Former President Jimmy Carter supports the freedom to marry

Former President Jimmy Carter has joined a growing number of high-profile political leaders in expressing support for the freedom to marry. He discusses his evolution in favor of marriage in his newest book, NIV Lessons from Life Bible: Personal Reflections with Jimmy Carter, and in an interview with the Huffington Post explains that “I personally think it is very fine for gay people to be married in civil ceremonies.”



Carter served as the 39th President of the United States, founded the Carter Center, and is a Sunday school teacher. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002 for his work “to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.” He joins a swelling number of high-profile political leaders who are evolving to support the freedom to marry, including his Democratic successor in the White House, former President Bill Clinton, and fellow Nobel laureate, Al Gore.



Last month, Freedom to Marry launched Democrats: Say I Do to urge the Democratic Party to include a freedom to marry plank in the 2012 national platform. Since then, 22 U.S. Senators, two state attorneys general, more than half a dozen co-chairs of President Obama’s reelection campaign, and other prominent Democratic officials have all publicly endorsed Freedom to Marry’s call to include a plank. Click here to sign Freedom to Marry's open petition to the Democratic Party.