jillio
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Obama says that he personally believes that "marriage is between a man and a woman" but also says that "equality is a moral imperative" for gay and lesbian Americans. He advocates the complete repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) because "federal law should not discriminate in any way against gay and lesbian couples, which is precisely what DOMA does." He supports granting civil unions for gay couples, and in 2006 he opposed a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. In March 2007, Obama initially avoided answering questions about a controversial statement by a U.S. general that "homosexual acts" are "immoral," but Obama later told CNN's Larry King, "I don't think that homosexuals are immoral any more than I think heterosexuals are immoral."
Civil union is the means by which gay and lesbian couples gain the same rights as heterosexual couples. Many, many heterosexual couples are joined in a civil union. Any one who went to the court house and was joined together by a judge, for instance. In fact, all marriages must be recognized as civil unions, or they cease to be the means by which rights as a couple are gained.