Candidates on the Issues: Gay Marriage

By Tovia Smith

Published June 25, 2004 at 12:00 AM EDT

Brent Sverdloff and Craig St. Clair of Brookline, Mass., were married Monday, the first day the state issued marriage licenses were issued for same-sex couples.

As U.S. Senate leaders seek quick passage of a constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriages, the issue is also shaping up to be an important factor in the 2004 presidential race.

President Bush has put his support behind the amendment. His likely Democratic challenger, Sen. John Kerry, also opposes gay marriage but does not favor the federal amendment. The controversial issue could sway the election in Ohio and other key battleground states. NPR's Tovia Smith reports.

Tovia Smith

Tovia Smith is an award-winning NPR National Correspondent based in Boston, who's spent more than three decades covering news around New England and beyond.

See stories by Tovia Smith

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