California Attorney General Kamala
Harris and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman have endorsed
an effort to add marriage equality to the 2012 Democratic Party
Platform.
Gay glossy The
Advocate reported that Harris is among the seven Obama for
America co-chairs to endorse the effort. The site also quoted
Representatives Jan Schakowsky of Illinois and Charles Gonzalez of
Texas as being in favor of the inclusion.
The Huffington Post on Thursday
published a letter from Schneiderman calling on members of the
Democratic Party Platform Drafting Committee to add marriage equality
to the platform.
“Because the Democratic Party has a
noble history of fighting for the human and civil rights of all
Americans, it is time to hold true to this record and add to the
Party's legacy by supporting the freedom to marry for all couples,”
Schneiderman wrote.
New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen
and former Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold also endorsed the plank
earlier this week.
Last month, Freedom to Marry launched
the Democrats:
Say I Do campaign, which calls on the Democratic National
Committee (DNC) to endorse marriage equality in this year's platform.
The DNC will ratify the document during its national convention,
which begins September 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“This outpouring of support from
elected officials and trusted Democratic advisers is phenomenal,”
Marc Solomon, national campaign director for Freedom to Marry, said
in a statement. “At its best, the Democratic Party stands strongly
for freedom and equality for every American. Over the coming weeks
and months, we will build and grow this campaign and make the case to
Democrats throughout the country that a freedom to marry plank is
just, politically smart, and what Democratic voters expect of their
Party.”
Outgoing Human Rights Campaign (HRC)
President Joe Solmonese is also a co-chair of the president's
re-election campaign.
(Related: Nancy
Pelosi supports effort to endorse gay marriage in Democratic
platform.)