Politics
Election 2012: Obama faces renewed pressure on gay marriage
Vice President Joe Biden finally said Sunday what gay marriage supporters have been waiting for President Barack Obama to say — but his office’s immediate effort to walk back those comments provided another convoluted step in the White House’s evolution on the issue that’s already maddening the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.
Biden’s comments come on the verge of the North Carolina gay marriage ban vote Tuesday that was already causing major frustration for gay marriage supporters toward Obama: The president’s against the proposed state constitutional amendment, even though he isn’t pro-gay marriage. They’ve also noticed that though his campaign issued a statement on that position in March and another one like it last month for a similar measure going before voters in Minnesota, the statement didn’t come from the president himself.
In other words, the moves meant to add to the president’s long list of statements and policies favoring gay rights have for many gay rights activists instead highlighted the biggest thing missing from that list: The president completing his self-described evolution and backing full marriage equality.