Equal Rights: Obama could make the difference on LGBT marriage right

The New York Times reported this weekend that President Barack Obama's views on gay marriage are "evolving" and that there are serious discussions inside the White House about how to handle the shift if he decides to publicly support same-sex unions. The president has a fairly good record on gay rights issues; he successfully pushed for the abolition of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy and has stopped defending the Defense of Marriage Act in the courts. But even as the nation has grown to accept the idea of same-sex marriage, the president has held back, citing his own religious views as the basis for an embrace of civil unions but not of full-fledged marriage.

Whether Mr. Obama changes his stance would probably make little if any difference in his re-election bid next year. Three national polls this spring found majorities of Americans support legalizing same-sex marriage. The most recent poll, released by Gallup last month, found 53 percent in favor and 45 percent opposed; a year earlier, those numbers had been almost exactly reversed, with 44 percent in favor and 53 percent opposed. But despite the rapid shift in public opinion, other issues — primarily the economy, the budget deficit and the new federal health care law — are almost certain to be the deciding factors in the 2012 presidential race.

read the full story [Baltimore Sun]

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