President Obama says he now supports same-sex marriage, ending months of equivocation on a subject with powerful election-year consequences. NBC's Brian Williams and Chuck Todd reports.
BREAKING: Barack Obama became the first sitting president to come out in support of legal same-sex marriage today, a reversal from views expressed during the 2008 campaign, when he said he opposed same-sex marriage but favored civil unions as an alternative.
"I have hesitated on gay marriage in part because I thought that civil unions would be sufficient," Obama said in an interview with ABC News at the White House. "I was sensitive to the fact that for a lot of people the word 'marriage' was something that invokes very powerful traditions, religious beliefs and so forth."
Now, he said, "it is important for me personally to go ahead and affirm that same-sex couples should be able to get married."
The president had found himself under increasing pressure this week to state his position unequivocally after a pair of events that underscored the sensitivity of the issue.
Vice President Joe Biden said in an interview on NBC's Meet The Press Sunday that he is completely comfortable with gays marrying, a pronouncement that instantly raised the profile of the issue.
And yesterday, voters in North Carolina -- a potential battleground in the fall election -- approved an amendment to the state constitution affirming that marriage may only be a union of a man and a woman.
Obama's announcement cheered gay rights groups who have long urged him to support gay marriage. It also opened up a distinct area of disagreement with Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who opposes gay marriage.
Ed is planning extended coverage for tonight on The Ed Show at 8pET on MSNBC!
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Thank You Mr. President.
We're Doomed as a nation for sure!
Boo! Mr. President, I've regretted voting for you for 3 1/2 years now and with this, I regret it more than ever! We are doomed as a nation!
None of you bashing the President and stating Federal law defining marriage is btwn a man and a woman ever head of the 14th AMENDMENT obviously. I strongly suggest you revisit it and READ IT as it was around long before crap like DOMA. President Obama KNOWS this and understands our Constitution better then all of YOU bigots and haters. Go Mr. President for recognizing that equal rights means for ALL Americans and that includes those who happen to be GLBT.
4 more years...
Solid Presidential Leadership....And The Right Thing To Do!
Here's to evolution!
Backwards
What do you mean Backwards?
Thats how he likes to receive?
Marriage has worked out so well for straight people, why not let gay people in on the fun? I honestly never saw what the big deal was about it, but then I'm not particularly religious either.
If this is what Obama truly believes then I give him credit for having the courage to say so. This was a pretty daring thing to do because it's sure to cost him votes in the bible belt.
I do have concerns about what this revelation may bring. If this is leading up to some sort of federal legislation that defines what marriage is, I'm against it because we don't need a federal law to govern what a person does in their personal life. What happens between two consenting adults (including marriage and irrespective of gender) is nobody's business.
DOMA. John Boehner is speneding 100 million to defend it.
Tax payer money. As for the bible belt there are a lot of people will vote for Obama. A lot of people have no problem with it will get a lot of young people to vote for Obama.
chi,
apparently we do need a federal law to govern what people do in their personal lives.
just because YOU don't care what people do in their personal lives, doesn't mean that everyone feels that way. we know how the repubs in power feel, and unless you have the power to affect change in this regard, SORRY, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU THINK.
you are right, what happens between two consenting adults is nobody's business. but the repubs who HAVE POWER want to make it their business. the things they say OUTLOUD in regard to gays and lesbians tell americans who disagree with them, that repubs think that gays and lesbians are sub-human, and not worthy of the civil rights that old white republican men take for granted.
It is time for an awakening: The first official act of Bush was to change the tax code set by Clinton and it took 8 years of "Job Creators" to move jobs overseas and increase their pockets on the backs of "Middle Class Americans". How did that work out? Now in 3 years, despite the party of "NO", (GOP). Americans have begun to work and move our country back forward. Romney has shown thru his past and present that. His priorities are for those "Job Creators" and "Big Corps". Just look into American Airlines! Bain capital is real and so are his intentions. Wake up everybody!
Thank you, Mr. President! Let's keep pushing and talking about "US". The GOP has sold "US" out to the highest bidder. If we don't re-elect someone for "US", then the so-called "Job Creators" will outsource "US" all. Our life, liberties, and pursuit of happiness is in jeopardy. Willard Mitt Romney will outsource "US" all to add to the bottom-line of his cronnies. Ask the people here in Texas at American Airlines!
It's about time! I love this Pres but sometimes it seems like someone has to shove him into taking a stance. Thanks for the push, Mr. Biden, you are My Hero! It is now time for true equality for all.
