Twenty U.S. Senators have announced their support for adding a same-sex marriage plank to the Democratic platform, signing on to the “Democrats: Say I Do” campaign sponsored by the national LGBT group Freedom to Marry.
Announced in February, the “Democrats: Say I Do” petition calls for “gay and lesbian couples’ freedom to marry” to be included in the official platform of the Democratic Party, which will be ratified at the Democratic National Convention in September.
“We support the full inclusion of all families in the life of our nation, with equal respect, responsibilities, and protections under the law, including the freedom to marry,” the proposed language states. “Government has no business putting barriers in the path of people seeking to care for their family members, particularly in challenging economic times. We support the Respect for Marriage Act and the overturning of the federal so-called Defense of Marriage Act, and oppose discriminatory constitutional amendments and other attempts to deny the freedom to marry to loving and committed same-sex couples.”
New York’s two Senators, Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, support the proposal. The other 18 Senators include:
Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO)
Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE)
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD)
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA)
Sen Carl Levin (D-MI)
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)
Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO)
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Sen. Al Franken (D-MN)
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Nine of these Senators represent seven states that have already legalized same-sex marriage: New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Washington, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Iowa.
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