North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan on
Wednesday endorsed gay marriage.
In an interview with the News
& Observer, Hagan said she was ready to “move forward
with this issue.”
“I know there are strong feelings on
both sides, and I have a great deal of respect for their opinions,
but after much thought and prayer on my part this is where I am
today,” Hagan said.
“I know all our families do not look
alike. We all want the same thing for our families. We want
happiness, we want health, prosperity, a bright future for our
children and grandchildren. After conversations I've had with family
members, with people I go to church with and with North Carolinians
from all walks of life, I've come to my own personal conclusion that
we should not tell people who they can love, or who they can marry.
It's time to move forward with this issue.”
Hagan last year came out against a
North Carolina constitutional amendment defining marriage as a
heterosexual union, saying it was bad for business, but stopped short
of supporting marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples.
Hagan joins a growing list of U.S.
senators who have recently reversed course on the issue, including
Senator Rob
Portman, a Republican from Ohio, and Democratic Senators Claire
McCaskill of Missouri, Mark
Warner of Virginia, Mark
Begich of Alaska, Jon
Tester of Montana and Jay
Rockefeller of West Virginia.