Margaret Hoover and Madeline Koch are
among the conservatives joining the gay marriage group Young
Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry, which is launching today in
Washington D.C.
According to a press release, members
of the group will work to “encourage more conservatives to stand
up, speak up and support the freedom to marry by joining and adding
new perspectives and experiences to the national conversation about
marriage.”
The group will also work to approve gay
marriage laws and repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the 1996
federal law which defines marriage as a heterosexual union.
(Related: Obama
administration asks Supreme Court to review DOMA cases.)
“Freedom and family are core
conservative values,” Hoover said. “We have a historic
opportunity to reaffirm these important values by supporting the
fundamental freedom to marry for all Americans. Now is the time for
a rising generation of voters and leaders to embrace these virtues
and join Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry.”
“The more we think and talk about
this with other conservatives, the more we can understand why the
denial of marriage to same-sex couples is wrong,” said Torrey
Shearer, a member of the group's leadership committee. “Marriage
strengthens families, encourages shared responsibility, and promotes
stability in our communities. There is really significant change
taking place among conservatives – especially young conservatives –
about the freedom to marry, and I hope my involvement in this
campaign will accelerate our progress.”
Also on the Young
Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry leadership committee is
Madeline Koch, whose testimony
before a Minnesota Senate committee hearing considering a gay
marriage ban went viral last year.