Gov. Bill Haslam, state Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey oppose Obama stance on same-sex marriage

photo Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam

NASHVILLE - Republican Gov. Bill Haslam says he disagrees with President Barack Obama's new stance in support of same-sex marriage.

"I've said before, that's not my view on the issue," Haslam said. "I think it seems like the president has changed over a period of time. It's his right to do so, but that's not a position I'm in favor of."

Republican state Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey agreed, recalling a Senate floor debate on the issue in which one lawmaker argued "a circle is a circle and a square is a square and no matter what you do, you can't make a circle a square."

Marriage, Ramsey said, "is between one man and one woman, period. You can call it something else, but it's not marriage. I disagree with the president on this."

Obama, who previously has said his views on same-sex marriage are "evolving," told ABC News this week that "for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married."

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