WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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State Republicans gathered in Evansville for their party convention, last Friday. Among the party platform items that were up for deliberation at the convention, was the question of the definition of marriage.
Currently, the Indiana Republican Party includes a definition of marriage as the union between a man and a woman. Convention Delegates re-affirmed that definition, on Friday. The definition of marriage was brought up after a political analyst in Indianapolis made a move to have the line removed from the Indiana Republican Party platform.
Megan Robertson, a political consultant in Indianapolis, pushed to remove the ‘man and woman’ definition from the Party platform. Robertson has been active in Republican politics for over a decade, and managed the Freedom Indiana campaign, which aimed to stop a constitutional ban on gay marriage.
Robertson is also herself gay and said the removal of the man and woman definition would improve the Republican Party platform. Robertson and supporters of the removal of the definition of marriage as the union between a man and a woman were quickly derided by conservatives in the state Republican Party. Micah Clark is the Director of the religious conservative American Families Association of Indiana. Clark published a follow up to his opinion-editorial piece today, stating “Most of the Indiana Media wanted to turn this into some kind of battle over same-sex marriage so that they could defend the homosexual agenda, which is a favorite pastime of liberals.”
The language in the Indiana Republican Party platform, defining marriage as between a man and a woman, only dates back to 2016. Adding the definition was a policy triumph for religious conservatives, including then-governor Mike Pence.
This Saturday, Indiana State Democrats will meet in Indianapolis for their party’s state convention. The Indiana Democratic Party agenda includes broadening union support and political redistricting.
Delegates at the convention will also consider approving candidates for uncontested Democratic races in the state, including Jim Harper for Secretary of State, Joselyn Whitticker for State Auditor, and John Aguilera, for State Treasurer.
