Same-sex marriage has been a hot-button issue for many Minnesotans after the constitutional amendment to prohibit same-sex marriage was defeated in November.
A bi-partisan bill was introduced Wednesday to legalize same-sex marriage in Minnesota by this summer. The bill will be formally introduced to the House and Senate on Thursday.
Students and faculty from the University of Minnesota expressed their full support for the bill.
"People are entitled to love who they want," said organic horticulture and local food junior Rosalyn Murphy.
Astan Koerner, communication studies associate professor, agreed.
"It's a human rights issue," Koerner said. "People should have the right to be with who they want."
Brandon Miller, freshman, said he doesn't see a reason why anyone would be against same-sex marriage.
"I don't see an argument against it that's valid," he said.
An uphill challenge
Although Minnesota voted "no" to the proposed amendment to ban same-sex marriage, some expressed concern with the amount of time it may take for the bill to pass.
Koerner said he thinks the House and Senate will approve the bill, but there will be people opposed to it who will try to stop it.
"I assume it's going to pass, but there's a good chance someone is going to challenge it," he said.
Miller also predicated the legalization of same-sex marriage could be a slow process, especially because Minnesota voted about half and half for the amendment last fall.
"I would hope that it would move quickly, but the amendment vote was a little too narrow," Miller said.
Although many in the University of Minnesota community said they supported the bill, groups, such as National Organization for Marriage and Minnesota for Marriage are fighting the legislation.
NOM said it will pledge $500,000 to defeat any Republican who supports same-sex marriage in its blog on Feb. 25.
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