ Rob Roberts, the print scribed his thought procs as an “evolutn” that led him to this place, based on nversatns wh his own staff members, openly gay and lbian service members, and nversatns wh his wife and own dghters. Instead, he’s voiced support for civil unns for gay and lbian upl that provi the rights and benefs enjoyed by married upl, though not fed as “marriage. ” At the same time, the print has opposed efforts to ban gay marriage at the state level, sayg that he did not favor attempts to strip rights away om gay and lbian print’s posn beme a flashpot this week, when Vice Print Joe Bin pronounced himself “absolutely fortable” wh allowg same-sex upl to ais sisted there was no daylight between the posns held by the print and his vice print when to legal rights, but as other proment Democrats also weighed favor of gay marriage, the disnnect beme difficult for the Whe Hoe to expla away.

In 1996, as a state Senate ndidate, he dited support for gay marriage a qutnnaire, but Obama ais later disavowed and said did not reflect the ndidate’s 2004, as a ndidate for the US Senate, he ced his own relign amg his views: “I'm a Christian. ”He mataed that posn through his 2008 printial mpaign, and through his term as print, until print 2010, Obama told ABC’s Jake Tapper that his feelgs about gay marriage were “nstantly evolvg. “But I thk that there's no doubt that as I see iends, fai, children of gay upl who are thrivg, you know, that has an impact on how I thk about the issu.

”Obama’s cisn has polil nnotatns for the issue divis elements of the Democratic base, wh liberals and gay-rights groups eager to see the print go farther, but wh gay marriage far ls popular among Ain-Amerin yterday, North Carola, voters overwhelmgly approved a nstutnal ban on gay marriage. Print Obama rried North Carola 2008, and s stat as a 2012 battleground was guaranteed by Democrats’ cisn to hold their nventn Charlotte this ’s likely Republin opponent, Mt Romney, oppos gay marriage, and fought his state’s hight urt when Massachetts beme the first state to legalize gay marriage 2004, when Romney was ernor. ABC broke to s daytime lp May 9, 2012, to announce a historic shift: the print of the Uned Stat clarg his personal support for gay marriage.

THE 'EVOLUTN' OF OBAMA'S STANCE ON GAY MARRIAGE

While the print has nsistently supported civil rights for gay upl — pepperg his ments wh specifics such as hospal visatn, transfer of property and Social Secury benefs — his discsn of marriage has differed.

"(But) is my obligatn not only as an elected official a pluralistic society, but also as a Christian, to rema open to the possibily that my unwillgns to support gay marriage is misguid, jt as I nnot claim fallibily my support of abortn rights. Still, a 2007 Democratic primary bate sponsored by a gay rights group and a gay-oriented ble TV channel, he spoke stead about his support for civil unns wh "all the benefs that are available for a legally sanctned marriage" — but not for legal regnn of "marriage" between same-sex upl. He offered an explanatn that would prage his 2012 shift: "I thk that is an issue that I wrtle wh and thk about bee I have a whole host of iends who are gay partnerships.

Obama, a nsistent supporter of civil rights for gay upl, neverthels said as early as 2004 and through 2008 that he didn’t support same-sex marriage. Barack Obama nfirms a change his posn on gay marriage an terview wh ABC's Rob Roberts ABC News Rob RobertsBarack Obama has clared his unequivol support for same-sex marriage, takg a bold polil gamble on an issue that divis Amerin voters jt months before a printial 's announcement, a hastily-arranged ABC terview on Wednday, me after years of dodgg the issue. He was forced to go public partly bee vice-print Joe Bin igned the bate wh a remark support of gay marriage at the the terview, Obama said he had long supported civil unns but his posn on same-sex marriag had been evolvg bee of the powerful tradns and relig beliefs attached to the word said he had been swayed particular by nsirg the service of gays and lbians the US ary.

OBAMA BACKS GAY MARRIAGE

He ma clear reprented his personal view and that he would rpect the cisns of dividual stat – 30 have enacted nstutnal bans on same-sex 's remarks neverthels send a powerful signal, makg him the first stg US print to e out support of same-sex the terview, Obama said he had always been adamant that gay and lbian people should be treated fairly and equally. But he add: "I had hated on gay marriage, part bee I thought civil unns would be sufficient … somethg that would give people hospal visatn rights and other elements we take for granted.

""In supportg marriage equaly, Print Obama extends that msage of hope to a generatn of young lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr Amerins, helpg them unrstand that they too n be who they are and flourish as part of the Amerin muny. "To be hont, 's a ltle tratg, " said Tiffani Bishop, a same-sex rights mpaigner based At, Texas, who has taken part the Campaign for Southern Equaly's bid to improve gay rights. "Although same-sex marriag are regnised some stat, there remas wispread opposn, highlighted by an overwhelmg vote North Carola on Tuday night to rerce a ban on gay and lbian marriag.

"Jasme Beach-Ferarra of the Campaign for Southern Equaly said she was "heartened" to hear the print's support for gay marriage on a personal level.

Although polls show a nsistent shift public support favour of gay rights, hostily remas strong among large portns of the electorate, cludg Ameri's relig Democratic strategists, cludg Obama advisers, proposed he leave the issue alone until after the Whe Hoe electn November rather than risk alienatg potential voters, pecially swg stat such as North Carola. Others argued that Obama, by stickg to his promise posn, looked weak and was dog more damage than support of same-sex Obama admistratn end Bill Clton's msy "don't ask, don't tell" promise policy on gay personnel the ary, but hated about takg the next Republin challenger, Mt Romney, on Wednday, rpondg to the ntroversy, exprsed support for gay rights such as hospal visatn rights but he opposed same-sex Reed, founr and chairman of Fah and Freedom Coaln, a nservative, anti-same-sex anisatn, nmned Obama's shift as breakg a promise he ma 2008 to support tradnal marriage.