Breaking: Democratic Party platform to include gay marriage plank

The Washington Blade reports that on Sunday Democrats approved draft language supporting same-sex marriage and other pro-LGBT positions as part of the Democratic Party’s platform. The process is not officially complete – the language will have to be approved in a full platform meeting, and then by the delegates at the Democratic National Committee Meeting. But the decision is basically final, according to reports. Barney Frank, who was part of the 15-member panel that voted on the language, said they unanimously backed the language.

More from the Blade:

A Democratic National Committee staffer, who is familiar with the process and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the language in the platform approved on Sunday not only backs marriage equality, but also rejects DOMA and has positive language with regard to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. The exact wording of the language wasn’t immediately available.

This is a big step for supporters of same-sex marriage, and could potentially prove important for ENDA as well. While Democrats have been the majority of the politicians supporting same-sex marriage, the party has not taken an official stance. This has certainly hurt movement on the national level, where President Clinton signed DOMA and President Obama spent his first term “evolving” on gay marriage. At the very least, this could mean movement on repealing the super discriminatory DOMA, which is unfortunately a necessary step.

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Jos Truitt is Executive Director of Development at Feministing. She joined the team in July 2009, became an Editor in August 2011, and Executive Director in September 2013. She writes about a range of topics including transgender issues, abortion access, and media representation. Jos first got involved with organizing when she led a walk out against the Iraq war at her high school, the Boston Arts Academy. She was introduced to the reproductive justice movement while at Hampshire College, where she organized the Civil Liberties and Public Policy Program’s annual reproductive justice conference. She has worked on the National Abortion Federation’s hotline, was a Field Organizer at Choice USA, and has volunteered as a Pro-Choice Clinic Escort. Jos has written for publications including The Guardian, Bilerico, RH Reality Check, Metro Weekly, and the Columbia Journalism Review. She has spoken and trained at numerous national conferences and college campuses about trans issues, reproductive justice, blogging, feminism, and grassroots organizing. Jos completed her MFA in Printmaking at the San Francisco Art Institute in Spring 2013. In her "spare time" she likes to bake and work on projects about mermaids.

Jos Truitt is an Executive Director of Feministing in charge of Development.

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