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US: Obama backs marriage equality

Thu 10 May 2012 In: International News View at Wayback

US President Barack Obama has declared his support for marriage equality, potentially making the issue a key battleground at the upcoming election. "I have hesitated on gay marriage in part because I thought that civil unions would be sufficient," Obama said in an interview with ABC 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." Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney opposes gay marriage. Obama said his daughters Malia and Sasha have friends whose parents are same-sex couples. "Malia and Sasha, it wouldn't dawn on them that somehow their friends' parents would be treated different," he said. "It doesn't make sense to them and frankly, that's the kind of thing that prompts a change in perspective." Obama said his wife Michelle Obama was also involved in his decision and joins him in supporting gay marriage.    

Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff

First published: Thursday, 10th May 2012 - 9:15am

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