An evolving attitude

I grew up in a culture which was hostile to homosexuality. We would pass along anecdotes which belittled homosexuals in many ways. As time passed, I realized that it was "unchristian" to sneer at or put down persons born with a sexual orientation which differed than that of the majority. Although I had become more tolerant of those who were "different", I was still uncomfortable with them. About half a lifetime ago, I began hearing the requests for equal treatment. I accepted the concept of civil unions, but I firmly believed that "marriage" was (by definition) a union of one person of each sex. As the years passed, I began hearing the reasoning behind the calls of gay and lesbian people to be permitted to marry. For some years now, I have been in favor of same-sex marriage. However, I never expected to hear a national political figure speak out in favor of such unions. When I heard reports of the Vice President's approval of "gay marriage", my first reaction was that Joe Biden's big mouth had done it again, creating a problem for our President's re-election hopes. I suppose that the pollsters will soon be telling us whether the president's endorsement on this issue will make a difference to the electorate. It seems likely that Obama's comments will affect some voters negatively, and maybe bring some hesitant supporters back into the fold. Meantime, I am proud of Obama and Biden, for their integrity and willingness to speak out openly and clearly on this issue. After all, the evolution of the President's position at least partially mirrors my own.