fbpx
News Articles

Democratic Party platform set to push homosexual agenda in America


BOSTON (BP)–Though the homosexual agenda was not showcased during prime-time hours at the Democratic National Convention, it did make its way into the party’s platform and onto the convention floor through a leading homosexual activist’s remarks in pre-prime-time hours.

The Democratic platform states in part, “We support full inclusion of gay and lesbian families in the life of our nation and seek equal responsibilities, benefits, and protections for these families.”

The platform also places the Democrats on record as opposing the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment.

“In our country, marriage has been defined at the state level for 200 years, and we believe it should continue to be defined there,” the platform states. “We repudiate President Bush’s divisive effort to politicize the Constitution by pursuing a ‘Federal Marriage Amendment.’ Our goal is to bring Americans together, not drive them apart.”

Cheryl Jacques, president and executive director of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest homosexual rights organization, addressed the delegates July 29 during the 6 p.m. time slot.

Jacques, who served in the Massachusetts Senate for more than a decade, began by mentioning her partner, Jennifer, and their “beautiful twin boys, Timmy and Tommy.” She then said that the United States was founded in “a revolution against tyranny” — a revolution that “has transformed into an evolution of progress.”

“Progress,” Jacques continued, “is not a ceiling to reach. It is an infinite frontier. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans share the dream of a better, stronger and more united America.”

Among the HRC’s goals:

— “marriage equality,” which Jacques said would enable homosexuals to “do what families do best — care for each other in sickness and in health.”

— laws “to ensure that violent hate crimes are aggressively prosecuted.”

— an end to workplace discrimination. “We work hard. We contribute to our communities,” Jacques said. “We pay our fair share of taxes, and we simply ask that we’re never fired because of who we are. Today in 36 states in this country it is legal to fire the star employee simply because the boss thinks he or she is gay. That is wrong!”

— full acceptance in military service. “We protect our country. We die for our country,” Jacques said. “That’s why we seek the right to serve openly and honestly in our armed forces, to defend our freedoms and the rights of all American families.”

— “a fully fortified battle against HIV and AIDS that spares this generation the ravages of the last. … We envision new technologies, cures for diseases and better products to enrich people’s lives.”

Pointing to the flag pin on her lapel, Jacques said while some may criticize homosexuals’ American dream, that is their right because the flag shields her from “neither criticism nor dissent. This flag is a clarion call to every human being that equality and freedom triumph over oppression and discrimination.”

Jacques closed by saying John Kerry and John Edwards share the dream of equal rights for all.

“They know that the Constitution is a vessel of freedom, not a tool for discrimination,” she said. “Together we will send a message for all Americans to hear, that the light of inclusion will once again wipe away the darkness of division.”

Among other Democratic platform statements involving facets of the homosexual agenda is one that says, “We will enact the bipartisan legislation barring workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation.”

For years, homosexuals have been pushing for the Employment Non-discrimination Act, which would extend workplace protection to people on the basis of their sexual behavior or identity. It would make discrimination on the basis of “sexual orientation” illegal in both the private and public workplace. The measure would treat “sexual orientation” in similar fashion to other categories, such as race, gender and age, already protected by federal civil rights law. According to ENDA, “sexual orientation” encompasses “homosexuality, bisexuality or heterosexuality, whether the orientation is real or perceived.”

The Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission and other conservative and religious organizations oppose ENDA because it equates sexual behavior or self-identity with such traits as race, ethnicity, gender and religion.

Another component of the Democratic Party’s platform states, “Hate crimes desecrate sacred spaces and demean good people, and we support a strong national law to punish them.”

But ERLC President Richard Land has said expanding hate-crimes legislation to include homosexuals is a miscarriage of justice that could restrict the freedoms of others.

“This is a terrible precedent, making sexual preference in any way, shape or form a protected right. Making sexual preference a protected right in any federal legislation will lead to litigation that will be extremely damaging to the freedoms of Americans,” Land said in June when the Senate voted 65-33 to include “gender, sexual orientation or disability” among categories protected by hate-crimes legislation and to provide federal assistance to state and local officials to investigate and prosecute such crimes.

Land also said people who commit violent acts should be prosecuted fully no matter what.

“Whether it’s racially motivated or motivated because of the sexual preference of the person should be irrelevant,” he said. “They should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law when they break the law for any reason and when they perpetrate crimes of violence.”

The classes currently protected by hate-crimes legislation are race, color, religion and national origin.
–30–
The entire Democratic Party platform can be accessed at www.democrats.org/platform.

For more information about the national debate over same-sex “marriage,” visit
http://www.bpnews.net/samesexmarriage

    About the Author

  • Erin Curry