Obama says opposes Calif. anti-gay marriage measure

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama opposes a California measure that would define marriage as between a man and woman after the state's top court backed same-sex weddings, according to a letter released on Tuesday.

Californians will vote on the effort to alter the state's constitution and override the state Supreme Court's decision on November 4, when they cast votes in the presidential election. Obama's Republican rival, John McCain, endorsed the measure last week.

The California court's decision made the state the second after Massachusetts to allow same-sex marriages and the first to offer to marry gay couples from outside the state. The marriages began on June 16.

Obama said he favors extending "fully equal rights and benefits to same sex couples under both state and federal law" in the letter, posted on the Web site of the Alice B. Toklas Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Democratic Club of San Francisco.

"And that is why I oppose the divisive and discriminatory efforts to amend the California Constitution, and similar efforts to amend the U.S. Constitution or those of other states," the Illinois senator said.

The contentious question of whether same-sex couples should be allowed to legally marry was one issue that mobilized socially conservative voters to back Republican President George W. Bush's re-election in 2004.

Obama campaign spokeswoman Shannon Gilson said the letter is consistent with previous remarks by the senator, including that marriage issues should be left to the states.

"Sen. Obama has been clear that he opposes all divisive and discriminatory constitutional amendments such as the proposed California amendment," Gilson said.

A board member of the San Francisco club had solicited the letter, said Julius Turman, a club co-chair.

"I think it's understandable that he would be against a measure that writes discrimination into the state constitution," Turman said. "I think the majority of the people of California share the senator's judgment."

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican who backs McCain, opposes the measure. Schwarzenegger had supported the state's voter-approved statute limiting marriage to heterosexual couples but said he would abide by the state supreme court's ruling in the court battle over it.

Randy Thomasson, president of Sacramento, California-based Campaign for Children and Families, said Obama's letter is at odds with previous statements in which he said he considers marriage to be a union between a man and woman.

"This guy is in favor of homosexual marriage. That's what he's saying," said Thomasson, whose group opposes gay marriage."Virtually in every state people have said marriage is between a man and a woman so he's taking a huge risk."

Obama's letter appeared on the club's Web site the same day he campaigned in a conservative region of Ohio to unveil his plan for faith-based programs.

(Editing by Patricia Zengerle)