Joe.My.God. LGBT News
EARLIER…..
Even though the 2016 GOP platform is full of anti-LGBT language, this issue, should the draft language stick, represents a huge loss for platform committee member Tony Perkins. CNN reports:
In a major shift, the platform would drop the pursuit of a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between a man and a woman, opting instead to oppose the Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage and calling on the matter to be decided by the states.
“Our laws and our government’s regulations should recognize marriage as the union of one man and one woman and actively promote married family life as the basis of a stable and prosperous society,” the draft reads.
But it leaves the issue up to state governments, saying it rejects the Supreme Court’s decision last year holding that same-sex marriage bans are unconstitutional: “We urge (the decision’s) reversal whether through judicial reconsideration or a constitutional amendment returning control over marriage to the states.”
The draft did add language on so-called “religious freedom” laws, which seek to protect businesses who deny services based on religious objections to gay marriage. The laws have become controversial at the state level across the country. The platform language supports the “First Amendment Defense Act” proposed in Congress.
The platform also calls for the appointing of judges in the vein of late Justice Antonin Scalia, to fight against “judicial activism” in the form of the gay marriage decision, court rulings upholding Obamacare and abortion.
UPDATE: So much for the above report. Here’s the apparent final draft version via the New York Times:
“The data and the facts lead to an inescapable conclusion: that every child deserves a married mom and dad. The reality remains that millions of American families do not have the advantages that come with that structure. We honor the courageous efforts of those who bear the burdens of parenting alone and embrace the principle that all Americans should be treated with dignity and respect. But respect is not enough. Our laws and our government’s regulations should recognize marriage as the union of one man and one woman and actively promote married family life as the basis of a stable and prosperous society. For that reason, as explained elsewhere in the platform, we do not accept the Supreme Court’s redefinition of marriage and we urge its reversal, whether through judicial reconsideration or a constitutional amendment returning control over marriage to states.”
“We emphatically support the original, authentic meaning of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. It affirmed that ‘No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination.’ … That same provision of the law is now being used by bureaucrats — and by the current president of the United States — to impose a social and cultural revolution upon the American people. Their agenda has nothing to do with individual rights; it has everything to do with power. They are determined to reshape our schools — and our entire society — to fit the mold of an ideology alien to America’s history and traditions. Their edict to the states concerning restrooms, locker rooms and other facilities is at once illegal, ominous, and ignores privacy issues. We salute the several states which have filed suits against it.”
The platform must still be approved by delegates at the convention.