Former Prime Minister Changes Position on Same-Sex Marriage- Margaret Canady

Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of Australia has reversed his official opinion on same-sex marriage and has now thrown his support behind it. Rudd, who is a Christian, said the issue has been a "difficult personal journey" but his decision came down to a matter of consciousness.

Rudd said in a blog post that "For me, this change in position has come about as a result of a lot of reflection, over a long period of time, including conversations with good people grappling with deep questions of life, sexuality and faith." He says he has had many conversations with family, friends, and gay colleagues that have altered his opinion.

In the blog post, he says that while the church and the state may have different practices and positions on gay marriage, legislation should not regulate same-sex marriage. Rudd announced his change in position so that voters would know where he stood before the next election. The current Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott, the leader of the other major political party in Australia, both oppose same-sex marriage.

I appreciate Kevin Rudd's actions and his support in gay marriage, but I'm not sure if he actually believes it. He may just realize that same-sex marriage is a global issue picking up a lot of press and attention, and that being opposed to it is being "on the wrong side of history". Either way, his support in this issue and going against people in his own party is courageous and I respect that. 

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-20/former-pm-kevin-rudd-backs-same-sex-marriage-in-blog/4701814