The battle for and against gay marriage has been raging in the United States for decades. Political groups and the public all have their opinions on this institution, and commonly condemn or promote the values that gay marriage upholds. Recently, the current president, Obama, has taken a stand on gay marriage and is pushing his views as part of his political agenda. According to a NBC interview, Obama has always supported marriage equality, but has been reticent to firmly state his views.
The Washington Post recently observed that President Obama's stance on same-sex marriage may have a direct effect on his re-election, and that there is a possibility that he is promoting same-sex marriage to gain support. Many of the individuals who are busy promoting Obama through his re-election campaign are engaged in homosexual relationships. As well, many of Obama's campaigns have focused on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender donors. According to a recent inventory, one in six of Obama's top donors, who have brought in $500,000 or more for his campaign, would publically identify themselves as gay. Many of his top supporters are same-sex spouses, who have wed in one of the states where it is legal to do so.
Currently, only Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, and the District of Columbia will issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Washington and Maryland now allow same-sex couples to receive a marriage license as of February 2012. California deemed same-sex marriage legal for a short amount of time before the law was repealed and stated invalid. Other states, such as Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, and Rhode Island, allow for civil unions, but will not recognize same-sex marriage.
Regardless of the few states who have altered their definition of marriage, 28 states believe that marriage is only an institution between a man and a woman. 10 states have statutory provisions which define marriage as between a man and a woman. Yet despite the 38 states who are opposed to a same-sex marriage, many political commentators are starting to think that Obama supports the measure, and may take steps to promote marriage equality. Vice President Joe Biden told the Washington Post that he is absolutely comfortable with the idea of same-sex marriage, but admitted that Obama's views are still evolving. Recently, Obama shelved an initiative to can discrimination by federal contractors. This upset many of the homosexual men and women who are supporting Obama's campaign.
On Wednesday, May 9th, 2012, Obama was interviewed concerning his views on gay marriage, and made statements to clarify his views. The interview with ABC was set up after people began probing into Obama's opinions on gay rights. In his interview, Obama stated that he supports gay marriage. This firm statement gave Obama a notable position as the first American president to back gay marriage publically. While this new announcement doesn't mean anything for the direct future, gay rights activists believe that Obama's support will help to revolutionize their cause. Obama supports a repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act which was signed into law by Bill Clinton. This Act prohibits legal same-sex married couples from receiving any federal benefits like social security and tax breaks.
Depending on the results of the re-election next November, Americans can plan for some changes in the Federal stance on gay rights and same-sex marriages. While there is no allusion to a Federal statute allowing same–sex marriage at present, there is a possibility that the President may work in that direction. Same-sex marriage may become a legal institution in the future, spanning the entire United States. Along with this, the government may choose to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and extend benefits to same-gender married couples.