US President George W. Bush called on Congress on Tuesday to approve a constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage as he leaped into a divisive issue that could bolster his support among conservatives in the November election.
The decision was immediately condemned by gay-rights groups and many Democrats. Even some Republicans cast doubt on the move, which would likely take years to bring to fruition.
The Republican president expressed alarm at events in San Francisco, where thousands of marriage licenses have been issued to gays and lesbians, and in Massachusetts, where the state's highest court ruled gay couples had the right to wed.
Bush denounced "some activist judges and local officials" for attempting to "redefine marriage." He did not endorse a specific bill but offered to work with Congress on the language.
"If we are to prevent the meaning of marriage from being changed forever, our nation must enact a constitutional amendment to protect marriage in America," he said.
His appearance in the White House Roosevelt Room came a day after Bush abandoned his above-the-fray position and opened a campaign attack on Democrat John Kerry, who aims to run against him in the general election.
Recent polls show the gay marriage issue could be a winner for Bush, who has long courted Christian conservatives as a key element of his political base.
Kerry, in a statement, accused Bush of "looking for a wedge issue to divide the American people."
He said he opposed a constitutional amendment and believed marriage was between a man and a woman but that he supported gay civil unions.
Gay Republicans were outraged.
Patrick Guerriero, executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans, said: "Log Cabin considers support for this amendment a declaration of war on gay and lesbian families and an attack on our sacred Constitution."
Vice President Dick Cheney's stance was unclear and his office had no comment. Cheney's daughter, Mary, who works for the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign, is openly gay.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan, asked if Bush had discussed his decision with Cheney, said only that Cheney was "very well aware of the decisions the president makes."
Same-sex marriage opponents said it would destroy the institution of marriage. Proponents said gays should have the same rights as others to marry and that the move would enshrine discrimination in the Constitution.
"It is wrong to write discrimination into the US Constitution and it is shameful to use attacks against gay and lesbian families as an election strategy," said Democratic National Committee Chairman Terence McAuliffe.
Recent polls show about two-thirds of Americans oppose same-sex marriages, but the nation is more evenly divided on the question of civil unions.
Pennsylvania Republican Senator Rick Santorum, who backs an amendment, said he believes support will grow when Americans realize what is at stake.
"We really haven't had the debate. It's premature to look at numbers and look at polls," he said.
US Representative David Dreier of California, a member of the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives, said he would not support an amendment.
"I believe this should go through the courts, and I think we are at a point where this is not necessary," Dreier said.
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