In an effort to raise support for marriage equality, regardless of political distinction, advocacy group Freedom to Marry is launching the initiative, Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry. This campaign is aimed at young people who identify as conservative and emphasize that marriage equality is not a partisan issue. The group is for people under 44 and consists of a leadership committee that includes men, women, gay and straight conservatives who were selected for their ability to connect with young people.
“As a conservative, I find efforts to exclude same-sex couples from marriage to be both wrong and completely off-task,” says Craig Stowell, an Operation Iraqi Freedom Marine Corps veteran and a member of the Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry leadership committee. “I take freedom seriously and want my best friend and brother, who is gay, to have the same freedom as everyone else to marry the person he loves. I hope Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry will inspire other conservatives to do what is right and support loving and committed same-sex couples’ freedom to marry.”
This group fights the assumption that anyone who supports marriage equality is left-leaning, and it makes the issue less political and more of a matter of right and wrong. In fact, an ABC News/Washington Post poll found that 46 percent of Republicans between the ages of 18 and 44 supported marriage equality. It was also something that President Barack Obama mentioned when he endorsed gay marriage; he had met many college Republicans who, though they disagreed with his politics, felt like it was time that the country evolved on the issue of marriage equality.
One of the elements of the Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry, as mentioned in the press release, is the fact that marriage equality, to some degree, aligns with conservative principles: responsibility, community, limited government and individual freedom.
“The more we think about and talk about this with other conservatives, the more we can understand why the denial of marriage to same-sex couples is wrong,” adds Torrey Shearer, a government relations professional in Washington, D.C., and a member of the Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry leadership committee. “Marriage strengthens families, encourages shared responsibility, and promotes stability in our communities. There is really significant change taking place among conservatives — especially young conservatives—about the freedom to marry, and I hope my involvement in this campaign will accelerate our progress.”
Federal director for Freedom To Marry, Jo Deutsch, told The Advocate, that the initiative will begin in Washington, D.C., with training and a reception for 100 people. At the Republican National Convention next month in Tampa, there will be a larger event.
Photo: freedomtomarry.org
