The chances that President Barack Obama
will endorse gay marriage before the November election are
increasing, an informed source has revealed to gay weekly The
Washington Blade.
The president has said that he backs
civil unions for gay and lesbian couples and that he is “evolving”
on marriage.
According to the Blade's source,
the White House and the Obama campaign are actively discussing the
possibility of an endorsement. The odds of that happening, the
source said, are 50-50. However, concerns persist on how such an announcement would be viewed in several must-win states.
“We're talking about the Michigans,
the Ohios, the Illinois of this world; the real battleground states
in which voters are already conflicted and may factor this into their
judgment,” the source told the paper.
The source added that the
administration is considering a major pro-gay initiative before the
November election.
“My feeling is you'll get one, you
won't get both before Election Day. There is a great timidity in
terms of their dealing with the gays, rights? In many ways, they
kind of consider our issues to be the third rail.”
Advocates interviewed for the story
said an endorsement of marriage equality from the president would put
an end to the claims of politicians who say they hold a similar view
on gay unions as the president but support gay marriage bans.
(Related: Michelle
Obama did not endorse gay marriage, White House says.)