The evolution is now complete: Obama officially backs gay marriage

After years of varying statements on the issue of whether or not he supports same-sex marriage (December 2010: “My feelings about this are constantly evolving”), Barack Obama told ABC News today that he does, in fact, believe it should be legal:

I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, 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

ABC has a timeline of the president’s “evolution” on the subject here.

VP Joe Biden made news last weekend when he said he was “absolutely comfortable” with same-sex marriage.

Yesterday North Carolina voters passed a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman, becoming the 30th state to have such a law.


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About Catherine Harmon 577 Articles
Catherine Harmon is managing editor of Catholic World Report.