Crawling from conservative woodwork: latest five senators for gay marriage

The Supreme Court will eventually make a decision on DOMA and Proposition 8. Whatever happens, United States senators are switching their views on gay marriage. Here is the latest list on senators supporting LGBT marriage.

Tuesday Turnaround

1. Mark Kirk. This past Tuesday, Illinois Senator Mark Kirk proclaimed his new stance on gay marriage, crediting his stroke last year as the major reason for his new-found marriage views.

"Same sex couples should have the right to civil marriage, our time on earth is limited; I know that better than most," said Kirk, as stated on The New York Times website. "Life comes down to who you love and who loves you back- government has no place in the middle."

2. Tom Carper. Using Facebook to his advantage, Delaware Senator Tom Carper also expressed his support for gay marriage on Tuesday. Stating that everybody should be free to marry who one loves, Carper posted on Facebook: "As our society has changed and evolved, so too has the public's opinion on gay marriage- and so has mine.

Monday Magic

3. Bob Casey. Representing the commonwealth state of Pennsylvania, Senator Bob Casey made a surprise announcement on Monday, telling the Philadelphia Gay News, "After much deliberation and after reviewing the legal, public policy and civil-rights questions presented, I support marriage equality for same-sex couples and believe that DOMA should be repealed."

Ted Martin from Equality Pennsylvania is happy about Bob Casey's views, telling The Huffington Post, "We applaud Senator Casey’s courage and leadership. Marriage matters for all families, and Senator Casey’s support for marriage for all committed couples puts him squarely on the right side of history."

March Moves

4. Claire McCaskill. Already a supporter of civil unions for gay couples, Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill reversed her position on gay marriage last month.

On a Tumblr blog post, McCaskill stated "I have come to the conclusion that our government should not limit the right to marry based on who you love. While churches should never be required to conduct marriages outside for their religious beliefs, neither should the government tell people who they have a right to marry."

5. Rob Portman. While gay parenting usually refers to gay parents raising children, it can be viewed in a different way, as the children of politicians coming out as gay has changed the minds of senators, including Ohio Senator Rob Portman. His son came out as gay in 2011, slowly setting the stage for Portman to change his conservative views on gay marriage.

Last month, Portman told The Huffington Post, "The overriding message of love and compassion that I take from the Bible, and certainly the Golden Rule, and the fact that I believe we are all created by our maker, that has all influenced me in terms of my change on this issue."

Readers, how do you feel about these senators' change of heart? Do you support gay marriage? Express yourself with a comment below.