Politics BlackState.com

10 May 2012
Posted on BlackState 10 May 2012 Share Tweet

President Obama position on gay marriage has evolved from support of civil unions to support for gay marriage. To understand his support one has to separate religion from government and law. The President in a letter to supporters stated:

“What I've come to realize is that for loving, same-sex couples, the denial of marriage equality means that, in their eyes and the eyes of their children, they are still considered less than full citizens.”

He goes on to state:

“I respect the beliefs of others, and the right of religious institutions to act in accordance with their own doctrines. But I believe that in the eyes of the law, all Americans should be treated equally. And where states enact same-sex marriage, no federal act should invalidate them.”

This has been a busy week for proponents and opponents of gay marriage. North Carolina's Amendment 1 passed which states: “Marriage Between One Man and One Woman is the Only Domestic Legal Union That Shall Be Valid or Recognized in This State." Supporters of same-sex marriage should not fret the law will clearly be challenged as legally married same sex citizens of the United States who move to North Carolina can not be denied their rights as married citizens by virtue of their moving across state lines. A state must give full faith and credit to the laws of the other states. This is not an amendment to the Constitution it is written into Article IV Section 1 of the original document.

The North Carolina referendum is a temporary set back for gay marriage. Though becoming more progressive with each election cycle (which spells trouble for future GOP candidates) in 1964 the people of North Carolina would have voted down a civil rights referendum (though not a perfect analogy).

So where is the presumptive republican nominee Mitt Romney on the issue. He says he's always been against gay marriage. One wonders though as the country in large part shifts on the issue of same-sex marriage will Romney shift as well. Just like he was always against the auto-bailout before he was for the auto-bailout.

Diving into marriage has to be a tricky issue for Romney as a member and financial contributor to the Mormon Church. The Mormon Church for over 100 years has been against polygamy but splintered groups left the Church including members of the Romney family and moved to Mexico where it has been alleged they continued to practice polygamy. Montana Gov. Schweitzer recently commented that the Romney family came from a polygamy commune in Mexico. Does any current members of the Romney family define marriage as between one man and many women? Is Romney going to come out Big Love style at the Republican Convention with multiple misses Romney's, We joke here. But it is not a joke that the Mormon Church was one of the biggest financial supporters of Prop 8 in California. Given that Romney's position at least on same-sex marriage is unlikely to change.

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President Obama | Mitt Romney | Gay Marriage | Plural Marriage | obama | north carolina

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