NAACP Supports Same-Sex Marriage

The board of directors of the NAACP has endorsed same-sex marriage, stating in a resolution that the national civil rights organization “support[s] marriage equality consistent with equal protection under the law provided under the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.”

Although NAACP leaders like former board chair and board member Julian Bond have been strong supporters of marriage equality, the recent move represents the first time the organization took a position in support of marriage equality.

The full resolution, which former NAACP senior vice president Maxim Thorne wrote, was passed with only two members of the 64-member board opposed, states:

The NAACP Constitution affirmatively states our objective to ensure the “political, education, 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.

In a statement released by the NAACP, Roslyn Brock, NAACP board chair, said, “The mission of the NAACP has always been to ensure the political, social and economic equality of all people. We have and will oppose efforts to codify discrimination into law.”

The moves comes 10 days after President Obama announced he believes same-sex couples should be able to marry.