On Saturday, May 19, 2012, the NAACP board of directors announced its support of gay marriage after voting on the issue, ABC News reported. The board was meeting in Miami and reportedly only two of the directors voted against the proposal.
The resolution is as follows: “The NAACP Constitution affirmatively states our objective to ensure the “political, educational, social and economic equality” of all people. Therefore, the NAACP has opposed and will continue to oppose any national, state, local policy or legislative initiative that seeks to codify discrimination or hatred into the law or to remove the Constitutional rights of LGBT citizens. We support marriage equality consistent with equal protection under the law provided under the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. Further, we strongly affirm the religious freedoms of all people as protected by the First Amendment.”
The NAACP resolution was applauded by the The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, which issued a statement of support just after the announcement was made.
On May 9, President Barack Obama announced his support of gay marriage during an ABC News interview.
