In an interview with ABC News’ Robin Roberts, this afternoon, President Barack Obama expressed his support for gay marriage.
The video has been posted all over the Internet, but we understand that some of you folks are stuck at a desk at work. We’ve got you covered. Here’s the full transcript of President Barack Obama’s statement:
“I have to tell you, as I said I’ve been going through an evolution of this issue. I’ve always been adamant that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally.
And that’s why in addition to everything we’ve done in this administration, rolling back ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’, so that outstanding Americans can serve our country whether it’s not longer defending the Defense Against Marriage Act which tried to federalize what is historically been state law. I’ve stood on the side of broader equality for the LGBT community and I had hesitated on gay marriage in part because I thought civil unions would be sufficient … that it would give people hospital visitation rights and other elements we take for granted. And I was sensitive to the fact that for a lot of people the word ‘marriage’ was something that evokes very powerful traditions, religions beliefs and so forth.
But I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage, at a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.”
