Discuss: Sen. Casey Supports Gay Marriage

Sen. Robert Casey Jr. (D-PA) announced Monday he supports same-sex marriage, an issue that has dominated political debate recently as the U.S. Supreme Court considers the legality of allowing or banning it.

The senator previously supported civil unions but had stopped short of backing legal marriages. He cited feedback from gay constituents as part of the reason his position has changed.

Casey's full statement reads:

When the Respect for Marriage Act (the legislation that repeals the Defense of Marriage Act [DOMA]) was first introduced and debated in the Senate in 2011, I began to focus on the issue of same-sex marriage much more intensely than I had before. As a candidate for the Senate in 2006 and 2012, and as a Senator, I have supported civil unions.  I also supported strongly the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT), was a leading co-sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), and had stated publicly that I opposed efforts to enact constitutional prohibitions on same-sex marriage. In the six years I have been in the Senate, there have not been any floor votes to repeal DOMA or to legalize same-sex marriage.  Both questions have now been argued before the Supreme Court and are being debated across our country.  After much deliberation and after reviewing the legal, public policy, and civil rights questions presented, I support marriage equality for same-sex couples and believe that DOMA should be repealed.

As part of my consideration of these issues, I read letters written to me by LGBT Pennsylvanians and their families.  These letters included deeply personal statements from people across our Commonwealth and the questions they posed challenged me directly.  These stories had a substantial impact on my position on this issue. If two people of the same sex fall in love and want to marry, why would our government stand in their way? At a time when many Americans lament a lack of commitment in our society between married men and women, why would we want less commitment andfewer strong marriages?  If two people of the same sex want to raise children, why would our government prevent them from doing so, especially when so many children have only one parent, or none at all?  A letter I received from a woman in Southeastern Pennsylvania was particularly compelling:

"My partner and I are both college educated. I am a stay-at-home mom and part-time kindergarten assistant teacher.  I left a full-time position…when my partner gave birth to our twins to be a stay-at-home mom.  We went through the process of second parent adoption and are both legal parents to our kids.  My partner and I have been in a committed relationship for 18 years.  We attend church every Sunday and we own a house, cars, and are truly blessed by our [two children].  As I do a rough calculation and add up the additional money we have paid in taxes compared to a financially similar heterosexual married couple over the last ten years, that amount approaches $100,000! $100,000 dollars would go a long way towards future retirement or in the college education of my kids.  More important than the financial inequality to me is the message I send to my kids.  My kids have two proud and loving parents who are honest [and] work hard.  I want my kids to know they are equal and our family is equal . . . I just want my family to be treated equally and with respect by my state and federal government."

As a Senator and as a citizen, I can no longer in good conscience take a position that denies her and her family the full measure of equality and respect.

I understand that many Americans of good will have strong feelings on both sides of this issue. I believe elected public officials have an abiding obligation to refrain from demonizing and dividing people for partisan or political gain. Rather, Democrats and Republicans should come together and find areas of agreement to do what’s best for the country, including lesbian and gay Americans.

The Washington Post reports Casey had been one of nine Democratic senators not to publicly support gay marriage.

What do you think of Sen. Casey's statement? Are you surprised at his position? Is legal same-sex marriage in Pennsylvania's near future? Please tell us in the comments section below.