President Obama announces to the country that he is now in favor of same-sex marriages. Will this declaration help or hurt his re-election campaign?
By: A.J. Niles
President Barack Obama said he supports gay marriage Wednesday to ABC’s Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts . President Obama became the first sitting U.S. President to openly support this.
In the past, President Obama publicly stated that he opposed this but told ABC News he changed his mind. President Obama said his position is always “evolving” on the subject. He now supports gay marriage.
“I had hesitated on gay marriage, in part, because I thought civil unions would be sufficient,” the president said. “I was sensitive to the fact that — for a lot of people– that the word marriage is something that provokes very powerful traditions and religious beliefs.”
But, Obama said, his thinking shifted as he witnessed committed same-sex marriages and thought about U.S. service personnel who were “not able to commit themselves in a marriage.”
President also said on ABC this morning,
“It wouldn’t dawn on them that somehow their friends’ parents would be treated differently. It doesn’t make sense to them and frankly, that’s the kind of thing that prompts a change in perspective.”
This announcement comes as the state of North Carolina becomes the 30th state to pass a constitutional amendment proclaiming the state will only recognize marriage between one man and one woman.
According to CNN, the President is not pleased with the passing with this law and he describes the amendment as discriminatory towards gays in North Carolina.
Gay marriage is will always be a hot button issue in Black America, especially during a election year. Do you think that President Obama new stance help or hurt his re-election? Do you agree with Amendment One?
Let us know below!
I am against gay marriage. God intended for marriage to be between a man and a woman. Two men, nor two women can naturally create children. I feel like fair civil unions should suffice for something that began off biblical principals. Now will this hurt Obama’s reelection? Not enough to cause him a second term.
So Debra, would you also say that a woman unable to have children shouldn’t be married? I’m asking because I think it’s silly to base someone’s right to marry based off rather they can naturally have children or not.
This is a hard question for a Christian. I don’t hate gay people, but I don’t want to go against God. The Bible is clear that homosexuality is wrong, so why attack Christians for sticking to their faith? We are doing what God wants us to do, and that is standing up for His beliefs! I’m tired of being attacked for believing in the Bible and loving God! If Romney wasn’t worse, I’d be voting republican this November.
No Hypocrite Here I wasn’t saying that the ability to birth children proves rather or not someone has a right to marry or not. I’m just saying that a man and a woman together is a natural union. These two can come together and bore children. This is what God ordained. Going against that is ungodly.
This is my problem with Christians. I’m one as well, but can’t understand why we pick and choose which sins to single out and which ones to ignore. How many Christians fornicate? Get divorced? Cheat on their spouses? Shack up? Steal and so on? Too many to count! With the divorce rate amongst Christians, are we really going to keep acting like we are protecting the sanctity of marriage? Most of us don’t even value marriage either. Stop being hypocrites. Omama 2012!
Here is the official explanation [of the constitutional amendment] adopted by the [NC Board of Elections] Commission:
A current North Carolina law enacted in 1996 says that marriage between individuals of the same
sex is not valid in North Carolina. This amendment would make that concept part of the North
Carolina Constitution. If this amendment is passed by the voters, then under state law it can only
be changed by another vote of the people.
The term “domestic legal union” used in the amendment is not defined in North Carolina law.
There is debate among legal experts about how this proposed constitutional amendment may
impact North Carolina law as it relates to unmarried couples of same or opposite sex and same
sex couples legally married in another state, particularly in regard to employment-related benefits
for domestic partners; domestic violence laws; child custody and visitation rights; and end-of-life
arrangements. The courts will ultimately make those decisions.
The amendment also says that private parties may still enter into contracts creating rights
enforceable against each other. This means that unmarried persons, businesses and other private
parties may be able to enter into agreements establishing personal rights, responsibilities, or
benefits as to each other. The courts will decide the extent to which such contracts can be
enforced.
Debra you sound retarded. There are people who realize they are gay as small children. Liking the same sex feels natural to them. Your reasons against gay marriage sound like the typical and logically flawed Christian sound bites.
@ Gia Just because people make mistakes, it doesn’t mean we completey do away with the commandments. Every day you have to try to grow in your faith and become what God meant for you to be. That isn’t a solid reason for why Christians should support gay marriage.
Black people, as a whole, need begin to value marriage a whole lot more then we do now. Isn’t ironic that gay people want to get married while black heterosexuals are defending the right to have a clear-cut law defending their ability to “shack-up” and receive the same benefits that a married couple can in North Carolina?
I agree with you 100% A! I don’t have a problem with gays wanting the right to marry. But what bothers me the most is all these sorry black men in my Facebook newsfeed b-tching because their right to shack up and keep the legal benefits of marriage may now be in jeopardy. It’s amazing how people can play house for years and have the nerve to turn their nose up at marriage. SMH!
This was just another carefully calculated move by Obama. He believed in gay marriage from the jump, but decided to wait until the 2012 election to voice that. The country is pretty much divided on gay marriage, so this shouldn’t hurt him too much in votes. I can’t say I care about what other people do in their bedrooms. Live and let live.
Im sorry, all these social issues are merely distractions from the things that matter. I only care about the economy right now as that affects us all! Get with the program Obama!
And Obama continues to flip flop…Romney 2012! Wake up black people!
I cannot support gay marriage. I have my beliefs, and there isn’t much anyone can say to me to change any of them. Obama is making it really hard to vote for him if this is where he stands. And I also live in North Carolina. Amendment One got my vote and the outrage behind it is from the misinformed. Gay marriage was already illegal there and black people need to stop making excuses for playing house! It’s ruining our children!
@ SMH Now you know Romney has no plans to do anything to help people like us. You black republicans are nothing but clowns. He’s just another rich prick who only wants to be president for his own personal gains.
Point of clarification:
Many of the African-Americans that voted in favor of Amendment One are registered Democrats.
Black people are such hypocrites. Not too long ago, just like the gays, we were fighting for our civil rights. Now we have our freedoms and we want to keep freedom away from gay people. Black people should be the most understanding when it comes to equal rights for everybody.
Let’s not play that game David! Gay rights are nothing like the Civil Rights Movement! Gays can go anywhere they want, sit anywhere on a bus, drink out of any water fountain, nor are they lynched for their sexuality! You can walk into a room and be gay and no one would even know. But a person’s race cannot be hidden! The ONLY rights gays don’t have is the right to marry in most states! But black people had NO rights! So stop comparing our struggle to theirs! Totally different!
Obama will win another term, and this will be one reason why. The man knows exactly what he’s doing.
I just want the damn economy fixed!