Should the federal government ban gay marriage?

Background

In countries with a federal/state split, a compromise proposed by politicians is to allow each state to determine whether they support gay marriage. Strong opponents of gay marriage want it banned at the federal level.

Implications to Other Questions

Should gay and straight couples have the same legal benefits?

Experts

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Agree

Experts In Politics

George W. Bush United States President 2001-2009

Agree

The amendment [to the constitution to ban gay marriage] should fully protect [heterosexual] marriage, while leaving the state legislatures free to make their own choices in defining legal arrangements other than marriage.

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24 Feb 2004 Source

Kevin Rudd Australian Prime Minister, 2007-

Agree

...marriage is between a man and a woman. And I made that commitment before the last election. We will honour that commitment. We support the removal of discrimination from same sex couples and from de-facto heterosexual couples when it comes to basic, basic arrangements in terms of tax, superannuation and the rest, and also a nationally consistent relationships register. But [...] civil unions mean the effective amendment of the marriage act, and that is something we don’t support.

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02 May 2008 Source

Disagree

Experts In Politics

John McCain U.S. Senator, Republican

Disagree

The constitutional amendment we're debating today strikes me as antithetical in every way to the core philosophy of Republicans... It usurps from the states a fundamental authority they have always possessed and imposes a federal remedy for a problem that most states do not believe confronts them.

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14 Jul 2004 Source

Dick Cheney U.S. Vice President 2001-2009

Disagree

I believe today that freedom does mean freedom for everybody. People ought to be free to choose any arrangement they want. It's really no one else's business. That's a separate question from the issue of whether or not government should sanction or approve or give some sort of authorization, if you will, to these relationships. Traditionally, that's been an issue for the states. States have regulated marriage, if you will. That would be my preference.

The Liberal Pitch

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05 Oct 2004 Source

Barack Obama United States President

Disagree

Most of us do believe that gay couples should be able to visit each other in the hospital and share health care benefits; most of us do believe that they should be treated with dignity and have their privacy respected by the federal government. And we all know that if this amendment [constitutionally banning gay marriage] were to pass, it would close the door on much of this.

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05 Jun 2006 Source

Suggested Expert Quotes

Brangelina

Angie and I will consider tying the knot when everyone else in the country who wants to be married is legally able.

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