Obama backing same-sex marriage likely to get right 'riled up' - RF Slimming Machine Manufacturer

"We cannot be silent in the face of words or actions that wouldundermine the institution of marriage, the very cornerstone of oursociety," Roman Catholic Cardinal Timothy Dolan, president of theU.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a statement. "Thepeople of this country, especially our children, deserve better." 'This could definitely get them riled up hopefully.' Texas Baptist Caryl Scales Public opinion in the U.S. is split on the issue, according to arecent Gallup poll cited by the website Politico . Fifty per cent of Americans believe same-sex marriage should belegally recognized, the latest poll suggested, a slight drop fromlast year's 53 per cent.

While most conservative Christians were predictably appalled,others found a perverse political hope in Obama's position. "This could definitely get them riled up hopefully," CarylScales, a member of Hampton Road Baptist Church in DeSoto, Texas,told Reuters. "I'm not happy with it. I believe scripture.

God'sword says gay marriage is wrong." California Lt.-Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, smiles as he reacts toPresident Barack Obama declaring his support for gay marriage.Newsom was the mayor of San Francisco when the first gay marriageswere allowed in California. (Paul Sakuma/Associated Press) On Wednesday, Obama called Rev. Joel Hunter, who prays often withthe president, and told him what he was doing.

Hunter, anevangelical pastor and founder of the 15,000-member Northlandchurch in the Orlando, Fla., area, told The Associated Press theyspoke for about 15 minutes. "I said I disagreed with this decision," he said. "I said, moreprecisely, 'This is not how I read Scripture,' and he totallyunderstood that. In the end, he was doing what he believed wasright, what he thinks is authentic for him at this time in hislife." Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani told CBS News that how theissue plays in New York or California matters less than how thereaction goes in swing states such as Ohio and North Carolina thatwill decide the outcome of the presidential election.

Giuliani himself, a Republican, favours same-sex civilpartnerships, though not marriage. "Its time has come in New York," he said. "Its time has not come inNorth Carolina." North Carolina passed a constitutional amendment to ban gaymarriage Tuesday by 61 per cent to 39 per cent, which presentsrisks for Obama. In the Muslim world, reaction was cautious and somewhat wary. Ibrahim Ali, an independent member of Malaysia's parliament andleader of a rights group for the country's majority Malay Muslims,said: "We want good relations with America, but America must notinterfere in other countries' policies on this issue." Activists hail Obama's support "They can practise this in America if they want, since it's theirright, but we are still very concerned, because whatever Americapractises, it often wants other countries to follow suit." Gay-rights activists around the world hailed Obama's support as asymbolic victory.

For many, the idea of legal unions between twomembers of the same gender is a distant dream. Gay people in manycountries would settle for simply getting to be themselves withoutfear of being attacked or thrown in prison. While Malaysia rarely enforces its sodomy law, it was used twiceagainst Anwar Ibrahim, a leader of the opposition party who went toprison after a conviction in 2000 and was acquitted in a separatecase early this year. "This is unacceptable, because it is against religion, traditionsand against God," said Shady Azer, an engineer in Cairo.

"Godcreated Adam and Eve. He didn't create two Adams or two Eves." In China, "the government treats homosexuality like it does notexist," said Xiong Jing, an activist who volunteers in gay supportgroups in Beijing. She said Thursday that legalizing gay marriagethere would be "unrealistic and impossible." China's authoritarian government shows little tolerance foractivism of any kind, and sodomy was a crime until 1997. Eventoday, gays are frequently discriminated against and ostracized.While Xiong welcomed Obama's support for gay marriage, she didn'tthink it would make much difference.

Not on Philippines agenda Homosexuality also remains taboo in India, despite large gay prideparades recently in New Delhi and other big cities. Only this year,the government accepted a court ruling that struck down acolonial-era law banning gay sex, and the Supreme Court is nowhearing appeals. In the overwhelmingly Catholic Philippines, the only country in theworld apart from the Vatican where divorce is illegal, the issue ofgay marriage is not even on the agenda of gay rights groups becausesome of their members oppose it. Politicians tied to Pentecostal and Catholic churches in LatinAmerica spoke out strongly against Obama's statement.

"Barack Obama is an ethical man and a philosophically confusedman," said Peruvian Congresswoman Martha Chavez, a member of theconservative Catholic Opus Dei movement. "He knows that marriage isn't an issue only of traditions or ofreligious beliefs. Marriage is a natural institution that supportsthe union of two people of different sexes because it has aprocreative function." There are other places where Obama's endorsement of gay marriagewas a ho-hum affair. Many European countries, as well as Canada,Argentina and South Africa, already allow gay marriage.

So do sixU.S. states and the District of Columbia. "It seems to me that by taking this position, Obama is aligninghimself with the entire world, with these times we're living in,with the achievements of rights in other countries," saidgay-rights activist Cesar Cigliutti in Argentina, which in 2010became the first Latin American country to allow gay marriages. Australian PM still opposes same-sex unions Prime Minister John Key of New Zealand broke his long silence ongay marriage and said his government may consider allowing it "atsome stage." But in Australia, where polls show that most people support gaymarriage, left-leaning Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Thursdaythat she remains opposed, and three bills in Parliament that wouldallow same-sex couples to marry are unlikely to be passed. France also has a population largely in support of gay marriage anda head of state who opposes it, but that is about to change.Francois Hollande, who defeated President Nicolas Sarkozy inelections Sunday, made "the right to marry and adopt for allcouples" part of his campaign platform, and has set legislativepassage for no later than June of next year.

In Thailand, gay activist Natee Teerarojjanapongs was energized byObama's statement. Though Thailand is often seen as gay-friendly bytourists, Thai society remains deeply conservative and there islittle support for expanding gay rights. "I was starting to lose hope in fighting for gay marriagelegalization in Thailand," Natee said, "but now Barack Obama'sendorsement is rekindling my fire and is giving me theencouragement to go on." With files from The Associated Press.

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