The Doomed Fight for a Pro-Civil Unions Plank in the GOP Platform

If you decided not to watch this morning’s Republican platform negotiations, you missed a series of debates between Republican libertarians – usually supporters of Rep. Ron Paul – and conservatives. The results were predetermined. That was never more clear than during a brief, passionate discussion over adding a civil unions plank to the platform. A plank like this had been debated in subcommittees and shot down in flames. But a Ron Paul delegate from Rhode Island brought it back from the scrap heap, telling fellow delegates that “for people of my generation,” gay rights were an obvious good. Her suggested text, which would have put the GOP on record for separating marriage from religion, is posted above. But like I said: Doomed. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins took the microphone to explain that “government extends benefits to marriage because marriage benefits society.” His fellow Republicans surely knew that.
“We recognize nature, we recognize history,” he said. “This would move the party away immensely from the position this party has held.” The amendment went down hard, on a voice vote.