08/20/2012

Washington – Despite the fact that a majority of Americans - including increasing numbers within the GOP – support marriage equality, reports indicate that the Republican 2012 platform will not only reject marriage equality, but will push for a federal constitutional amendment banning committed gay and lesbian couples from marrying and stripping rights from legally married same-sex couples; call for a vigorous defense of the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA); and continue to imply that, by their very nature, LGBT families are somehow less worthy of the same dignity and respect as other American families.

“The GOP’s proposed platform is blatantly out-of-step with not only the majority of our nation, but even with the rank and file of the Republican Party itself,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “The party is poised to send a devastating message to LGBT youth – that they and the families they aspire to one day build are not worthy of the same protections as everyone else.”

Recent polling consistently indicates that a majority of Americans support marriage equality. Nationally, a recent CNN/ORC International poll shows 54 percent of Americans support marriage equality. And nearly half of all Republicans under the age of 35 support marriage equality, according to a May NBC News/WSJ poll.

"The draft language extols the virtues of marriage which makes it all the more counterintuitive that it also calls for excluding an entire group of Americans from the institution," said Griffin.  "Their call for respect and dignity for all Americans should be matched with a commitment to making all families strong."

The platform language appears to bear more resemblance to the National Organization for Marriage’s “marriage vow” than it does to the values held by mainstream Americans. Like the GOP platform, that vow – which Mitt Romney signed – requires candidates pursue a federal marriage amendment and vigorously defend DOMA. It also calls on candidates to appoint only anti-LGBT judges, reject marriage equality in the nation’s capital, and set up a McCarthy-like commission to investigate the activities of equality supporters.

“This platform language certainly doesn't represent the whole of the GOP, which is continuing to add equality supporters to its ranks,” added Griffin. “As Americans and young Republicans increasingly embrace equality, politicians seeking to harm our community will not even be considered serious contenders at the national level.”

The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.