Obama openly supports gay marriage

On the fence no longer, US President Barack Obama declared his unequivocal support for gay marriage on Wednesday, an historic announcement that gave the polarizing social issue a more prominent role in the 2012 race for the White House.   

Gay rights advocates cheered Obama's declaration, which they had long urged him to make, however others denounced his switch as a shameless appeal for votes.        

The announcement was the first by a sitting president, and Republican challenger Mitt Romney swiftly disagreed with it.      

"I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman," he said while campaigning in Oklahoma.        

"I know other people have differing views, this is a very tender and sensitive topic, as are many social issues, but I have the same view that I have had since, well, since running for office," he added.      

The president said he was taking a personal position and aides said the announcement would have no impact on current policies and that he continues to believe that marriage is an issue best decided by states.      

Nevertheless many gay advocates hailed an "historic" moment in the fight for equality.       

"I have never felt so proud to be an American as today and, to be honest, today I feel more American, because President Obama has affirmed that he isn't just the President for some of us. He's the President for all of us," said Stuart Gaffney, a leading gay activist from San Francisco.      

Openly gay Colorado Democrat Congressman Jared Polis said it was exciting "to have a president who respects the ability of Americans to marry who they love, which sounds like common sense but unfortunately there's a lot of obstacles to that right now."       

Not everyone was as enamored with the move.         

Peter Sprigg, a senior fellow at the Christian organization the Family Research Council said Obama's endorsement was disappointing but not surprising.      "I think that the president has finally ended his hypocrisy on this issue," Sprigg said on Wednesday. "Although he has said publicly that he did not support same-sex marriage, I think that his policies contradicted that, because the president consistently opposed virtually every method of preserving the traditional definition of marriage."     

Sprigg said he believes the position "reduces his chances of re-election and I think if he does lose in November, it will be taken in part as a repudiation of his position on this issue."    

On Tuesday, voters in North Carolina, a potential battleground in the fall election, approved an amendment to the state constitution affirming that marriage may only be a union of a man and a woman.       

As recently as eight years ago, conservatives in several states maneuvered successfully to place questions relating to gay marriage on the election day ballot as a way of boosting turnout for President George W. Bush's re-election.         

However nationwide polling suggests increasing acceptance of gay marriage.       

In a national survey released earlier this month, Gallup reported 50 percent of those polled said it should be legal, and 48 percent were opposed.         Democrats favored it by a margin of roughly 2-1, while Republicans opposed it by an even bigger margin.        

Among independents, 57 percent expressed support, and 40 percent were opposed.     

Whatever the polls, the political crosscurrents are tricky.       

Shifting his emphasis, even briefly, could open Obama up to Republican criticism that he is taking his eye off the economy, voters' No. 1 issue.       

Yet other Democratic supporters claim Obama's decision could energize huge swaths of the party, including young people.      

He also could appeal to independent voters.      

Six states, all in the Northeast except Iowa and the District of Columbia, allow same-sex marriages.        

In addition, two other states have laws that are not yet in effect and may be subject to referendums.

APTN