Breaking: Same-Sex Marriage Unanimously Included In DNC Platform Draft

A plank supporting same-sex marriage will be included as part of the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) draft platform, according to an exclusive report at the Washington Blade, which notes it was a unanimous decision. Also included is language supporting ENDA and rejecting DOMA. Retiring Congressman Barney Frank “who sits on the committee, told the Washington Blade on Monday that the 15-member panel unanimously backed the inclusion of a marriage equality plank after a national hearing over the weekend in Minneapolis, in which several witnesses testified in favor of such language,” Chris Johnson, writing at the Blade, reported today:

“I was part of a unanimous decision to include it,” Frank said. “There was a unanimous decision in the drafting committee to include it in the platform, which I supported, but everybody was for it.”

Frank emphasized that support for marriage equality is a position that has been established for the Democratic Party, from the president, who endorsed marriage equality in May, to House Democratic lawmakers who voted to reject an amendment reaffirming the Defense of Marriage Act earlier this month.

A DNC staffer, who is familiar with the process and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the language in the platform approved on Sunday not only backs marriage equality, but also rejects DOMA and has positive language with regard to the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. The exact wording of the language wasn’t immediately available.

“The platform is still in a draft phase,” the Blade notes. “Writers of the platform are now set to come up with close-to-final draft that will be presented before the full platform committee in Detroit from Aug. 10 to Aug. 12. That committee will discuss amendments before presenting the platform at the convention in Charlotte in September.”

Back in February, Nancy Pelosi announced she was breaking with the DNC to lead them to include support for same-sex marriage equality as part of the 2012 DNC platform.

Image via DNC

Note: This article has been updated to make clear the plank is still in draft form.