WASHINGTON — Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill Sunday announced her support of marriage equality for the LGBT community.
In a statement posted on the senator's tumblr page, McCaskill wrote that she has "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 of their religious beliefs, neither should the government tell people who they have a right to marry."
McCaskill titled the post with the famous wedding verse from Corintheans 1:13, "And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
Although there is significant support for marriage equality within the Democratic Party, McCaskill is one of the first national moderate Democrats to throw her support behind it.
In fact, a number of her fellow moderates — Sens. Mary Landrieu, Kay Hagan, Mark Begich and Mark Pryor — refused to answer questions about marriage equality directly when asked by BuzzFeed this week.
McCaskill's statement notes that her "views on this subject have changed over time, but as many of my gay and lesbian friends, colleagues and staff embrace long term committed relationships, I find myself unable to look them in the eye without honestly confronting this uncomfortable inequality."
Prior to her re-election this past November, McCaskill had refused to state a personal position in May 2012 when President Obama announced his personal support for marriage equality.
McCaskill's support comes as the Supreme Court is set to begin hearing arguments on cases challenging California's Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act.