HRC Blog

Dems Approve Platform Including Marriage Equality, ENDA

August 13, 2012 by Dan Rafter, Online Campaigns Manager

The Democratic Party’s full platform committee has unanimously approved the party’s 2012 platform, which for the first time includes support for marriage equality. The platform also explicitly supports an inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

The platform language around marriage equality:

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.

And ENDA:

We know that putting America back to work is job one, and we are committed to ensuring Americans do not face employment discrimination. We support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act because people should not be fired based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

The full platform now must be ratified at the party’s convention next month in Charlotte, N.C.