A Diverse Group of 13 State and National
Organizations Challenge RNC Chairman Michael Steele to Demand an Inclusive
Platform
WASHINGTON,
DC – A broad coalition of nonpartisan organizations raised their voices to
issue a joint statement calling on RNC Chairman Michael Steele and Texas
Republican Party Chairman Steve Munisteri to forcefully reject the platform of
the 2010 State Republican Party Platform of Texas.
The
platform has numerous tenets that are divisive and bigoted, including:
•
Eliminating those with HIV/AIDS, learning disabilities, behavioral disorders
and mental stress disorders from the Americans with Disabilities Act;
•
Urging Congress to withhold Supreme Court jurisdiction in cases involving
religious freedom, abortion and the Bill of Rights;
•
Stating that homosexuality “tears at the fabric of our society, contributes to
the breakdown of the family unit and leads to the spread of dangerous,
communicable diseases.”
• Overturning
Roe v. Wade and passing a “human life amendment” to the Constitution,
a proposal that would make abortion illegal in all cases and criminalize most
common forms of birth control
“We
call on you both to forcefully reject this platform of division and bigotry and
instead craft a new one that unifies Americans around the core principles of
democracy,” The letter declares. “Basic human dignity demands that the Texas
GOP go back to the drawing board to create a platform that is inclusive of the
values of fairness and justice for all.”
The
statement calls on the Texas GOP to abandon their current platform and adopt a
direction that recognizes the basic human dignity of all people. Additionally,
the letter calls on Steele to express his leadership by calling for an end to
similar tenets beginning to appear in the platforms of several other states.
Since
declaring the platform earlier this month, state Republican parties in several
others states have adopted tenets similar to those found in the Texas platform.
The
full statement and list of signatories follows:
An
Open Letter to RNC Chairman Michael Steele and Texas Republican Party Chairman
Steve Munisteri:
Our
country currently faces critical challenges that compel us to work together as
Americans. The American people rightly will not tolerate those who seek to
divide us and further their own misguided or selfish political purposes. And
that’s exactly what the platform of the Texas Republican Party aims to do.
We
call on you both to forcefully reject this platform of division and bigotry and
instead craft a new one that unifies Americans around the core principles of
democracy. The country is watching to see if you will continue to align
yourself with divisive tactics that do nothing more than marginalize people or
if instead you will commit yourself to one America; free of the hate, bigotry
and prejudice found in the Texas GOP platform.
Our
sincere hope is that the document was drafted without your approval. While
largely objectionable in its entirety, some specifics tenets are so egregious
that they deserve to be called out:
•
Eliminating the Endangered Species Act
•
Rescinding no-fault divorce laws and supporting “covenant marriage”
•
Eliminating future and repealing past presidential executive orders
•
Opposing making the District of Columbia a state, leaving tens of thousands of
U.S. citizens to pay government taxes without the benefit of a voting
representative
•
Making every driver’s license indicate citizenship status
•
Opposing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act because of a belief that it
affirms “sinful and sexually immoral behavior.”
•
Opposing governmental action to restrict the public display of the Ten
Commandments
•
Making the issuance of a marriage license to a same-sex couple a felony to
include the civil official that would perform the marriage
•
Stating that homosexuality “tears at the fabric of our society, contributes to
the breakdown of the family unit and leads to the spread of dangerous,
communicable diseases.”
•
Recriminalizing sodomy statutes in spite of a landmark Supreme Court case that
settled the issue a decade ago
•
Overturning Roe v. Wade and passing a “human life amendment” to the
Constitution, a proposal that would make abortion illegal in all cases and
criminalize most common forms of birth control
•
Eliminating those with HIV/AIDS, learning disabilities, behavioral disorders
and mental stress disorders from the Americans with Disabilities Act
•
Opposing any sex education “other than abstinence until heterosexual marriage,”
a strategy that has proven to be ineffective and that ignores the health
concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young adults
•
Urging Congress to withhold Supreme Court jurisdiction in cases involving
abortion, religious freedom and the Bill of Rights
•
Calling for no bilingual education after the third grade
• Eliminating
laws that require healthcare facilities to treat undocumented human beings
The
undersigned are a broad cross-section of nonpartisan organizations that work
every day to secure justice for and improve the lives of all Americans. We find
it unacceptable that one of our two political parties would espouse beliefs
that threaten the safety and security of countless Americans by advocating
positions that are wrong and unjust.
Chairman
Steele, since the Texas platform was adopted, more state Republican parties
have inappropriately jumped on this misguided bandwagon. On June 19th, the
Montana GOP adopted their platform which includes the following provision: “We
support the clear will of the people of Montana expressed by legislation to
keep homosexual acts illegal.” This past Friday, a panel of GOP delegates
in Idaho adopted the language “naturally born man and woman” to define
marriage.
We
urge you both to reject the Texas Republican Party platform immediately and to
stop these divisive politics that marginalize and criminalize anyone who is not
of the assumed majority view. Basic human dignity demands that the Texas GOP go
back to the drawing board to create a platform that is inclusive of the values
of fairness and justice for all.
Will
you stand with us?
Signatories:
Equality
Federation
Equality Maryland
Equality Pennsylvania
Equality Texas
Human Rights Campaign
League of United Latin American Citizens
Love Makes a Family Political Action Committee (Connecticut)
National Black Justice Coalition
NARAL Pro-Choice America
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
PROMO (Missouri)
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund
UNITE HERE
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