Freedom to Marry Responds to the President’s Evolving Position on Marriage

By Michael Crawford
Dec 22, 2010 at 08:10 pm

Statement from Freedom to Marry’s Political Director, Sean Eldridge, on President Obama’s remarks about his evolving position on marriage during today’s White House press conference: 

President Obama’s comments are a welcome step toward support for same-sex couples’ freedom to marry.  We hope that he will continue along the same journey as President Clinton and a majority of Americans who now support the freedom to marry.  Like many Americans, President Obama is looking at his gay and lesbian friends and colleagues who are in loving, committed relationships and realizing that their families deserve the same respect and the same protections as everyone else’s. 

Only marriage provides full respect and equal protection under the law for same-sex couples and their families.  And as the President himself acknowledged, the arc of history on this issue is clear.  We urge the President to publicly support the freedom to marry for same-sex couples.  His leadership would provide critical momentum to the marriage movement as we face opportunities in 2011 to win marriage in more states like Maryland, Rhode Island, and New York, and as we ramp up the fight to end federal marriage discrimination under DOMA.