Texas GOP platform

[FinalEnigma]

The Texas GOP has put forth a 2010 party platform that includes the following planks:

* Gay people shouldn't have custody of children.
* Issuing a marriage license or performing a marriage ceremony for a same-sex couple should be punishable by jail time.
* 19th-century Texas statutes outlawing sex between men should be restored.
* Homosexuality "tears at the fabric of society."

1. "We are opposed to any granting of special legal entitlements, refuse to recognize, or grant special privileges including, but not limited to...custody of children by homosexuals..." [sic]
2. "We support legislation that would make it a felony to issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple and for any civil official to perform a marriage ceremony for such."
3. "We oppose the legalization of sodomy. We demand that Congress exercise its authority granted by the U.S. Constitution to withhold jurisdiction from the federal courts from cases involving sodomy. "

I got this information in an email, since I'm signed up at a human rights website that sends petitions to politicians. (site here: http://bit.ly/9qTm2t)

The GOP platform wishes to essentially make homosexuality itself illegal. they wish to remove job protections so that you can be fired for simply being gay, they wish to make it illegal for homosexuals to have custody of children, they wish to reinstate the laws against homosexual sex, and they wish to make it a felony to issue a marriage license to, or to perform a marriage ceremony for, two people of the same gender.

The full platform can be found here: http://www.hrcactioncenter.org/site/R?i ... WBbT96orKw..

What do you think, are these legal steps appropriate and necessary, or utterly insane?

I'm strongly against every one of these steps.

[SailingCyclops]

...nor have I seen this document in any of the Texas Republican Party's official sites.

Republican Party of Texas Official site. Click on the link called "2010 Republican Party of Texas Platform" which brings up this pdf file: https://www.1888932-2946.ws/TexasGOP/E- ... ATFORM.pdf

[SailingCyclops]

It is curious to note how many folks who are vehemently against homosexuals end up being the thing they loathe. Karma?

To address what you and others have said, YES! Had you known me 10 years ago you would have known a completely different person. I truly believe most people who are extremely anti-gay probably have bisexual tendencies or are full-blown gay, they're just too scared, ashamed or confused to admit it and so they kick against it in an attempt to distance themselves from what they won't admit they are themselves. I myself was very homophobic and in my quest to be a good Christian, raised in a Catholic family, had several children in the process. This same story is echoed throughout the LGBT community.

There are so many cases of people who are vehementally anti-gay turning out to be gay themselves. Ted Haggard is a prime example.
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Many people with political influence in America, both religious leaders as well as politicians, seem to be total hypocrites when it comes to gay issues. You are correct, this attitude from the most vociferous opponents is due to their denial and fear of their own sexuality.

Bob

[Slopeshoulder]

If laws outlawing sex between men are restored, than homsexuality, as a life, is illegal. This will never fly. it is reprellent.

If sodomy is outlawed, does that extend to hetrosexual couples? Not my cup of tea, but man o man is it popular. Again, this'll never fly. Next thing they'll be regulating positions, role play, and creating policy for other orifi!

Everyone knows:
- texas has extreme conservatives
- platforms are typically more conservative than candidates, a place for extremists to dream, but very very revealing.
They are nut jobs and extremists, but it is good that their back room closed door intramural docsussions are availabe to us and able to be opposed. Maybe we'll do better than the german's did in the late 20's and 30's.