Obama Still 'Grappling' With Gay Marriage, White House Says

WASHINGTON — The White House says President Barack Obama is "grappling" with his personal views on gay marriage even as he's ordered the Justice Department to stop defending the constitutionality of a law that bans it.

The Justice Department announced Wednesday that, at Obama's direction, it would not defend the Defense of Marriage Act in a court case where it's being challenged.

Spokesman Jay Carney said Obama has always opposed the Defense of Marriage Act as "unnecessary and unfair." But Carney said there's no change to how Obama views gay marriage itself.

Obama said in January that he is still wrestling with whether gay couples should have the right to marry. He said his feelings on the issue continue to evolve but he still believes in allowing strong civil unions.

Comments

[the crustybastard]

12:33 AM on 02/25/2011

Does Obama grapple with the idea that serial killer/rapist/murderer Richard "The Night Stalker" Ramirez got married on California's Death Row?

Does he grapple with the marriages of convicted spousal abusers or child molesters?

Nope. Just gays.

[dzadzey]

07:51 PM on 02/24/2011

What's to grapple with? The Equal Protection Clause lays it all out. Now if he'd grapple more seriously with closing GITMO, giving the victims of US torture their due process and prosecuting the war crimes of Dubbyuh, Cheney, and the rest of their band of thugs.

[phylgood]

11:00 PM on 02/23/2011

Mr. President, you don't need to "wrestle" with this issue. Just remember you obey God rather than man and you'll know what to do. And for those who are going to call me a homophobe, I can state assuredly I have no fear or hatred of homosexuals. I just don't happen to agree with it and that is my right. Okay, that's my post....now let the harassing begin....I can take it.

[virescentgirl]

07:20 AM on 02/25/2011

No harassment should come to you at all. You are correct, you have every right to believe what you believe. However, allowing gays the right to marry will not infringe on your rights to still disagree with homosexual­ity. It will also not inflict gay marriage on you by forcing you personally to act in a way contrary to your person (i.e. being straight). :)

As to your comment about God, well from a religious stand point again, one can have beliefs and still treat others with equality. I do not believe in the God you do. My religion does not find homosexual­s wrong, sinful, second class or otherwise deserving of neglect or discrimina­tion or stripped of protection­s, nor do we pursue to make these beliefs every citizens beliefs. Because they are religous beliefs only.

The CIVIL LAW (not religious law) should find no difference between us as far as who it will protect. It should protect us both equally. So, Obama and you and anyone else can believe homosexual­ity is wrong. You can be opposed to having homosexual relationsh­ips yourself. However, what is unconstitu­tional and what people cannot do is provide a situation where some citizens are treated as second class, neglected, discrimina­ted against, and given less protection­s than others.

[phylgood]

06:44 PM on 02/26/2011

I am sure we could go back and forth on this but I will just say we will have to agree to disagree. The God I serve (and the Bible clearly states that there is only one God) does believe homosexuality is a sin, however, I am not trying to force my beliefs on every citizen. Everyone has the right to believe whatever they choose to believe. My comment was made to the President because the article stated that he was "grappling". I was simply affirming a Christian belief because he has stated that he is a Christian. So while I appreciate your remarks, I am still standing with my previous post.

[the crustybastard]

12:43 PM on 02/25/2011

Wow. I admire how stoically you've endured your persecution.

It must have been awful for you.

[phylgood]

06:31 PM on 02/26/2011

Wow, that was deep. At least virescentgirl took the time to write a plausible argument. You on the other hand are just ignorant.

Have a nice day.

[Juno912]

07:00 PM on 02/23/2011

Obama is just another homophobic black man who, at bottom, is still struggling with his own internalized racism.

Get over it.

[progre84]

01:48 AM on 02/24/2011

Your comment makes no sense. First, shortly before becoming a state legislator, Obama said that he supported same sex marriage. Later (and there used to be a youtube clip of this, though I can't find it right now), he argued that the federal government should have no say in offering "marriages" per se to any couple because marriage is a religious rite; instead, the government should provide civil unions to all couples, gay or straight. Second, the link you draw between homophobia and race is profoundly offensive. How does Obama's racial background explain his alleged homophobia? (Although, maybe his wanting to have things both ways--repealing DOMA while still saying that he prefers civil unions over gay marriage--can be attributed to his being half white instead of his desire to play to the center. *sarcasm*) Third, where have we ever seen evidence that suggests that Obama is a racist? Against whom, exactly, is he racist? And how does his being racist explain his alleged homophobia?

If anyone needs to get over anything, it's you. Get over this ridiculous idea that somehow black people in general--and our current president in particular--are homophobic self-haters.

