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...John McCain believes that marriage is defined as a union between a man and a woman but opposes a constitutional amendment codifying the definition of marriage.
The Arizona Republican says he is a federalist on the issue of marriage, meaning states and local governments ought to set whatever standards for marriage they wish. He has expressed support for ballot initiatives banning gay marriage in his home state and other states.
McCain voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, which allows states to refuse to recognize gay marriages sanctioned by other states, and he voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment. He also voted against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 1996, which prohibited discrimination against gays. At the time he said existing laws protected gays from discrimination and new laws for "special categories of people" were superfluous...