Press Releases from Freedom to Marry
(reverse chronological order)


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 3, 2014
Angela Dallara

Conservatives Visit SC in National Tour to Remove Anti-Gay Language from GOP Platform

New York – Today, as part of its “Reform the Platform” campaign to remove anti-gay language from the 2016 GOP national platform, Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry is visiting South Carolina to hold a series of meetings with state GOP officials and like-minded activists.

“With South Carolinians happily sharing in the first weddings for same-sex couples in the state, it’s the perfect place to show why changing the national GOP platform is both good politics and the right thing to do,” said Tyler Deaton, campaign manager of Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry. “As we’ve seen in the majority of states across America that now issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, marriage strengthens all families and is consistent with conservative principles of individual liberty and freedom. It's time our official party platform be true to these values, appeal to more voters, and reflect a greater diversity of views on marriage."

“Reform the Platform” is a $1 million initiative to remove anti-gay language from the GOP platform before the 2016 Republican National Convention. Young Conservatives are touring early presidential primary states - previously in New Hampshire, Iowa, and Nevada - to discuss the campaign and encourage young Republicans who support reforming the platform to run for delegate and attend the Convention.

Deaton, along with five other conservatives, are holding two days of meetings in South Carolina on Tuesday, December 2, and Wednesday, December 3 with South Carolina Republican party leaders, RNC campaign veterans, college Republican groups, and more. GOP leaders have already expressed opposition to anti-gay, anti-marriage language in their platforms in Indiana, Oregon, Nevada, New Mexico, and California. A majority of Republican voters under 45 and young evangelicals also back marriage for gay couples.

Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry is a project of the national organization Freedom to Marry.

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Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry is a campaign to highlight and build support for the freedom to marry among young conservatives across America. They represent the rapidly growing numbers of young conservatives across the country that agree all Americans should be able to share in the freedom to marry.


9/16/2014

Conservatives Visit Nevada in Campaign to Remove Anti-Gay Language From GOP Platform

New York – Today, as part of its “Reform the Platform” campaign to remove anti-gay language from the 2016 GOP national platform, Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry is visiting Nevada to hold a series of meetings with state GOP officials and like-minded activists.

“With Republican Governor Brian Sandoval’s refusal to defend the state’s marriage ban and the state GOP platform now reflecting a broader approach to the marriage question, Nevada is the perfect place to show that changing the national GOP platform is both good politics and the right thing to do,” said Tyler Deaton, campaign manager of Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry. “Conservatives support marriage because it strengthens families and is consistent with our principles of individual liberty and freedom. It's time our official party platform be true to these values, appeal to more voters, and reflect a greater diversity of views on marriage."

Reform the Platform” is a $1 million initiative to remove anti-gay language from the GOP platform before the 2016 Republican National Convention. Young Conservatives are touring early presidential primary states - last month in New Hampshire and Iowa, and South Carolina soon - to discuss the campaign and encourage young Republicans who support reforming the platform to run for delegate and attend the Convention.

Deaton, along with four other conservatives, will be holding two days of meetings in Las Vegas on Monday, September 15 and Tuesday, September 16. Earlier this year, Nevada Republicans removed the section of their state platform that limited marriage to one man and one woman. GOP leaders have also expressed opposition to anti-gay, anti-marriage language in their platforms in Indiana, Oregon, New Mexico, and California. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in Nevada’s marriage case last week.

57% of Nevadans support amending the section of Nevada’s constitution that denies the freedom to marry to same-sex couples. A majority of Republican voters under 45 and young evangelicals back marriage for gay couples.

Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry is a project of the national organization Freedom to Marry.

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Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry is a campaign to highlight and build support for the freedom to marry among young conservatives across America. They represent the rapidly growing numbers of young conservatives across the country that agree all Americans should be able to share in the freedom to marry.
8/5/2014

GOP Strategist Margaret Hoover Headlines Marriage Tour Through Iowa

Hawkeye State part of $1 million initiative ahead of 2016 Republican Convention

New York – Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry is embarking on a three-city tour of Iowa tomorrow making the case that removing anti-gay language from the national Republican Party platform is both good politics and the right thing to do. Republican strategist Margaret Hoover, whose great-grandfather President Herbert Hoover was an Iowa native and who serves on the board of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Foundation in West Branch, is leading a series of meetings with elected officials, conservative activists and voters.

