For the first time, the Democratic Party will officially make support for same-sex marriage a part of its issues platform during the upcoming convention. The Washington Blade reports that a platform drafting committee unanimously approved the language on Sunday to include same-sex marriage with the party's other LGBT positions.
"There was a unanimous decision in the drafting committee to include it in the platform, which I supported, but everybody was for it," Rep. Barney Frank told the Washington Blade. Frank is the first openly gay member of Congress and the first member of Congress to marry someone of the same gender while in office.
Along with including support for same-sex marriage, the language in the Democratic platform also rejects the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and includes positive language with regard to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.
This pro-gay marriage plank in the Democratic Party's platform comes nearly three months after President Obama announced his support for same-sex marriage, making him the first sitting president to do so. The platform is expected to be finalized before mid-August, and the Democratic National Convention is scheduled for the first week of September.