Amen. That Biden
"Shove HIM?". Geez and what about ALL the Presidents BEFORE him who did nothing at all? President Oama has done more for the rights of gays then any President before him and they did not have to try and END two WARS, grapple with trying to bring an economy back from the worst recession that almost WAS a second Depresion with the worst party of obstructionists standing in his way absing the filibuster every chance they got and still are, a severely biased "sold out corporate media" in the pockets of the repubs and he and his party trying to win re-election in a post Citizens United era. He managed to save our auto industry and all the jobs connected to it, get Wal St reform passed, get the AFA passed, brought down TWO dictators, caught the number one mafia kingpin on The Most Wanted list, brought an end to the Iraq War and under his watch, thwarted terrorists plots to blow up more airliners and snuffed out over 20 of the worlds top terrorists including numero UNO-OBL!!!
Give the man a break!!!!
Thank you, Mr. President. It is humane to support same sex marriage for their love's sake and to get full benefits under the law like any other heterosexual couple gets.
I believe in my heart that this is good news for America! Now let the haters commit.
You now that those haters are all call themselves "Christians"
We are all created by "God" so they hate gay's and lesbians they hate "God" too
President Obama sure has guts! Look this is a human rights step-n-stone for America.
I am not gay. Yet I feel in my heart they have the same right as myself.
I don't hate gays or lesbians and if this country decides to support marriage between same sex which I personnally find inherently wrong according to my beliefs then so be it. But here are spiritual consequences for the country for those who believe
Spiritual consequences for the country? Do you not understand what this country was founded off of? Freedom from religious persecution? This is not a Christian nation - this is a nation founded upon the very principle that people are allowed to believe what they want to believe. That believing in a different God or no God at all is not up to the country to decide. Why is believing that a gay or lesbian couple should be allowed to get married being persecuted? The very right to be in love and taking a vow to love and be faithful to each other is being spat upon by our government and our people. You have every right to feel it is wrong - that is your belief. But we should not be basing our laws off of religious beliefs when it is in direct contradiction to the very founding of our nation.
Kat you have to understand that when the dominionists don't get everything they want and have to tolerate others of different opinions they interpret that as persecution. I'm because clearly what happens in you neighbor's sex life and marriage clearly must affect your own.......put down the spiritual telescope and live your life not other people's. They can do that themselves.
So you why should non gays decide whether gay marriages are acceptable? What about those who don't believe it to be a sin, why should they be stopped from living their faith through an act which can not be shown to endanger the public in a significant way? So you're being persecuted for not being able to persecute them? Love puritan philosohpy.
Gee in my day if you didn't want to be in a gay marriage you didn't have one and wasn't that difficult.
Like Mayor Booker said tonight, "civil rights" should never decided by a "popular vote" by another's peers. They're decided by the laws of our Constitution and the 14th Amendment already decided this. Besides, there is that "seperation of church and state" business in the 1st Amendment that the religious zealots want to forget al the time when they insist in shoving THEIR BELIEFS down everyone else's throat.
Keep all this religious extremism OUT of our GOVERNING ALREADY!!! It's out of freaking CONTROL in this country and this is the 21st century, yet you'd think by the behaviour of the far right in DC and state governments where they have a majority, we're back in the 1600's!! What's next? Bringing back the scarlet letter and ducking stools? Being burned at the stake for heresy if you're NOT a christian?
Atheists are already turned away for public office and our Constitution clearly states that if you're an American CITIZEN and have an American parent, you have every right to run for public office, yet we're still discriminated against in this way in MANY places/states.
Thank you President Obama. You have done so much to excite your base and to bring out those voters who would of remained home. Now you'll have every gay rights org. behind you and will be hitting the streets and talking to voters. You've done something that you can be proud of and will go down in history for.
i believe that president obama has just given up the presidency wow!!
you would most likely say the same thing if he was against it....those who won't vote for him won't and those of us who will will...
Only in YOUR narrow minded view flat earth club member.
I wonder does he believe in homosexuality too by that statement tells me he does wow!!
Homophobic nonsense doesn't go over well here.
No one is forcing homophobes to marry homosexuals.
But homophobes want to force people to hate and destroy the lives of people who do not look, believe and think like them.
The world is moving forward by quantum leaps and leaving the dying breed of homophobic, social engineering, radical, religious-fanatics behind.
Amen Mr. President and Mr. Vice President ! It's about time !
