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News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyApril 13th, 2014
Nevada Republican Party activists met this weekend at their annual convention. And it was a contentious meeting with factions battling over the endorsement process and what it means to be a “true” Republican.
What was not contentious, however, was the move to drop opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage from the state party platform. From the Washington Times (which I nearly never quote, but which seems to be carrying the story before anyone else):
The Nevada Republican Party stripped opposition to abortion and gay marriage from its platform Saturday as state convention delegates instead focused on judging fellow Republicans on their worthiness to serve in office and adherence to GOP values.
The platform, with few changes, was adopted overwhelmingly as the Las Vegas convention stretched late into the evening. The vote mirrors that of the Clark County GOP, which voted earlier to remove platform language defining marriage as between a man and a woman and statements opposing abortion.
Congratulations to Log Cabin Nevada and others who have been working for a long time on this issue.
UPDATE: The Washington Times has inexplicably dropped the story, it seems. But the Las Vegas Review-Journal gave the following detail:
By a show of hands, convention-goers adopted the platform as proposed by a separate committee without the two planks on marriage and abortion, following the Clark County GOP’s lead in removing hot-button social issues from the party’s statement of its principles. Some 520 delegates attended the convention, but less than half were present when the platform was adopted at about 7:30 p.m. Little debate preceded the vote, a far contrast to earlier in day.
State party Chairman Michael McDonald said it was a successful convention at the end of the day.
“I think it was about inclusion, not exclusion,” McDonald said, referring to the platform. “This is where the party is going.”
Republicans who sat on the platform committee said they decided not to deal with social issues this year because the U.S. Supreme Court and lower courts have weighed in and it doesn’t make sense for the party of “personal freedom” to have the government or the political party get involved in people’s personal lives.
“The issue was how can we back out of people’s personal lives,” said Dave Hockaday of Lyon County, who sat on the platform committee. “We need to focus on issues where we can have an impact.”
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corey
April 13th, 2014
I’ll believe it when I see the log cabins sitting together negotiating marriage equality plans
Stephen
April 13th, 2014
The story is no longer available.
Priya Lynn
April 13th, 2014
I can believe they’d drop opposition to marriage equality, but dropping opposition to abortion, that’s incredible!
ChuckGG
April 13th, 2014
The story is no longer available at the “Washington Times.” I even tried a search from their Home page – nothing.
What’s with that?
Sounds like a bit of self-imposed censorship. Imagine, the GOP (aka Tea Party) dropping opposition to abortion and marriage equality.
Of course, the readership of the WT is over-the-top ultra-conservative. The Comments on various articles are just way too far out-to-lunch.
I’m thinking this news article might be a bit much for them to swallow.
Merv
April 13th, 2014
Let me be the first to predict that this will be reversed in short order. Hatred of gay people is a core value of the Republican party. Their Christian base will not allow this to happen.
plaintom
April 13th, 2014
The proof is in the governing. The Tea Party candidates said they were only concerned with smaller government and budgets but instantly started legislating against LGBT citizens and women.
FYoung
April 13th, 2014
This is a good beginning. Thanks, Log Cabin Republicans.
Ray
April 13th, 2014
It’s not really inexplicable as to why they Times dropped the story, Timothy. That’s the way the conservatives sites roll. I read most of them every day and the have a virtual blacklist on pro-gay moves by Republicans. It’s one of the few things they’re unified on.
Paul Douglas
April 14th, 2014
It will be 30 years before I will consider voting for anyone with an “R” after their name. Tit for tat for the generation of unrepentant demagoguery waged against LGBT people by God’s Own Party. Years of deliberate lies and calumny designed to spread hatred and denigrate, should not be forgotten. As the JDL used to say “Never again!”
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