U.S. President Barack Obama came out of the closet with his views on same-sex marriages when he said to a media channel, “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.”
The endorsement seemed to catch the entire nation off-guard, especially as the President’s views on same-sex unions have gone through a lengthy “evolution” during his time in office. While Mr. Obama had said back in 1996, as a U.S. Senator, “I favour legalising same-sex marriages,” in 2004 he had reversed that opinion saying “What I believe is that marriage is between a man and a woman.”
Yet in December 2010 he qualified that statement saying, ““My feelings about this are constantly evolving; I struggle with this,” and then last October he once again ducked a straight question on whether he would move from supporting civil unions for same-sex couples to supporting same-sex marriages, noting, “I’m still working on it.”
However this week appeared to mark the culmination of a personal journey exploring his views on same-sex marriages and First Lady Michelle Obama was said to be one of the several factors behind his changing views.
Mr. Obama said to ABC News that his support for same-sex marriages had evolved over the course of several years as he spoke with friends and family and neighbours. In particular, he said, he was moved by the predicament facing members of his staff who were in “incredibly committed, monogamous, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together.”
The President emphasised that Mrs. Obama felt the same way that he did, that the value they cared most deeply about was how they treated other people. Yet he also acknowledged that given that he and Mrs. Obama were practicing Christians their position on this issue “may be considered to put us at odds with the views of others.”
Mr. Obama also struck a personal note and spoke of his daughters’ influence on his thinking, saying, “Malia and Sasha... have friends whose parents are same-sex couples. There have been times... sitting around the dinner table and we're talking about their friends and their parents and Malia and Sasha, it wouldn't dawn on them that somehow their friends' parents would be treated differently.”
His candid remarks on the issue come at an important time during an election year, when the top consideration by voters in November is still likely to be the economy and job-creation. Yet secondary issues such as LGBT rights may make a difference on the margins at least, even if the subject is sometimes a tricky calculus for the President as it may carry a lower proportion of the population.
Keywords: U.S. President Barack Obama, gay marriage
I personally believe that President Obama did brave and courageous
thing by expressing his support for gay marriage. It was one historic
moment when he expressed his views on this matter. Obama stood up for
the rights of his people even though he knew that this will make him
lose many precious votes. It is extremely risky saying this because
the election's drawing closer. He did this for the good of the people
of his country. Made my heart melt when he mentioned his daughters
Malia and Sasha. He took a huge step forward by supporting marriage
equality. President Obama won't gain anything much (except for the
love, admiration and respect of people). Instead he'll lose votes and
have lots of haters.
Even if Obama loses, it will be for doing the right thing- for standing up for the rights of his people. In my opinion, he deserves to win the election.
The most sacred principle of human beings is love, commitment and the choice of sharing your life with the person you love. I don't understand why a person should be denied that right just because he is GAY! Love is universal and gay people should certainly have the option of having their commitment to a partner acknowledged by the state just like straight people can.
Some of the above comments just show that we as indians find it difficult to get rid of the deep-rooted prejudices we have against gay people. It should be noted that homophobia in itself is an victorian import and India was historically inclusive of alternate sexuality before the british era.We are arguing about the injustice of denying the right to marriage between 2 consensual adults solely based on sexuality. It seems straight forward to me that this prejudice is cruel.People who are confusing it by comparisons to pedophilia etc. are completely missing the point.
A similar question that one might ask is, what right do you have to deny two consenting adults the freedom to come together and be recognized as partners in the eyes of the State? Why is this so difficult to understand for these "haters"? Also, on a side note, bestiality and pedophilia are completely different from homosexuality. Kudos to Obama for taking such a brave stand supporting civil rights and equality for all.
This is an excellent gesture by the "Leader of free world". The world is truly free when there is no discrimination in any form due to race, gender, age, sexual orientation etc. In the eyes of law, all men and women are created equal and should have access to equal rights. Kudos to Obama for taking a brave stance even when it is politically perilous.
These guys are putting a bad example into the world which will have
devastating effects on interpersonal relations world wide. The whole
reason why westerners are failing to understand marriage relations is
because they do not understand themselves first.
I think these type of evil things are happening because they do not
understand what religion is and the importance of ethical values in a
country. As Swami Vivekananda says if you take out religion from a
society what remains are brutes in a forest.
We Indians need to sit with them and spoon feed the importance of
moral values in a society which dictates human behavior and
psychology.
Mr. Obama - It is not how many nuclear weapons you develop,not if you
landed on the moon, mars, etc, but first and foremost cultivate moral
values in your country. If not your society is going to vanish.
This is unfortunate. What right does even the so-called "Leader of the Free World" have to violate the most sacred principles of human beings? Marriage is the sacred union between Man and Woman. Why is this so difficult to understand for these "progressives"? What's next, legalisation of incest, paedophilia and bestiality? I fear for our species.
So, FRIENDS there is nothing to be surprised on such HISTORIC
decision ....You know for the sake of name, money,fame, position e t
c..one can take at any level A - SORDID step...
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