President Obama made world-changing news when he came out and endorsed same-sex marriage for gay and lesbian couples.
STORY: Barack Endorses Same-Sex Marriage
In an interview with Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts, Obama abandoned his longstanding opposition to same-sex marriage, but says the decision on whether or not to legalize the unions should be left up to individual states, which are “arriving at different conclusions at different times.”
Obama told Roberts:
“I think that’s a healthy process and a healthy debate. This debate is taking place at a local level,” he said. “And I think the whole country is evolving and changing. And, you know, one of the things that I’d like to see is that a conversation continue in a respectful way.”
But one of the main reasons the President shifted his stance was because of his daughters Sasha and Malia, who Obama says have friends whose parents are gay and lesbian:
“It’s interesting, some of this is also generational,” the President continued. “You know when I go to college campuses, sometimes I talk to college Republicans who think that I have terrible policies on the economy, on foreign policy, but are very clear that when it comes to same sex equality or, you know, sexual orientation that they believe in equality.
They are much more comfortable with it. You know, Malia and Sasha, they have friends whose parents are same-sex couples.
There have been times where Michelle and I have been 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. It doesn’t make sense to them and frankly, that’s the kind of thing that prompts a change in perspective.”
Thirty states now have constitutional amendments or statutes banning same-sex marriage. Six states plus the District of Columbia have legalized the unions. The issue will be put directly to voters in Minnesota, Maine, Washington and Maryland in November.
Obama also reached out directly to same-sex opponents, telling Roberts that many Americans who disagree with him-
“Are not coming at it from a mean-spirited perspective. They’re coming at it because they care about families. And they have a different understanding, in terms of, you know, what the word ‘marriage’ should mean. And a bunch of them are friends of mine, you know, pastors and … people who I deeply respect.”
Obama continued-
“The winds of change are happening. They’re not blowing with the same force in every state. I think that as more and more folks think about it, they’re gonna say, you know, ‘That’s not who we are.'”
Either way it was a great moment in history as Obama became the first President to endorse same-sex marriage.
