(CNN) -- President Barack Obama said Wednesday he supports same-sex marriage, raising the political stakes on an issue in which Americans are evenly split.
The announcement, long sought by supporters of same-sex marriage, puts Obama squarely at odds with presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.
"At a certain point 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 said in an interview with ABC News.
Obama once opposed same-sex marriage. He later indicated his views were "evolving." His announcement Wednesday in support of same-sex marriage was the first by a sitting president.
A Gallup Poll released Tuesday indicated 50% of Americans believe same-sex marriages should be recognized by law as valid, with 48% saying such marriages should not be legal.
Obama was "disappointed" by Tuesday's vote on the issue in North Carolina, which he described as discriminatory against gays and lesbians, a spokesman said earlier Wednesday.
North Carolina voted to implement a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, which was already prohibited by state law. Supporters of the measure pushed for the constitutional amendment, arguing that it was needed to ward off future legal challenges.
The president said he supports the concept of states deciding the issue on their own, ABC News reported.
Obama spoke Wednesday with ABC's Robin Roberts. The interview will appear on ABC's "Good Morning America" Thursday. Excerpts were to air Wednesday evening on "World News With Diane Sawyer." His interview followed recent comments by other key administration figures. Vice President Joe Biden said Sunday on NBC he was "absolutely comfortable" with couples of the same gender marrying, leading observers to wonder when Obama would again address the issue.
Obama told Roberts that first lady Michelle Obama was involved in his decision. "This is something that, you know, we've talked about over the years and she, you know, she feels the same way, she feels the same way that I do," Obama said.
The president's stance will be among many key differences with Romney, but it is not expected to be a key talking point in his campaign.
In comments Wednesday to CNN Denver affiliate KDVR, Romney reiterated his opposition to same-sex marriage.
Minnesota will vote on a state constitutional amendment similar to the one in North Carolina. Maine will have a referendum on allowing same-sex marriage.
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I strongly agree with Molly. God made man and woman for them to love one another. No where in the bible does it say gay marriages are okay, he says they are sinful. I don't support gay marriages one bit. Going against the Bible is not okay. It's a sin. Yes, I do agree that some people are attracted to the same sex, its their life, and if their happy thats great! But, I don't agree that gay marriages should be legal.
ReplyDeleteSavannah T7
I completely disagree with the gay marriage, I understand that the homosexual people that says they are "in love" wants to get married, but starting by the definition, marriage is the union between a man and a woman, therefore it can not be a marriage between homosexuals, I'am catholic so my religion is against this act too, but the majority of gays and lesbians are atheist, so anything we say using the bible as a reference won't affect them, The fact here is that with a married couple, childrens come, and gays and lesbians want to adopt too, if they can, recent studies show that a children raced by a homosexual couple has trouble because the other sex is missing in their life, that affects their personality and later on their acts, they may be more likely to be criminals or affect our society. Do we really want this? I hope obama changes his mind because US is a world power and this actions may influence other countries.
ReplyDeleteLucy M7
Gay marriage is a very tricky topic. I do not personally support the issue, and it is hard for me to accept it. However, we live in a nation that supports the concepts of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." If we are restricting people's rights and not allowing them to get married because we dont agree with who they are marrying, I don't think that we can call ourselves a free nation. In the end, I agree with Obama; I think gay marriage should be legal.
ReplyDeleteAnna C3
Absolutely not. The government regulates who can drive, who can smoke, who can drink, what people can smoke, how fast they can drive, what they can buy [to some extent], what animals they can hunt, what they can watch on tv, where you can drive and park... We're still the land of the free right? Telling people they can't marry the same sex isn't going to change that. Gay marriage isn't acceptable.
ReplyDeleteMolly M. p.1
Gay marriage definitely should be ILLGAL, I think Molly made a great point about this supposedly being "The land of the free", there are so many things out there that we are not allowed to do, or have restrictions upon. Yes, I agree that they should get to be with whom they choose, but that doesn't actually mean that they should get married. It's wrong, and back to the bible. God made men for women, and women for men. No where does he say Gay Marriage is okay. I completely disagree with Gay Marriage, and absolutely disagree with Anna.
ReplyDeleteSavannah T7
Gay marriage is not acceptable to me and I very disapprove of it. They don't need to marry the same gender. That's just wrong on many levels! I do think that it does make a conflict because were not giving those people the rights.. but I do not like gay marriage.
ReplyDeletePaul o. p7
I completely disagree with gay marriages. As said before, marriage is a sacred thing that dates back to biblical times. As being raised by religion, I believe that marriage is meant for a man and a woman. I have seen families that have been torn apart because of gay & lesbian marriages. Not saying that heterosexual marriages don't have millions of troubles, problems, & conflicts. But, holy matromony, in my opinion, isn't holy between two people of the same sex.
