Bush urges Senate to pass ban on gay marriage

President George W. Bush urged the US Senate yesterday to pass a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, saying the measure was needed to stop "activist" courts.

Bush, looking to rally wavering conservative supporters, planned to deliver a White House speech tomorrow to apply further pressure on senators as they take up a proposed constitutional amendment against gay marriage.

Though the amendment stands little chance of passing, it is one of several hot-button causes Republicans are championing to appeal to right-wing voters ahead of November's congressional ballot.

Bush cited four states, Washington, California, Maryland and New York, in which he said local courts had "overturned laws protecting marriage" since 2004, and pointed to a Nebraska federal judge who removed a state ban on same-sex marriage.

Gay marriage has been an increasingly divisive issue since a Massachusetts court ruled in 2003 that the state legislature could not ban it, paving the way for America's first same-sex marriages the following year.

Bush has never made a secret of his opposition to gay marriage but has rarely talked about it in public.

He is raising his profile on the issue, one especially dear to the religious right, at a time when his public approval rating stands at around 30 per cent, a low for his presidency.

He used to be able to count on overwhelming support from fellow Republicans and conservatives but the Iraq war and a series of political blunders have chipped away at that backing, leaving many Republicans worried about losing control of Congress to the Democrats in November.

Critics say the Republicans are using the Marriage Protection Amendment, which would allow states to recognise only marriages between men and women, to exploit anti-gay prejudice and galvanise their conservative base.