The Advocate: 15 Minutes of Franken

Last month, when The Advocate reached out to pro–marriage equality senators asking whether they believe that President Barack Obama should support full marriage rights before the 2012 election, Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota was quick to reply (one of the first, in fact) in the affirmative.

"Every American deserves equal treatment under the law, and there's no question that same-sex couples deserve full marriage recognition," Franken said. "President Obama has taken important steps to help the LGBT community, and I urge him to join me and millions of other Americans in supporting equal marriage rights for same-sex couples."

His stance has particular resonance in Minnesota, now emerging as one of the key battlegrounds on the issue. Though the state has a statutory ban on same-sex marriage, lawmakers seeking to go one step further approved a measure this spring to place a constitutional amendment measure on the 2012 ballot—one that Franken strongly opposes and one favored by his delegation colleague and a divisive presidential hopeful, Rep. Michele Bachmann.

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© Al Franken - U.S. Senator, Minnesota, 2011. |
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