Obama: Marriage Equality Is About 'Our Civil Rights'

At an LGBT Pride month reception held at the White House on Wednesday, President Barack Obama said that “marriage equality is about our civil rights.”

Before Obama could start his remarks, a heckler protesting the detention and deportation of LGBT immigrants interrupted the president.

“Listen, you're in my house,” Obama responded.

“So as a general rule, I am just fine with a few hecklers, but not when I'm up in the house,” he explained after the heckle had been removed.

Obama told the crowd that he is closely watching the decisions of the Supreme Court, one of which could lead to nationwide marriage equality.

“However the decision comes down on the marriage issue, one thing is undeniable: There has been this incredible shift in attitudes across the country,” he said.

“When I became president, same-sex marriage was legal in only two states. Today, it's legal in 37 states and the District of Columbia. A decade ago, politicians ran against LGBT rights. Today, they're running towards them. Because they've learned what the rest of the country knows: That marriage equality is about our civil rights, and our firm belief that every citizen should be treated equally under the law,” he added.