Ahead of the Supreme Court's consideration of the Defense of Marriage Act on Wednesday, a number of U.S. senators are publicly denouncing the law and coming out in favor of same-sex marriage.
On Monday, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) announced on his Facebook page that he supports marriage equality. Previously, Warner had not made his views on same-sex marriage public.
"I support marriage equality because it is the fair and right thing to do," Warner wrote. "Like many Virginians and Americans, my views on gay marriage have evolved, and this is the inevitable extension of my efforts to promote equality and opportunity for everyone."
The Virginia senator hinted at his change in views earlier this month, when he joined 40 of his colleagues in signing an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to strike down the federal gay marriage ban.
Warner's announcement came just hours after Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) came forward with her own evolution on the issue.
"My views on this subject have changed over time, but as many of my gay and lesbian friends, colleagues and staff embrace long term committed relationships, I find myself unable to look them in the eye without honestly confronting this uncomfortable inequality," McCaskill wrote in a Tumblr post Sunday night. "Supporting marriage equality for gay and lesbian couples is simply the right thing to do for our country, a country founded on the principals of liberty and equality."
And in more quiet announcements, BuzzFeed's Andrew Kaczynski reported Monday that Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.) and Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) no longer support the Defense of Marriage Act. Both lawmakers supported the measure when it became law in 1996.
On the other side of the aisle, Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) made headlines earlier this month when he reversed his stance on same-sex marriage after learning that his son is gay.
"It allowed me to think of this issue from a new perspective, and that's of a Dad who loves his son a lot and wants him to have the same opportunities that his brother and sister would have -- to have a relationship like Jane and I have had for over 26 years," Portman said.
Before You Go
