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Change My Mind: Does Opposing Gay Marriage Make You A Bigot?

Change My Mind: Does Opposing Gay Marriage Make You a Bigot?
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It is a huge moment for gay rights -- for and against. While Barack Obama just became the first president to endorse gay marriage, his announcement came on the heels of North Carolina passing an amendment that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

Either way, Obama's open approval of same sex marriage represents a huge change in popular attitudes towards the issue. It is clearly seen as less of a political liability to take the President's position. But does this mean greater social stigma will be directed towards those who are against changing the definition of traditional marriage?

In our popular series, "Change My Mind," Huffpost asked two of the most prominent gay marriage activists -- pro and con -- to debate the statement: Same-sex marriage opponents are unfairly marginalized as bigots.

Arguing for the "agree" side is Maggie Gallagher, a nationally syndicated columnist and the co-founder of the National Organization for Marriage. The National Journal has named her to its list of the "most influential" people in the same-sex marriage debate.

Arguing for the "disagree" side is John Corvino, an associate professor and chair of philosophy at Wayne State University in Detroit, and a frequent campus speaker on LGBT issues. The two are co-authors of the newly published Debating Same-Sex Marriage, from which this debate is adapted (with permission from Oxford University Press USA Copyright © 2012 by John Corvino and Maggie Gallagher).

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