The Republican Party has removed its long-standing opposition to same-sex marriage from its official platform.

Since 1992, every GOP platform has unequivocally opposed same-sex marriage. The 2000 platform declared support for the “traditional definition of ‘marriage’ as the legal union of one man and one woman,” and criticized federal judges and bureaucrats for recognizing other forms of unions. The 2016 platform condemned the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage, stating that traditional marriage between “one man and one woman” was the foundation of a free society. (The party did not release a 202o platform during the pandemic.)

However, this year, under the direct influence of Republican nominee Donald Trump and his team, the platform committee removed the opposition to same-sex marriage. Trump, who supports same-sex marriage, reportedly guided this significant change. This week, delegates officially approved the new platform.

Such a shift was once unthinkable. In 2004, Republican President George W. Bush won re-election with support from Christian conservatives by endorsing a proposed constitutional amendment defining marriage as “the union of one man and one woman.” In 2008, GOP nominee John McCain opposed gay marriage and supported the Defense of Marriage Act. In 2012, Mitt Romney, the Republican nominee, also opposed same-sex marriage, contrasting himself with President Obama.

But since 2012, Republican support of same-sex marriage has nearly doubled. In 2012, only 22% of Republicans supported same-sex marriage. A Gallup report found that support steadily grew until 2022, when it began to shift again. But as of June 2024, 46% of Republicans still support it.

The move to remove opposition to same-sex marriage has been celebrated by LGBT advocates within the party, highlighting a potential turning point for inclusivity in the GOP. Charles T. Moran, president of the Log Cabin Republicans, the nation’s largest GOP organization dedicated to LGBT causes, celebrated the news on social media. “It’s official! The national GOP platform has been stripped of all anti-LGBT language! Inclusion won! Thank you @realDonaldTrump!” Moran wrote.

The Log Cabin Republicans also released a statement calling the new platform “historic.”

“Log Cabin Republicans have been working for decades to help build a more inclusive GOP and update the platform’s outdated and out-of-step language,” the statement said. “Today, that hard work has finally come to fruition.”

Former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy applauded the new platform, suggesting it could attract new voters.

“The Republican Party as it exists today, at this convention, is not opposed to gay marriage,” he said.

But not everyone is happy about the shift. Denny Burk, director of the Center for Gospel and Culture at Boyce College in Louisville, Ky., described the 2024 election as a “watershed moment” for social conservatives.

“Social conservatism has been marginalized within the GOP,” Burk said. “Their influence on the party will be negligible for the foreseeable future.”

Additionally, Brent Leatherwood, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, urged Christians to remain vocal on issues addressed by the Bible.

“Regardless of the political parties’ unwillingness to stand firm for what is true, Christians must hold fast to God’s design for the sake of the Gospel and the flourishing of our neighbors,” Leatherwood told Baptist Press. “Speaking truth—as given to us in Scripture—into the public square is needed now as much as ever.”

While the 2024 platform is neutral on most LGBT issues, it does address transgenderism, stating, “We will keep men out of women’s sports, ban taxpayer funding for sex change surgeries, and stop taxpayer-funded schools from promoting gender transition, reverse Biden’s radical rewrite of Title IX Education Regulations, and restore protections for women and girls.”

Title: Republicans Drop Opposition to Same-Sex Marriage in Historic Platform Shift
URL: https://relevantmagazine.com/current/nation/republicans-drop-opposition-to-same-sex-marriage-in-historic-platform-shift/
Source: REL ::: RELEVANT
Source URL: http://www.relevantmagazine.com/rss/relevantmagazine.xml
Date: July 19, 2024 at 08:02PM
Feedly Board(s): Religion