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 Obama: No Gay Marriage
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: October 30, 2007 - 9:00 am ET
(Cedar Rapids, Iowa) Barack Obama continues to
meet with tough questioning on his positions on LGBT civil rights and especially
same-sex marriage.
In two appearances on Monday he said he still
opposes same-sex marriage, preferring civil unions for gays and lesbians. His
position is the same as the other Democratic frontrunners but the tone of the
questioning is an indication the fallout continues from Sunday's appearance at
an Obama gospel rally that featured outspoken "ex-gay" Donnie
McClurkin. (story)
Both Obama events were in Iowa, where the issue
of gay marriage is before the state Supreme Court. Over the weekend religious
conservatives urged lawmakers to act if the court fails to uphold an existing
so-called defense of marriage law. (story)
The first event was at Coe College and broadcast
on MTV where the marriage issue was raised by gay student
Alex Lamb.
Obama said that he believed same-sex couples
should have the same rights as married couples but that their relationships
should be called civil unions rather than marriage.
He also said stressed the importance of his
Christian faith, but said there has to be a clear separation between church
and state.
During a Democratic presidential candidates forum
on Logo television in August the other frontrunners -
Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Bill Richardson - also said they preferred
civil unions. Only two Democratic candidates support same-sex marriage - Dennis
Kucinich and Mike Gravel. (story)
365Gay.com is owned by Logo which in turn is a
division of MTV Networks.
Obama and Clinton are running neck and neck in
public opinion polls in Iowa.
Following the Coe College appearance Obama was
questioned about same-sex marriage during a campaign stop in Cedar Rapids.
Appearing at the Cedar Rapids
Public Library, Abbi Swanson whose son is gay, asked what he would do to give
him the same rights as opposite-sex couples.
"You want the word marriage and I believe that the issue of marriage has
become so entangled - the word marriage has become so entangled with religion -
that it makes more sense for me as president, with that authority, to talk about
the civil rights that are conferred [with civil unions]" he told her.
Both Swanson and Lamb later told the Des Moines
Register they were not satisfied with Obama's position.
"I'm not completely satisfied that he's not for gay marriage ... but I'm
happy he does believe in equal rights for gay citizens," Lamb said.
Swanson told the paper,
"There isn't an electable candidate out there that has given me the answer
I want, which is everything."
None of the Republican presidential candidates
support same-sex marriage. Monday in New Hampshire Fred Thompson seemed
confused when asked about marriage and civil unions. (story)
©365Gay.com 2007
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