President Obama is in favor of same-sex marriages

In a sit-down interview with ABC's Robin Roberts, Obama declared his support for same-sex marriages and thus ended the uncertainty which had surrounded the issue in the past several months. The interview will air on ABC's "Good Morning America" Thursday.

Obama explained his position about the matter and said in clear terms that he believes in the rights and equality of same-sex couples. He told Roberts, "I've always been adamant that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally,” according to a report on huffingtonpost.com.

It makes President Obama the first sitting president to support same-sex unions. This can be termed as political heroism on the president's behalf, as well as a huge win for the gay rights community. The pro-gay marriages community was insisting that he clarify his position on the matter and give support for marriage equality and in the previous week the tension increased when North Carolina approved the amendment against gay marriage. The president expressed his disappointment with the step, but it remained unclear whether it was opposition against measure banning same-sex marriage or to same-sex marriage itself.

Immediately after the declaration, Obama's campaign officials sent out a fundraising letter explaining his decision. They also put together a video attacking Mitt Romney's anti-gay marriage stand.

"I believe that in the eyes of the law, all Americans should be treated equally," says the letter signed by Obama. "And where states enact same-sex marriage, no federal act should invalidate them.”

He adds, "If you agree, you can stand up with me here."

The significance of Obama's statements is not debatable. He has the power to modify public opinion further on this sensitive issue. However, he might face some problems after this firm expression of support. Although recent analysis suggests that support for marriage equality is gaining widespread acceptance, some important states remain largely against the concept of legalization of same-sex unions.

Several conservatives and gay-marriage opponents have remarked that President Obama has given Romney influence in several states that have laws against same-sex marriage, including Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia. They are of the opinion that this measure will drastically reduce his popularity as well as chances of winning in the upcoming election.

Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, commented, "He just lost the election," according to a usatoday.com report.

Obama will probably talk about the gay marriage issue on his two-day trip to Seattle and Los Angeles.