By Brittny Drye
If you haven’t already been following the political campaign trails, now’s the time to start. In a historic move by the Democratic National Committee, marriage equality will be a tenant of this year’s national party platform.
After hearing testimonies from a variety of individuals on Friday and Saturday, both LGBT-specific groups and allies, the 15-member drafting committee made the unanimous decision.
“Yes, it will be in the platform,” said out congressman Barney Frank in an interview with The Advocate. “I am in favor of it being included and it will be included.”
“We are grateful for the Platform Drafting Committee’s unanimous vote to include the freedom to marry in its draft of the Democratic Party platform,” said Marc Solomon of Freedom To Marry, who was one of the testimonial speakers. “As I testified to the Committee on Friday, the Democratic Party has a noble history of fighting for the human and civil rights of all Americans. We are proud that the Committee is including language that will ensure the Party is leading the way forward in supporting marriage for loving and committed same-sex couples and their families.”
The specific platform language has not yet been drafted, but is expected to be proposed in Detroit next month. Once ratified, the plank will represent the first time in history a party’s platform has articulated its support for marriage equality.
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