President Barack Obama announced his revised decision for support of same-sex marriage on May 9 in an interview with ABC News.

During his 2008 campaign, Obama mentioned his opposition for same sex marriage, but in the past year and a half he mentioned his feelings changed.

“I have been going through an evolution on this issue … at a certain point I just concluded that, for me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married,” Obama said in the interview.

His announcement came a day after North Carolina approved an amendment banning same-sex marriage — defining marriage between a man and a woman only — and banning same-sex civil unions.

It also came after Vice President Joe Biden showed his support for same-sex marriage days before.

With Presidential elections coming up this November, some Oakland University students shared their thoughts on his stance.

Robbie Willford, Oakland University Student Congress vice president, supports the president’s decision.

“I think that it is a huge gain for the entire country,” he said. “It takes a lot for somebody of his stature to say the same things he said, that is a huge step in our direction.”

As far as the election votes, Willford believes Obama will win the election and get the same amount of votes.

Others see a different side to Obama’s announcement and feel the announcement was made solely to gain votes against his opponent, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

“Now in 2012, months before the election, he is in favor of same-sex couples getting married,” Trpko Blazevski, a junior majoring in information technology, said. “He is just stating this to gain votes. If he truly believed in the mannor he would propose a bill to allow same-sex marriage.“

According to Elisa Malile, former OUSC vice president, regardless of votes, the issue of homosexuality should have been addressed years ago.

“I think it’s a positive change, but I also think he will get a little bit of a backslash from Christian groups,” she said. “I don’t think God would want people being hated and discriminated against.”