Gen Colin Powell (Wikimedia Commons)

"But, as I've thought about gay marriage, I know a lot of friends who are individually gay but are in partnerships with loved ones," Powell told Blitzer, "and they are as stable a family as my family is, and they raise children, and so I don't see any reason not to say that they should be able to get married." 

The former Secretary of State's stance on gay marriage has fluctutated throughout the years. In the 1990s when he was chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, he opposed gays and lesbians serving openly in the military and this led to the adoption of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

However, in 2010 under President George Bush, Powell announced that he thought it ought to be repealed since "attitude and circumstances have changed." 

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