The National Organization for Marriage
(NOM) will once again ask presidential candidates to sign a pledge to
work against marriage equality, but this time the group is limiting
its request to Republicans.
“Republicans need to not just give
lip service to marriage,” NOM President Brian Brown told CNN. “By
signing the pledge they are committing to concrete steps to protect
marriage.”
NOM's key demands remain a promise to
support a federal constitutional amendment limiting marriage to
heterosexual unions and the investigation, documentation and
promotion of the harassment of marriage equality opponents by federal
officials.
New this year is a pledge to “oppose
and work to overturn any Supreme Court decision that illegitimately
finds a constitutional 'right' to the redefinition of marriage.”
Dropped from this year's pledge are
promises to defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in court and
back legislation that would allow a ballot question on the issue for
voters of the District of Columbia.
“Our hope is that as many candidates
as possible sign,” said Brown, “but at the end of the day what we
want is a champion for marriage, someone who will stand up and do
what is necessary to protect it. So whether we end up having four
candidates or 15 we are going to support the candidates that stand up
and sign the pledge.”