[kenhamlett]

06:37 PM on 02/23/2011

Earlier today, when I saw the story about the change in position on DOMA, I wrote a positive comment on the HuffPost article, congratulating the President on coming closer to believing in equality for all. You can imagine then how disappointing the White House follow-up comments have made me. The President is again acting politically with respect to a matter of human rights. As a gay man, I find it inexcusable to treat the equality of human beings in such a cavalier fashion. Imagine if it was any other group .... would the President say that he is still "grappling" or "evolving" in his decision about their rights and freedoms? Of course he would not, and, if he did, that, too, would be wrong. When I consider the rights of others, I do not need even a moment of consideration before saying plainly and forcefully that everyone in this country is equal and should have the same rights as everyone else. If not politics, then why is it taking the President so long to come to the same position?

[zdeedle]

06:32 PM on 02/23/2011

the difference between left and right:
left wingers may or may not believe in gay marriage, but they don't think govt should be in the bedrooms of consenting adults, and since marriage licenses are issued by the state, two people not already related (and therefore already having a legal connetion) should be able to create one.

right wingers: i believe gay marriage is wrong and so you must live by my dogma, not your own.

[ChuckChuckerson]

05:23 PM on 02/23/2011

Obama is intelligent and empathetic enough to understand that there is no way to oppose gay marriage and not be a bigot.

He's only opposing gay marriage openly because he believes it is not in his political best interest to defend a minority that is being discriminated against. This cowardly position has caused me to lose a tremendous amount of respect for him.

MLK said: "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

[the crustybastard]

12:58 PM on 02/25/2011

The political calculus is that by doing anything more than nothing, he can still claim he did SOMETHING, and doing something is way more than everyone else has done.

Which is as accurate as it is lame.

[dkondrat]

05:21 PM on 02/23/2011

I think that Obama needs to come out stronger in favor of gay marriage. This is a civil rights issue. Two people should be allowed to enter into a contract that binds them together. They should also be allowed to adopt children. I am tired of watching one class of citizen be criticized for being authentically true to themselves. Down with DOMA!!!

[kenhamlett]

06:31 PM on 02/23/2011

Hold your breath. He is trying to have it both ways.

[VioletDatura]

04:35 PM on 02/23/2011

Wat to swing both ways, Mr. President!

[zdeedle]

06:35 PM on 02/23/2011

i think it's an excellent example of how a president, and any american really, can believe what they want in this country, but not have the power of the govt impose someone else's religious values on another person who doesn't believe the same way. same with abortion. if you don't want to get gay married, then don't. if you don't believe in it, you don't have to. but you don't have a right to impose that on other people using the power of the federal or state govt.

[VioletDatura]

07:14 PM on 02/23/2011

And I agree with you, 100%. Same goes for abortion, as you mention. If you don't like it, don't have one!

I was commenting on how Mr. Obama feels compelled to stress what a moral dilemma this is for him, when that's not the issue, nor should it ever be. His personal morals have nothing to do with equal and civil rights issues. I'm cynical enough to disbelieve he actually is grappling with gay marriage, I think he's trying to give himself cover where the Christo-Facists are concerned.

[IslandGyal]

04:29 PM on 02/23/2011

I can't see how anyone can, especially an educated insightful man like President Obama, can have a question about allowing any adult who wants a life with another to be allowed to marry and be miserable like the rest of us . . .

[cyoohoos]

04:24 PM on 02/23/2011

Marriage is a farce. If gay people want in, so be it.

[zdeedle]

06:35 PM on 02/23/2011

people who say they want to preserve traditional marriage are lying unless they are against divorce too.

[Camycam15]

04:17 PM on 02/23/2011

I don't think he's grappling with anything. He still supports it like he did in 1996.
It really wouldn't do us much good for him to come out in support of Gay Marriage right now.
I'd actually prefer that he waits until 2012 to finish "evolving."

[springsm]

03:47 PM on 02/23/2011

Obama has to be reminded that it isn't about him.  It is about those people who are in love with someone of the same sex.  He doesn't have to worry because this does not touch his marriage.  Allowing the others to have what he has is not going to lessen his marriage.  Come on Obama, rights that are civil are for everybody.  YOU don't have to believe that it is kosher. but the ones who do should be able to express it.  It is about the country President O, not about you.

[TresJolie7]

03:41 PM on 02/23/2011

LMAOOO! Who is he foolin'? Everybody knows he believes in gay marriage. Might as well just fess up now.

[Joseph Joyal]

03:29 PM on 02/23/2011

I quess he forgot that not long ago interacial marriage was illegal. Its civil rights here not personel views.

[springsm]

03:48 PM on 02/23/2011

Bingo...but somehow these arguments always take on the man/woman/bible/god said slants.  And look at his own background. 

[the crustybastard]

12:42 AM on 02/25/2011

As late as 1962, if President Obama was an Arizona resident, as a mixed-race person, state law would have banned him from marrying anyone.