Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has come out in opposition to the California ballot initiative that would amend the state’s Constitution to ban same-sex marriage.
In a letter sent to the Alice B. Toklas L.G.B.T. Democratic Club, a San Francisco gay rights group, Obama declared: “I oppose the divisive and discriminatory efforts to amend the California Constitution, and similar efforts to amend the U.S. Constitution or those of other states.”
The California Marriage Protection Act, which will appear on the state’s November ballot, asserts: “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”
The move to amend California’s Constitution came after the May 15 decision by the state’s Supreme Court that gave same-sex couples the right to marry.
While Obama opposes the initiative, he remains opposed to same-sex marriage, the New York Times reported. He does support civil unions and domestic partnerships.
Obama expressed opposition to the amendment, on the ballot as Proposition 8, because “as we have seen in some states, enshrining a definition of marriage into the constitution can allow states to roll back the civil rights and benefits that are provided in domestic partnerships and civil unions,” campaign spokesman Ben LaBolt told The Times.
Obama’s presumptive Republican rival John McCain announced his support for the initiative last month.
A Los Angeles Times/KTLA poll conducted shortly after the California Supreme Court decision found that 54 percent of registered voters surveyed supported the amendment, and 35 percent said they opposed it.
source: Insider Report from Newsmax.com