Obama's Gay Marriage Equivocation. "I favor legalizing same-sex marriages," Barack Obama told a gay newspaper while seeking his first term as an Illinois state senator in 1996, "and would fight efforts to prohibit such marriages. " When Obama ran for re-election in 1998, he took the National Political Awareness Test, which among other things asked, "Do you believe that the Illinois government should recognize same-sex marriages? " His response: "Undecided.
" It took Obama only two years to learn the political value of reticence regarding touchy social issues—a concept that evidently still eludes Vice President Joe Biden, whose unguarded comments about gay marriage on Sunday called unwelcome attention to his boss's studied ambiguity on the subject. Yet a close look at Obama's statements over the years suggests his spokesman is telling the truth when he says Biden's position is essentially the same as the president's. "The government has to treat all citizens equally," Obama said during a 2007 presidential debate.
BREAKING: Joe Biden Endorses Same-Sex Marriage. By Igor Volsky on May 6, 2012 at 9:03 am "BREAKING: Joe Biden Endorses Same-Sex Marriage" Vice President Joe Biden has endorsed same-sex marriage, becoming the highest ranking American official to back marriage for gay and lesbian people. His comments signify a split within the Obama administration and may pave the way for President Obama — who says he supports civil unions and is still evolving on the matter — to also embrace equality. Biden made his remarks during an appearance on Meet the Press, telling host David Gregory that he is “absolutely comfortable with…men marrying men, women marrying women.”
GREGORY: Have your views evolved? Watch it: Biden has backed equal rights for the LGBT community throughout his career, but this is the first time he has publicly acknowledged his support of full marriage rights. In December of 2010, Biden predicted, “I think the country’s evolving and I think there’s an inevitability for a national consensus on gay marriage.” Update. Arguments for Police Reform. Equal Marriage. Obama. Obama: Same-sex marriage should be legal.
President Obama became the first U.S. president to endorse same-sex marriage today, telling ABC News that it "should be legal. " "I've just concluded that, for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married," Obama told ABC's Good Morning America. After years of what he had called an "evolving" view of the issues, Obama said family and friends gradually persuaded him that gay and lesbian couples should be treated the same as heterosexual ones. Facing a re-election bid in which gay rights are a hot button issue, Obama also said his endorsement is a personal view, and that states should set their own marriage laws. The interview took place a day after voters in North Carolina approved a constitutional ban on gay marriage. His comments also came within a few days of pro-gay marriage statements by Vice President Biden and Education Secretary Arne Duncan, increasing pressure on Obama from gay rights supporters.
Why Obama Must Hold Wall Street Accountable. Contribute now to They filibustered equality! The GOP leadership filibustered equality last night. Help me fight back by supporting a pro-equality majority! It was an astonishing display of political desperation by the Colorado State House Republicans last night. The GOP leadership blocked pro-equality legislation from coming to a vote, because they knew civil unions had the bipartisan support needed to become law. Democracy was thwarted last night, and it's time we fought back! In the end, the GOP Speaker of the House used gridlock to kill civil union legislation--and with it dozens of other pieces of important legislation--all on the altar of an extreme, anti-equality ideological agenda.
To do it, they shut down the People's House! Now it's our job to elect a new majority in November so that we can fulfill our historic mission. Sincerely, Mark Ferrandino State Representative Minority Leader. Democrats. Democratic Republic. DEMOCRATIC. Freedom and true Democracy. HUMAN RIGHTS.