Last week, Pennsylvania state Rep. Brian Sims wrote an open letter to PA US Sen. Bob Casey asking him to "come out" openly in support for marriage equality. Sims was just one of many LGBT rights individuals and organizations (like Equality Pennsylvania, Keystone Progress and MoveOn.org) that was looking to Casey for same-sex marriage support.
Today comes the news that Sen. Casey has finally made a statement in support of the repeal of DOMA and full marriage equality:
“After much deliberation and after reviewing the legal, public policy and civil-rights questions presented, I support marriage equality for same-sex couples and believe that DOMA should be repealed,” Casey said in a statement exclusively first released to PGN Monday afternoon.
Casey referenced one lesbian woman from Southeastern Pennsylvania who contacted him, detailing the financial and societal setbacks she, her partner and their children have faced from being denied the right to marry.
“As a senator and as a citizen, I can no longer in good conscience take a position that denies her and her family the full measure of equality and respect,” Casey said.
This leaves only eight Senate Democrats who have not yet endorsed marriage equality: Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Bill Nelson of Florida, Tom Carper of Delaware, Tim Johnson of South Dakota, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, and Joe Donnelly of Indiana.
Sen. Carper of Delaware is the only true "blue state" Democratic senator to not announce full support.
(via Philadelphia Gay News)
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