ReplyDeletePaige F. p7
I think that gay/lesbian marriages should be legal, because as Anna said we cant call ourselves a free country if we dont allow people to do what they want. People should be able to do what they want even if it's something that no one agrees with. And we arent saying that they need to change the world just for gay/lesbian marriages. No one has to change anything for that. Just go on with your life and live with it. Its just the same way as everything else in the world, everything will move on in life. Maybe it wont go into effect now, but there will be a certain place and time into the future that will accept it.
ReplyDeleteRyder E. P7
So you're saying that not letting people do what they want makes our country not free? The government doesn't let people park in certain spots, smoke under the age of 18, drink under 21, use some medications, do narcotics, or hunt certain animals.. we're still free, aren't we? Making gay marriage illegal isn't going to change anything. As Paige said; man was meant for women and women meant for man. A sin shouldn't be a law.
ReplyDeleteMolly M. P.1
By legalizing gay marriage, you are making a huge sin, and your not only committing a sin, but your making it legal, and saying its okay. It is not okay!, I also come from a family being raised by religion, to me making a sin is not okay, but of course I still make sins myself, everyone does. But making a sin LEGAL is not right at all, once again in the bible it says "A man shall not lie with another man as he would with a woman, and if he does, this act will be considered an abomination." So Ryder are you saying since were a free country and all, that it is okay to go out and steal from someone or commit a murder, because they want to and its a free country?? I disagree completely with that. Like Molly said, making gay marriage illegal isn't going to change anything.
ReplyDeleteSavannah T7
As much as I agree with both arguments on the topic,I to believe that the marriage is sacred.Marriage should only consist of a man,and a woman,because with out the right,natural order in our lives,we would soon come to an end.Gays and Lesbians deserve there rights,they have there rights,which I believe is good enough.However,if they want to get technical,I believe that if you live with a person for 7-how many other years,it can be considered a marriage as long as both share mutual feelings and aren't biologically related.It isn't the right way,but it's still a way to make everyone happy.
ReplyDeleteChris W. P.1
God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.
ReplyDeleteLiana H3
I agree with Anna & Ryder. This is America and everyone should be treated equal. Including the gays, lesbians ect. Although many of you may disagree and think it's a sin or it's wrong who really cares. Yes the bible does state that marriage should be between a man and a woman but it didn't say God was against it or not. If they do legalize gay married how does that effect any of us in any way? It's not like the world is going to end. We really have no right to tell someone that they shouldn't be allowed to get married just because of their sexual orientation.
ReplyDeleteAnita R. P3.
I think gay marriage is wrong god created adam and eve not adam and steve.
ReplyDeleteone of the very bad things about gay marriage when they bring kids into the equation the kids will get teased in school and they will stop going to school then they end up dropping out of school and they will nevere be able to get a job because they don't have a proper education.
the only reason obama is supporting gay marriage is so he can get more votes he doesn't care about the subject of gay marriage he is just using it to his advantage to help him in the election.
Tim M.
I think that what Obama did is a good thing because it proves that he does care about every person here. We only got one life to live so we should spend that time doing what you love and being with people that cares for you. The U.S. is known as a free country so by doing, Obama shown that this country accepts all kind of people.
ReplyDeleteJimmy P.
I think its a great thing that Obama did that because every person should live the way they wanna live. I also think people should be able to like any guy or female they want. I also think its a good thing that Obama lets gay marriages happen. MacKenzie N. 1
ReplyDeleteI agree with Molly, and I disagree with Mackenzie becuase I think Obama is trying to "suck up'' to the gay/lezbian so they will vote for him since its getting close to election. The Lord said "You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God. Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord."
ReplyDeleteGrace E. P2
Okay, so the point that everyone missed is that it has been thought, notice I said thought, that being homosexual isnt an option for some people. They believe that some people are born this way and cannot help what they feel. This to me is something that is important to look at, but in the end I do not agree with gay marrage. I come to this conclusion because of what it says in the Bible. This, however, is because I am a Christian. We also must keep in mind that not everyone shares the same religion or has a religion at all and this is a factor in their beliefs or who they fall in love with to. This is supposed to be the land of the free, and yet we expect everyone to abide by the same religion is crazy to me.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with Savannah and Molly. If people want to be with that person and it happens to be of the same sex, so be it. To be honest I have a family member that is gay/lesbian and it doesn't change their personality or anything. They have a kid together to. We don't treat them any different. They still get the same amount of love and respect that every other family member gets. It's just a different way of life. Everyone is unique. By telling gays/lesbians that they can't be married it's telling them they can't be happy. What did they do? Like Sabrina said you're born the way you are. Why should they have to change? It's a free country, let them do what they want if it makes them happy.
