Eleven Democratic state party chairs are urging the national party to make marriage equality part of the 2012 Democratic platform at the national convention in September. The group Freedom to Marry announced Thursday that the 11 chairs are endorsing their campaign to get the issue in the platform at the convention, called “Democrats: Say I Do.”
The language of the “freedom to marry” plank calls for “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.”
In a statement endorsing Freedom to Marry’s plank, New York Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs said:
Nearly a year ago, New Yorkers stood united in supporting full marriage equality for all loving and committed families, and Democrats led the way. We now see first-hand how marriage improves the lives of gay couples and their families, and strengthens businesses and communities throughout the Empire State. Marriage equality is simply the right thing to do, and that’s why I strongly believe that the Democratic Party should stand united for a freedom to marry plank in our national Democratic Party platform.
The party chairs signing on Thursday are John Burton (California), Jay Jacobs (New York), John Walsh (Massachusetts), Ken Martin (Minnesota), Meredith Wood Smith (Oregon), Boyd Richie (Texas), Jake Perkinson (Vermont), Mike Tate (Wisconsin), Dwight Pelz (Washington), John Wisniewski (New Jersey) and Joan Wagnon (Kansas).
