Former Maine Senator Olympia Snowe, a
moderate Republican, on Friday endorsed gay marriage.
“I think obviously this has evolved
over time on the whole issue for the whole country and the nations,”
Snowe told CNN. “We've seen a sea change in society's whole
attitude on this particular issue and it's only natural for
government to be responsive to those changes.”
Last November, Maine became the first
state to legalize marriage equality at the ballot. While voters in
Washington state and Maryland upheld marriage laws approved by
lawmakers, Mainers were asked whether such unions should be legal and
they said yes.
Snowe said she supported the provision
in Maine and no longer supports the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA),
the 1996 law which prevents federal agencies from recognizing the
legal marriages of gay and lesbian couples.
“The time has come,” she said. “I
think what we're seeing is, I think, changing societal conventions
that ultimately you see the transformation of society's gradual
thinking and evolving on issues. I think we're seeing those sea
changes on this particular question.”