President Barack Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to come out in support of same-sex marriage.
"...It is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married," Obama told ABC News.
Vice President Joe Biden, who hails from Delaware, had already said in an interview on Sunday that he is completely comfortable with gays marrying, a pronouncement that instantly raised the profile of the issue and possibly led to Obama's statement.
Soon after the announcement Wednesday afternoon, politicians, advocates and regular people came out in support or against the president's statement.
On Wednesday, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney told KDVR-TV in Denver that "I do not favor marriage between people of the same gender, and I do not favor civil unions if they are identical to marriage other than by name. My view is the domestic partnership benefits, hospital visitation rights, and the like are appropriate but that the others are not."
U.S. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) supporter Obama’s stand: "This is an important moment on the journey to equality: the first time a sitting president has endorsed the idea that every American, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, should be able to marry the person they love. Period. For some, the question of marriage equality is difficult to answer. I respect that everyone comes to a position in their own way and in their own time."
The American Family Association of Pennsylvania sees Obama’s announcement as a reason to pass legislation that would define marriage in the Keystone State as being between a man and a woman. They also questioned if Obama would alienate African-American and Latino voters.
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"He is dependent upon the homosexual vote and the only way he could guarantee their continued support was to endorse same gender 'marriage.' However in so doing he is alienating many who supported him in 2008," AFA of Pa. president Diane Gramley said.
NBC10 is efforting quotes from other people about Obama’s historic statement.
