Dems jump to support gay marriage before SCOTUS hearings

Ahead of arguments on Proposition 8 and DOMA, Democrats are reversing course on same-sex marriage

Published March 26, 2013 1:05PM (EDT)

An avalanche of Democratic senators have expressed their support for gay marriage, just in time for the Supreme Court to hear arguments on Proposition 8 and DOMA.

The latest is Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, who said in a statement released to Buzzfeed Monday night that the senator believes "that same sex couples should be able to marry and should have the same rights, privileges and responsibilities as any other married couple."

"Government should keep out of individuals' personal lives—if someone wants to marry someone they love, they should be able to. Alaskans are fed up with government intrusion into our private lives, our daily business, and in the way we manage our resources and economy," he said.

On Monday, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., made a similar statement, following Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., who came out in support of gay marriage over the weekend. Sens. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.V., and Tim Johnson, D-S.D., also announced that they no longer support DOMA. Both voted for the law when it first passed in 1996, and both are retiring in 2014.


By Jillian Rayfield

Jillian Rayfield is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on politics. Follow her on Twitter at @jillrayfield or email her at jrayfield@salon.com.

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Claire Mccaskill Democrats Doma Gay Marriage Jay Rockefeller Mark Begich Proposition 8 Supreme Court