Leave a Comment Jacob Combs
Democrats approve marriage equality in party platform
August 13, 2012
ENDA Marriage equality Transgender Rights
By Jacob Combs
This Saturday, the Democratic Party’s full platform committee, a body of around 120 Democrats, approved draft platform language that includes a full-fledged endorsement of marriage equality. The marriage language was accepted without dissent and with little debate, a sign of just how established the position has become in the party since President Obama announced his personal support of marriage equality in May.
Last Thursday, BuzzFeed’s Chris Geidner exclusively reported on the draft platform language established by the Democratic Platform Drafting Committee, which read:
We support the right of all families to have equal respect, responsibilities, and protections under the law. We support marriage equality and support the movement to secure equal treatment under law for same-sex couples. We also support the freedom of churches and religious entities to decide how to administer marriage as a religious sacrament without government interference.
We oppose discriminatory federal and state constitutional amendments and other attempts to deny equal protection of the laws to committed same-sex couples who seek the same respect and responsibilities as other married couples. We support the full repeal of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act and the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act.
Also included in the draft language (and also reported by Geidner) is an endorsement of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would prohibit hiring and firing based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and language regarding bullying and support for LGBT youth. The platform’s immigration reform section was amended as well to include new language which reads: “the administration has said that the word ‘family’ in immigration includes LGBT relationships in order to protect binational families threatened with deportation.”
The approved platform will be sent to delegates for a final vote at the Democratic National Convention, which will take place in Charlotte, North Carolina from September 3-6.
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6 Comments Leave a Comment
1.
jpmassar | August 13, 2012 at 8:31 am
Four years ago no major D candidate would go near marriage equality.
2.
Sagesse | August 13, 2012 at 9:37 am
@
3.
CHRIS | August 13, 2012 at 10:26 am
And the media has stopped amplifying the phony "Chick Fil A Free Speech" bullsh*t, so now the pro-gay stories resume. Poor homophobes.
4.
Carpool Cookie | August 13, 2012 at 11:33 am
"We support marriage equality and support the movement to secure equal treatment under law for same-sex couples."
The other thing I would stress here is "We support marriage equality and support the movement to secure equal treatment under law for same-sex couples AND THEIR CHILDREN…" because it really is a disadvantage for them as well, when their parents are blocked from marriage and the benefits that come with it.
5.
Peter Thomas | August 13, 2012 at 10:28 pm
I am not sure it is right at this time. Depends on how they present it. If they present it as if they are catering to a small group for their vote, the repugnants will exaggerate that. If they present for the humane treatment for ALL people, well, who can purport to disagree with that?
6.
Mike in Baltimore | August 16, 2012 at 5:51 pm
Prior to 1948, very few candidates of ANY stripe supported civil rights for African-Americans, until Hubert Humphrey (in effect) forced the Democratic National platform to include a plank on that subject. (Remember, even the military was not integrated until later.) Even then, it still took 16 years before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed.
Inclusion of a plank does not mean it will automatically 'carry the day', but it does advance the cause.
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