Education Secretary Embraces Same-Sex Marriage

May 7, 2012, 10:05 am

Education Secretary Embraces Same-Sex Marriage

Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Monday became the third member of the Obama administration to embrace same-sex marriage publicly, a position at odds with that of the president, who has limited his support to civil unions for gay men and lesbians.

Mr. Duncan’s expression of support for same-sex marriage comes a day after Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. said that he was “absolutely comfortable” with such unions and was heartened by their growing acceptance across the country.

The forceful backing of same-sex marriage from members of the president’s cabinet is unusual because it has moved beyond Mr. Obama’s stated position: While he has said that his views are evolving, he has not backed same-sex marriage.

Private differences of opinion over policy are not uncommon within the White House, but their public airing by multiple officials certainly is.

At the beginning of an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Mr. Duncan was asked if he believed that gay men and lesbians should be allowed to marry. “Yes, I do,” he replied. Mr. Duncan said that he had never been asked publicly before about the topic.

“Duncan speaking out is particularly important given his role as the nation’s top education official,” said Joe Solmonese, the president of the Human Rights Campaign, a gay advocacy group. “There’s no doubt in my mind that the president shares these values, and that’s why it’s time for him to speak out in favor of marriage equality as well.”

Mr. Duncan joins Mr. Biden and Housing Secretary Shaun Donovan in supporting same-sex marriage to varying degrees. Their stance, and its public nature, is likely to put pressure on Mr. Obama to clarify his thinking on the subject, especially before the presidential election this fall.

In a conference call Monday morning with reporters, David Axelrod, a senior adviser to the president’s re-election campaign, said that the vice president’s comments were “entirely consistent with the president’s position.”

“Couples who are married, whether they are gay or heterosexual couples, are entitled to the very same rights or very same liberties,” Mr. Axelrod said.