“I’ve always thought of it as something that's still holding the country back. You know, what people do in their own homes is their business and you can choose to love whoever you love. That’s their business. It’s no different than discriminating against blacks. It’s discrimination plain and simple."

"I think it's the right thing to do, so whether it costs him [Barack Obama] votes or not — again, it’s not about votes. It’s about people. So whether it costs him votes or not, I think it’s the right thing to do as a human being.”

Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, age 42, on Obama and gay marriage.
May 14, 2012. As told to CNN.