ReplyDeleteElle O. p7
I agree with Elle. Yes it is a sin, but so is having a child out of wedlock and there is now a tv show about unmarried teens having babies. If society can accept and conform to that, why not gay marriage? I disagree with what Lucy said about studies showing children grow up troubled with only having the same sex parents. Many children are raised by single parents, without a mother or father figure, and they turn out just fine. It's the same concept. I am also a christian, but I believe if you love someone, be with them. If all of you are fine with gays being together anyways, why can't they be married? Molly's right we don't have complete freedom but why restrict it more by being told who we're allowed to marry? It goes back to civil rights. That's like saying a native american person and a white person can't get married. I think it should be legal. The law shouldn't tell you who you can and can't marry.
ReplyDeleteMegan W. p7
I agree with everyone that said they agree with it. It's a free country, let them be with who they're happy with. No one should judge your marriages and you shouldn't judge theirs. Others out side of the couple should have absolutly NO say in if they can take their relationship to the next level. Like Elle said by telling someone they can never get something they want so bad, is like telling them they can't ever accomplish something they put their mind to it. Thats like someone trying to beat a personal record of theirs or something, but someone tells you that you'll NEVER be able to do it. What do you think you would do? You would put your head down in shame, just like these gays/lesbians are doing in America today. They want to be happy just like you and I. I also feel Liana's comment was very rude. I'm related to a gay. They live in Arizona.. Happily married, does that make them bad people? Not in any way. People that say its a sin need you think about being in their shoes, and stop saying they can't do something with someone they are in love with. Their people too!!
ReplyDeleteCheyenne Hjelle
Period 7
I agree with Elle and Anita.I believe love is love. I know if the goverment took you away with someone you were in love with you would be mad. If you dont like gays/lesbians then don't be one,simple as that. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean you should take there right away. You wouldn't like your rights taken away. You dont have to be in the relationship with them, so it really shouldn't bother you so much. Let people be who they want to be, the goverment shouldn't tell poeple who they can not love. Plus Obama can think what he wants to think, doesn't mean he is "sucking up."
ReplyDeleteLinda R. P1
I agree with Anita. What would change if gay marriage was legal? Nothing. Everything would be the same except for the fact that a gay couple is actually married. Thats the only thing that could change. They could still have a family if they did. Its called adoption. They can still start a family and be happy just like everyone else. Its just the fact that, will people accept it? Maybe not at first, but eventually they will have to.
ReplyDeleteRyder E. P7
This is talking about legalizing a sin, and I'm against that. Thank God for everyone having their own OPINION, and I am all for people being happy with whomever they please, like the previous people have said, everyone deserves to be happy. Yes that's so true! Everyone does deserve that, but they can still be happy without marriage.
ReplyDeleteSavannah T7
I think it's their choice, if two men or two women want to be married, they should be able to.
ReplyDeleteMicaela Carr
P7
I think that gay/ lesbian marriage should not be allowed to continue its presence in the US. Even though there is the whole controversy about barring homosexuality in places is wrong becuase we live in a free country it still in my opinion doesnt make it right. Like Molly said in her previous comment that just because we dont allow people to do what they want makes us not a free country. When our founding fathers wrote the declaration of independance, the US constitution, or the Bill of Rights, they incorporated the principles declared by the Lord in the Bible, wich clearly states that woman is intended to be with man from wich she came from, thus, "wo", meaning "from" man. Marriage is a sacred and holy covenant between man woman and God. And on top of it all, you cant reproduce when ur partner is the same gender as you.
ReplyDeleteAnthony E. P7
Marriage is meant to be the beginning of a family. In order to create a family, you must have children. In order to have children you need an egg and sperm. Hints forth, a man and a woman. Man was created to be with woman. And this point has nothing to do with biblical issues, it's a fact. If two human beings together can't create a baby (not including fertility issues & so on), then they should not be able to married! Two women can not, neither can two men. And in response to Elle, no where in any of my comments, nor savannah's did We say being gay effected a person's character. One of my best guy friends is homosexual and I absolutely love him. I don't judge someone on what sex they're interested in, but two people of the same sex should not be able to marry. Look up the definition of marriage.. "The joining of two people of opposite sexes in holy matrimony." No where does it say, of the same sex. What's next, should we legalize polygamy, too?
ReplyDeleteMolly M. P.1
I love Liana's quote,"God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve." God made marriage for one man, one woman, for one lifetime. And if you use the argument,"Why should I take away the happiness of another just because I don't agree with it?" Just because Adolf Hitler wanted to kill all the Jews, it wasn't right, was it? Just because it made him happy didn't mean it was okay. Maybe someone likes murder. Should they be allowed to murder because it makes them happy? No. It's just not right.
ReplyDeleteAlex H. p3
VERY LAST COMMENT!
ReplyDelete