Obama / Biden / and a Democratic Congressional Majority in 2012 !!
One does not need to "believe in it" to be tolerant of it. Also by making this statement you're somehow implying that homosexuality is a choice. Sorry but it's not.
I really don't understand why some people are still so threatened by this. If you're straight don't worry, you're not going to "turn gay." If your kids are straight and gay marriage is allowed, they're not going to be inspired to somehow "turn gay" either.
Put away the holy water.
Remember the little boy in third grade that played with barbie dolls? Yeah. He was gay. Born that way. He just didn't have anyone to be gay with at the time.
way to go OBAMA i know this was not an easy decision for you to make, but progress speaks loudly you know. remeber when all these pundits were up in arms about interracial marriage and we all survived that
You cannot compare interracial marriage with men marrying men and women marrying women.
God intended a man and a woman to be sacredly wed in marriage vows. Not men to men, woman to woman or human to beast. Is that next? Are you for that Billie?
I am so glad Obama has shown everything how he has felt all along. I cannot wait until Nov. 6...when the worst president in the history of our young country is voted out of office.
Obama has been fiscally bad for this country and now he is truly morally bad for this country. Thank you Barack, for letting all of us know.
Wake up folks. The family as God intended....one man, one woman and children if they choose to have them. That is my opinion as a believer in the Bible and a Holy God.
So much for Obama being a follower of Yeshua or Mohammed. Sodom and Gomorrah is coming our way
Right except we already know thats a load in Diaper Daves diaper too. Here is a clue, if god punished people for wrong doing then there would be no tea bagging republicans around.
So much for being about personal responsibilty and liberty...I thought righties loved those......
yeah because gay people definately haven't always been in america
"Embraces" so he is putting his arm's around gay marriage??
memo to steve frank: get a dictionary already.
Oh my goodness...
Now that the President has affirmed his support of EQUALITY, LIBERTY, and FREEDOM, the Repubs want to talk about jobs! Imagine our surprise!
So many questions and six whole months to make Republicans ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR BIGOTRY!
I guess the righties just don't get it; even those who love someone "disapproved of” socially...they still need a job! I mean, after all, if they are not allowed to marry in No. Carolina what will be outlawed next…maybe being hired if you are gay or lesbian???
I wonder, as Chris Matthews also asked this afternoon...just how many gay men and lesbian women are working FOR the Republican Party in Washington DC right now, who are not speaking up for themselves due to the fascism of their own party.
It is no longer acceptable to call Democrats the party of "big government" when history bears out the fact that both "Bush's" during their presidencies grew more government than has President Obama.
While Americans are occupying Wall Street and the billionaires who are buying the Republican Party...;
It is the REPUBLICANS WHO ARE "OCCUPYING" THE BEDROOMS OF AMERICANS IN 30 STATES!
So what is their EXCUSE now?
It looks as though the party that always puts money first, have a large proportion of people who have also put money above who they choose to love!
Republicans who always put their own money first and live off the welfare that is paid for by the middle class and working poor, have been proved and shown wanting...not to mention spineless.
Then there is Poor Mr. Romney "...he was born without a spine." (Thanks Buck).
Actually it was like that for mixed race couples in the south during the conservative glory days of Jim Crow.
I believe they were Dems Whom
Maxster I believe they where southern Dem's and now they are Republican with all there hate.
He doesn't understand the term conservative democrat, better known as dixiecrats. It's that lack of education and bigotry coming out, you know democrats must be evil liberals nonsense told to him by Saint Ronnie.
OHhhh
FINALLY !!!! Thank You, Such a breath of fresh air to have a DFL president. I
am not a narrow minded so the mentality of the GOP contestants were a bit much
during their campaign run. I do not know who was worse but looks like we have
Mitt. Their mentality helped put a lot
of money into the DFL super pacs and the Obama’s campaign.
Not DFL -- Democrat. Minnesota is the only state with the DFL party.
I am continuously proud of our President!! 4 more years indeed!!
CORRECTION TO PARAGRAPH THREE:
"disapproved of” by those in A MINORITY SOCIAL GROUP...
(OOPS,I was a little slow on my editing...lol)
It is a good afternoon. I 'm glad to see he says people have a right to make their own decisions about how they want to live their life. They are not hurting anyone, and it is their own business who people want to spendd their life with. I was able to do that.
Imagine that, now the REPUBLICANS and their millionaire 'CANDIDATE' for president are FORCED to go out and DEFEND BIGOTRY.
