Californians don’t share Obama’s support for homosexual marriage, group says

Los Angeles, Calif., Jul 2, 2008 / 20:39 pm

Sen. Barack Obama’s support for homosexual marriage could lose him votes in California, the Campaign for Children and Families says.

In a public letter from the presumptive Democratic nominee read Sunday at the Alice B. Toklas Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Democratic Club in San Francisco, Obama wrote:

“As the Democratic nominee for President, I am proud to join with and support the LGBT community in an effort to set our nation on a course that recognizes LGBT Americans with full equality under the law. That is why I support extending fully equal rights and benefits to same sex couples under both state and federal law. That is why I support repealing the Defense of Marriage Act and the ‘Don't Ask Don't Tell’ policy, and the passage of laws to protect LGBT Americans from hate crimes and employment discrimination. And that is why 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.”

News of Sen. Obama’s letter on homosexuality comes just after his wife Michelle explained her husband’s positions on marriage and gays serving in the military to the Democratic National Committee’s Gay and Lesbian Caucus last Thursday.

In her speech, she compared homosexual advocacy groups with the civil rights movement, referring to events “from Selma to Stonewall” as a progression of justice.

According to Randy Thomasson, President of Campaign for Children and Families, a May 21 Los Angeles Times poll shows that 54 percent of California voters support Proposition 8, the California marriage amendment, and only 35 percent oppose it.

“Despite his claims that he believes marriage is only for a man and a woman, Barack Obama is promising to destroy marriage protection in our nation and to oppose protecting marriage licenses for a man and a woman in California," said Thomasson.

“Most Californians know deep in their hearts that the homosexual 'marriages' parading in the streets are not real marriages,” he continued.

Thomasson, who describes himself as a registered independent, said that there are “significant differences” on marriage between Obama and his opponent, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, citing McCain’s stated support for marriage amendments in California and in Arizona.

Last Thursday McCain said in a statement, “I support the efforts of the people of California to recognize marriage as a unique institution between a man and a woman, just as we did in my home state of Arizona. I do not believe judges should be making these decisions.”

Thomasson commented: “McCain supports and Obama opposes preserving marriage licenses for a man and a woman in California. In recent days, their positions for or against the mainstream values of American voters have become much more clear.”