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Obama Claim: "What I believe is that marriage is between a man and a woman." Obama Fact: Confused About His Own Orientation on Issue of Gay Marriage Barack Obama says he favors civil unions, yet he failed to show up for a vote on domestic partnerships. Obama told the Associated Press, "…I do believe that tradition and my religious beliefs say that marriage is something sanctified between a man and a woman." (Obama: Gay Marriage Unchristian, 9/26/04) But Obama failed to support a bill that would have given heterosexual couples the same special benefits given to homosexual couples, opposes a Constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriages, and opposes the Defense of Marriage Act. Obama says the question of who may marry should be left up to each state, but then went missing when the issue of civil unions came to the Illinois legislature. HB 581: Domestic Partner Pension Benefits Obama Not Voting (2003) Would have allowed domestic partners to assume the rights of a spouse or survivor with regard to pension benefits under the Chicago Teacher's Pension System. SB 228: Amendment to Equal Opportunity Act of 1997 Obama Voted No (1997) Would have amended the Illinois Equal Opportunity Act of 1997 by stipulating that notwithstanding any law to the contrary, any unit of government or school district that grants benefits to same-sex couples under any criteria must provide equal benefits to heterosexual couples under the same criteria. |
