For LGBT Americans, the contrast between the Republican Party national platform and that just released by the Democrats could not be any starker (the full DNC platform can be found here). Under the GOP platform, we remain an officially discriminated against minority pretty much across the board. Indeed, the GOP platform does everything anti-gay possible except call for the official re-institution of the sodomy laws struck down by Lawrence v. Texas. On marriage, the contrast could not be more extreme. Here's the Democrat position on marriage equality:
Freedom to Marry. 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.
But the sharp contrasts continue throughout the document. Here are portions that deal with civil rights and equality:
Civil Rights. We believe in an America where everybody gets a fair shot and everybody plays by the same set of rules. At the core of the Democratic Party is the principle that no one should face discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, language, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability status. Democrats support our civil rights statutes and we have stepped up enforcement of laws that prohibit discrimination in the workplace and other settings.
We know that putting America back to work is Job One, and we are committed to ensuring that 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 President’s record, from ending “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” in full cooperation with our military leadership, to passing the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, to ensuring same-sex couples can visit each other in the hospital, reflects Democrats’ belief that all Americans deserve the same chance to pursue happiness, earn a living, be safe in their communities, serve their country, and take care of the ones they love. The Administration has said that the word ‘family’ in immigration includes LGBT relationships in order to protect bi-national families threatened with deportation.
The sharp contrasts also extend to women's rights and reflect a view that women, not angry, out of touch white men should make decision relating to their own bodies. I continue to be dumbfounded how anyone in the LGBT community other than someone driven by greed and a desire for lower taxes or someone who is a self-loathing individual can support today's GOP and the Romney-Ryan ticket. It's like a black American supporting the KKK or someone of Jewish descent supporting a Neo-Nazi agenda. I just do not get it.
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