U.S. mayors support gay marriage

The U.S. Conference of Mayors passed a resolution in support of gay marriage, the news blog Sam Spade reported Thursday.  According to the Equality and Civil Rights for Gay and Lesbian Americans resolution, "... The U.S. Conference of Mayors supports marriage equality for same-sex couples, and the recognition and extension of full equal rights to such unions, including family and medical leave, tax equity, and insurance and retirement benefits, and opposes the enshrinement of discrimination in the federal or state constitutions."

The conference's history of supporting gay rights began when it adopted a resolution in 1984 that called for the legal protection of gay and lesbian rights at all government levels. The group, which is non-partisan, is comprised of mayors of U.S. cities with populations of 30,000 or more.

This resolution comes on the heels of President Obama's recent move to extend benefits to domestic partners of federal employees, which has angered some conservative Christian groups, US News reported Wednesday. A recent CBS News/New York Times poll shows that while support for gay marriage has dropped, the majority of Americans support government recognition of gay partnerships. Thirty-three percent of Americans support the rights of gays to marry, 30 percent support civil unions and 32 percent support no legal recognition.