Democrats meeting in Charlotte, North
Carolina are expected to formally adopt a platform which for the
first time backs gay marriage.
The platform, approved by a committee
meeting last month in Detroit, is expected to be ratified Tuesday by
delegates to the Democratic National Convention.
The plank, titled Freedom to Marry,
calls for “equal respect, responsibilities and protections under
the law” for all families. It also calls for passage of the
Respect for Marriage Act, which would repeal the Defense of Marriage
Act (DOMA), the 1996 law which forbids federal agencies from
recognizing the legal marriages of gay and lesbian couples.
The document echoes President Barack
Obama's argument that America has come a long way under his
leadership but more work needs to be done.
“Today, our economy is growing again,
al-Qaeda is weaker than at any point since 9/11, and our
manufacturing sector is growing for the first time in more than a
decade. But there is more we need to do, and so we come together
again to continue what we started.”
The platform is a sharp contrast from
the GOP manifesto ratified last week by Republicans meeting in Tampa.
The Republican document supports a federal “constitutional
amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman”
and “campaigns underway in several other states to” amend their
constitutions to define marriage as a heterosexual union. The plan
also criticizes Obama for his decision to no longer defend DOMA in
court.