President Obama expressed his disapproval with the North Carolina ballot measure that amends the state constitution to ban same sex marriage before Tuesday’s vote, and on the night it passed into law by a wide margin the Obama campaign once expressed the president’s dismay.
From the Washington Blade:
Cameron French, North Carolina press secretary for Obama for America, said the president is “disappointed” with the passage of Amendment One.
“The President has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same sex couples,” French said. “He believes the North Carolina measure singles out and discriminates against committed gay and lesbian couples, which is why he did not support it. President Obama has long believed that gay and lesbian couples deserve the same rights and legal protections as straight couples and is disappointed in the passage of this amendment. On a federal level, he has ended the legal defense of the Defense of Marriage Act and extended key benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees.”
The North Carolina vote came as Obama faced new scriutiny over his personal views on gay marriage. Obama was opposed to the practice (but supportive of civil unions) during his 2008 campaign, but has said his views on the issue are evolving
