With election time drawing near, Democrats and Republicans are cementing their party platforms–especially with regards to marriage equality. The Democratic Party has officially declared its position in favor of marriage equality—and the GOP has certainly voiced its opinion to the contrary.
Tony Perkins, president of the Religious Right lobbyist organization Family Research Council, has taken credit for introducing harsh anti-equality language into the draft of the platform while crediting authors Gov. Bob McDonnell (R-VA) and Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) as having close ties to the FRC. In the “Marriage and the Judiciary” section, Perkins argues against the repercussions of “activist judges.” “A blatant example has been the court-ordered redefinition of marriage in several States. This is more than a matter of warring legal concepts and ideals. It is an assault on the foundations of our society, challenging the institution which, for thousands of years in virtually every civilization, has been entrusted with the rearing of children and the transmission of cultural values.”
The draft also reaffirms GOP support of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which the Obama Administration has refused to defend. Perkins claims marriage is the foundation of society and the best institution in which to raise children but that it is meant to be strictly between a man and a woman. The draft considers marriage to be a constitutional principle that Democratic support is defying with its pro-marriage equality platform.
The draft continues on to show support for single parents, but that overall it is strongly stated that marriage should be reserved exclusively for heterosexual couples. “The union of one man and one woman must be upheld as the national standard,” Perkins opines.
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