“It could turn off some labor people. It could turn off some business people. It could turn off a group of people. And I hope that we get past the point where the policies that we adopt in this country, all we care about is what it does to the polls and not what’s good for the country. Look, I support that position. We support it as the labor movement because of discrimination.”

Trumka said he saw the legalization of gay marriage as a way to make sure everyone can enjoy both the obligations and benefits of marriage, and he maintained that his position on gay marriage is consistent with his broader stance on discrimination.