Michelle Obama Says Marriage Equality a Matter of Fairness

in: http://www.advocate.com/

First lady Michelle Obama supports marriage equality because it is consistent with “the values of fairness and equality” she and President Obama have tried to instill in their daughters, she says in a new video.

In the video, posted online by the White House Thursday night, the first lady answered questions submitted via Twitter. One said, “Please tell us about your family discussions about marriage equality and thank President Obama for his support.”

Michelle Obama responded, “For Barack and me, it really comes down to the values of fairness and equality that we want to pass down to our girls. I mean, these are basic values that kids learn at a very young age and that we encourage them to apply in all areas of their lives. And in a country where we teach our children that everyone is equal under the law, discriminating against same-sex couples just isn’t right. So it’s as simple as that. … We’re proud to have your support.”

The president also mentioned the couple’s daughters when he came out for marriage equality recently, noting that the Sasha and Malia have friends whose parents are gay couples and “it wouldn’t dawn on [the girls] that somehow their friends’ parents would be treated differently.”

In the video, the first lady also discussed voter registration efforts, assistance to veterans and their families, and women in politics. She said she expects to see a woman president in the near future and that more women should become involved in the political process.

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