Between President Barack Obama’s public announcements in support of same-sex marriage – just a day after North Carolina voters approved an amendment to the state constitution against the same policy – the spark of debate has been relit for both sides. While many gay marriage supporters have regained some energy in their fight, many of those who oppose gay-marriage are using the announcement as political fuel against the president, saying the gesture was not one of real belief but a gimmick for getting votes in the upcoming presidential election in November.

Obama’s public support has also started a sort of catalyst throughout the states, like Gov. Pat Quinn of Illinois, who said he “stands with the president” and intends to work with state legislators to legalize same-sex marriage in his state without waiting for the courts to act. Or in Rhode Island, where Gov. Lincoln Chafee signed an order proclaiming the state will recognize same-sex marriages performed outside of Rhode Island, which currently only allows civil unions.

However, some politicians who oppose the bill aren’t handling Obama’s announcement quite as well – in fact, some actions taken following his support seem borderline immature. Take Sen. Clark Jolley (R-Oklahoma), for example, who introduced a resolution reaffirming opposition to gay marriage, despite a pre-existing ban in the state constitution, openly admitting that he introduced the resolution in direct response to Obama’s show of support. His gesture seems so counter-productive in contrast to those in support of gay marriage, who are using Obama’s announcement as a way to reestablish the growing permanence of an issue that needs at least some middle ground.

Though Obama may have, in part, spoken up as a publicity stunt, there is no denying that Obama’s show of support was a good thing – a positive move toward equality in a direction the nation’s youth is gradually moving toward anyway. The resurgence and reenergizer of a movement, and a testament to the absoluteness of an important conversation that is not likely to disappear any time soon.

In an article published by the Associated Press, Bob Emrich, chairmain of Protect Marriage Main told AP that Obama’s words made referendum opponents realize they had their work cut out for them.

“It deepened people’s awareness that this is a major issue that isn’t going away and we need to have more people involved in it,” Emrich said.