Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry celebrates banner year
December 23, 2014
This year, Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry (YCFTM) announced a new project, the “Reform the Platform” campaign. In the campaign, Young Conservatives nationwide who support the freedom to marry are aiming to be the driving force leading up to the RNC Convention in the summer of 2016. The group aims to remove anti-gay language currently found in the national Republican Party platform and add new inclusive language on marriage and family that will demonstrate that the Republican Party is more inclusive to a diversity of views, including the growing number of Republicans who support the freedom to marry.
The campaign is a $1 million effort funded by Freedom to Marry.
Members of the group this year toured early Presidential Primary states leading up to the Republican Convention in Ohio. To date, YCs have visited New Hampshire, Iowa, Nevada and South Carolina to promote the Reform the Platform campaign. During each trip, Young Conservative leaders have met with key local media outlets, as well as integral Republican legislators, party leaders, and activists to discuss the platform campaign. They have also met with young activists to talk about recruiting young Republicans to become delegates at the national convention.
The trips have garnered support from like-minded GOP activists and elected officials and have produced significant media attention in the states.
The campaign will work over the next months and years to remove the anti-gay, anti-freedom-to-marry language currently found in five different sections of the national Republican Party platform and add a new statement on marriage and family that unifies the Republican Party around core values of strong families, limited government, tolerance, and personal freedom.
The language is simple, calling for a future where gay and lesbian Republicans are explicitly welcomed into the party – and where Republicans call for the fundamental fairness of the freedom to marry nationwide. Below is the proposed language for the 2016 platform plank on marriage and family:
We believe that marriage matters both as a religious institution and as a fundamental, personal freedom. Because marriage – rooted in love and livelong commitment – is one of the foundations of civil society, as marriage thrives, so our nation thrives.
We believe that the health of marriage nationwide directly affects the social and economic well-being of individuals and families, and that undermining families leads to more government costs and more government control over the lives of its citizens. Therefore, we believe in encouraging the strength and stability of all families.
We recognize that there are diverse and sincerely held views on civil marriage within the Party, and that support for allowing same-sex couples the freedom to marry has grown substantially in our own Party. Given this journey that so many Americans, including Republicans, are on, we encourage and welcome a thoughtful conversation among Republicans about the meaning and importance of marriage, and commit our Party to respect for all families and fairness and freedom for all Americans.
Learn more about Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry here.