Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey on
Monday dropped his opposition to gay marriage.
“After much deliberation and after
reviewing the legal, public policy and civil-rights questions
presented, I support marriage equality for same-sex couples and
believe that DOMA should be repealed,” Casey said in a statement
given to gay weekly Philadelphia
Gay News.
“If two people of the same sex fall
in love and want to marry, why would our government stand in the way?
At a time when many Americans lament a lack of commitment in our
society between married men and women, why would we want less
commitment and fewer strong marriages? If two people of the same sex
want to raise children, why would our government prevent them from
doing so, especially when so many children have only one parent or
none at all?”
“As a senator and as a citizen, I can
no longer in good conscience take a position that denies [gay
couples] the full measure of equality and respect.”
Following the endorsements of six
Democratic senators, activists mounted a campaign calling on Casey,
who previously backed civil unions, to join his colleagues on the
issue.
More than 12,000 people signed on to an
online petition started by Michael Morrill, executive director of
Keystone Progress.
Additional pressure came from
Pennsylvania State Rep. Brian Sims, who wrote an open letter to the
senator.
“We have believed since you were
sworn in that when the time was right, when it really mattered, you
would be there for equality,” wrote
Sims, who is openly gay. “The time is right and we need you to
be here.”
“But your voice is silent. And I am
angry.”
“Please, senator, don't wait any
longer to take a stand. Show and voice your support for full
equality for LGBT Americas today,” he concluded.
Casey 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, Jay
Rockefeller of West Virginia and Kay
Hagan of North Carolina.