I wonder what they are willing to pay for it.
They won't have to as the Koch Brothers, Karl Rove, Dick Armey, Sheldon Addleson, Foster Friese, Exxon-Mobil, Shell, Chevron, BOA, Goldman-Sachs, The Family Research Council freaks, The National Right to Life Foundation freaks, Conoco-Philips, etc will be happy to help them "pay for it". The Kochs ALONE pledged THEIR 100 million.
It took the president long enough to stop acting like Mitt Romney(cowardly). Seriously "evolving" Mr. President you're trying to reach out to those voters by saying you're "evolving"???
They don't believe in evolution either they are never going to vote for you. Took you long enough to figure that out.
With all the hate the right have spill and North Carolina with their crazy bill, now they fine out what the bill have to say, will stop even boyfriend and girlfriend from living together bet they are not to happy about it. The Tea party will lose for good with their stupidity. President Obama has good timing as always.
Palmquist1
Are you saying boyfriend and girlfriend can not live in the same house that is very very very very dangerous!!!!!! This is CRAZY TALK !!!!!!!!!!!!! I"M BOYCOTTING NC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yup, that is EXACTLY what Amendment 1 in NC means. If you're not MARRIED in that state, straight OR gay, no RIGHTS for you as a couple. Discrimmation is perfectly legal against you for employment and as parents, etc..SNAFU baby!!! I hope many will be LEAVING this state of bigotry and wil choose NOT to move there either and their economy get suckier then it already is. Who wants to live in a state that PROMOTES hate towards anyone unless you're a maried MAN and WOMAN only? Bunch of dopes!!
BTW, I am straight ahd have been happily married to my one and only husband for almost 14 years with 2 beautiful daughters but have always kept and "open mind" and teach my children the same thing everyday. Live and let live. Civil rights are for everyone and not a "select few" unless you've done the ultimate wrongs like murder, rape, robbery and I do include bullying on this list too. I do not want my children to be bullies and pick on others for any reason. We are all people and we need to accept each other for who we are and if what another does in their personal life is not hurting YOU or your family and community, leave them ALONE and mind your own bloody business.
yes yes yes .......thank you Mr. President..I will be with you again 2021
Standing president and VP as well as the majority of the US population supporting same-sex marriage.
Eat it, fundies!
Wow i make a comment and then i'm seen as a homophobe this what i do not like about someone who supports these causes is that if someone disagress they are look at as being a bigot and that is far from the truth and the kid that was not born that way i believe he was conditioned by his parents.
There ya go homophobic nonsense again no one chooses who they are, they just are. You are sadly mistaken to believe it was conditioning by the parents, that is stupid homophobic nonsense to say it is the parents fault. Whereas in your case it was probably conditioning that made you homophobic.
Give this some thought, Monte. WHY would someone purposely choose to be gay, in today's society where they are harassed, persecuted, bullied, discriminated against, etc.? Why would someone want to do that? How many gays need to tell you they were born this way before you believe it? And last, if you consider yourself heterosexual, tell us all when exactly did you decide you'd be heterosexual? After all, if people choose their orientation, you can't have one without the other.
You can either open your mind to the possibility that you've been indoctrinated, by church or parents or whatever, to believe it's a choice, and move into the future with the rest of us, or you can make a choice to believe religious bigoted tripe and live in the past. Remember...it was the religious people that said blacks were inferior, interracial marriage was a sin, blah blah. History just keeps moving on. Make your choice!
So by that logic you believe that he could be "cured" if he went to one of those "deprogramming camps"?
There have been studies that prove that homosexuality has a genetic component. A person has about as much choice in gender preference as they have in choosing the color of their skin. People know what they are from a very early age and it has nothing to do with conditioning or environment.
I've been criticized here for my Libertarian beliefs but one of them that is difficult to criticize is that I believe how a person lives their life is none of my business as long as they're not harming me.
I think about what this country would look like if we all just minded our own damn business for a change. Part of minding your own business means keeping thy religion to thy self.
I agree Robert, but I'm trying not to jump to any conclusions here. This is not a federal issue, nor should it be. I think it's fine for Obama to voice his opinion on this, but at this point it's nothing more than that... An opinion.
These are excellent points.
You make some valid points Robert. You won't find anyone here who agrees more than I do that the federal government is corrupt from both sides. I completely agree there is a substantial cause for concern that they will once again overstep their boundaries and rob us of more personal liberty.