"In the five years since Iowa approved marriage for gay couples, countless families across the state have been strengthened, as has the principle of individual liberty that we conservatives hold dear,” said Margaret Hoover. “The Republican Party stands for freedom and the centrality of family, and that’s why I believe so strongly in marriage for same-sex couples.  It's time our official party platform reflect the diversity of views on marriage held by rank-and-file Republicans. A greater openness on the freedom to marry will maximize Republicans’ chances to appeal to younger voters and win."

National polls show a majority of Republican voters under 45 and young evangelicals back marriage for gay couples. According to a March 2014 poll by the Des Moines Register, 64% of Iowans are either proud or indifferent that Iowa legalized marriage in 2009.

Hoover, along with campaign manager Tyler Deaton and four other Young Conservatives, will be visiting Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Davenport on Wednesday, August 6. GOP leaders have already expressed opposition to anti-gay, anti-marriage language in their platforms in Indiana, Nevada, Oregon, New Mexico, and California. Earlier this year, Republicans in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District removed a section of their district platform that stated marriage is only between one man and one woman. The plank was replaced with a statement that government should have no role in marriage.

“Young Conservatives are in Iowa to connect with party leaders who are committed to building a Republican Party that can appeal to younger voters in upcoming elections,” said Tyler Deaton, campaign manager of Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry and National Committeeman for the New Hampshire Young Republicans. “Marriage for same-sex couples is consistent with core Republican values of limited government, individual liberty, and personal responsibility."

“Reform the Platform” is a $1 million initiative to remove anti-gay language from the GOP platform before the 2016 Republican National Convention. Young Conservatives are touring early presidential primary states - last month in New Hampshire and later this month in Nevada - to meet with the press, like-minded GOP advocates, and elected officials to discuss the campaign and encourage young Republicans who support reforming the platform to run for delegate and attend the Convention.

Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry is a project of the national organization Freedom to Marry.

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Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry is a campaign to highlight and build support for the freedom to marry among young conservatives across America. They represent the rapidly growing numbers of young conservatives across the country that agree all Americans should be able to share in the freedom to marry.

6/4/2014

Conservatives Launch Tour to Remove Anti-Gay Language from National GOP Platform

New York – Today Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry begins a national tour in key 2016 swing states as part of its "Reform the Platform" initiative to strike anti-gay language from the national GOP platform. The tour begins in New Hampshire, followed by Iowa, Nevada and South Carolina. The purpose of the tour is to collaborate with statewide and local GOP leaders in early primary states about modernizing the platform.

“Since attitudes on the freedom to marry within the Republican Party are changing dramatically, so too must the official national platform," said Tyler Deaton, campaign manager of Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry. “The harsh, anti-gay language in the platform is divisive and inconsistent with the values of freedom, family, and limited government that the Republican Party stands for. New Hampshire, a crucial early primary state with marriage for same-sex couples, is the perfect place to begin making our case.”

The tour is part of the group’s $1 million “Reform the Platform” effort to strike divisive language and replace it with a position welcoming differing views on the freedom to marry. A strong majority of young evangelicals and Republicans under 45 are supportive.

Deaton, along with half a dozen other conservative political strategists, campaign veterans, and communications professionals, will be in Manchester, Dover, and Concord from June 4-5 to meet with members of the national GOP committee, state GOP Senators, the chair of the New Hampshire Republicans, and more.

New Hampshire approved marriage legislation in 2009; and in 2012, the Republican-dominated legislature voted against a law that would have repealed the freedom to marry. Polls show that a majority of people in New Hampshire, including Republican primary voters, support upholding the freedom to marry law.

GOP leaders have already expressed opposition to anti-gay, anti-marriage language in their platforms in Indiana, Nevada, Oregon, New Mexico, and California. Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry is a project of Freedom to Marry, launched in 2012.

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Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry is a campaign to highlight and build support for the freedom to marry among young conservatives across America. They represent the rapidly growing numbers of young conservatives across the country that agree all Americans should be able to share in the freedom to marry.
4/16/2014

Young Conservatives Launch $1 Million Effort to Reform 2016 GOP Platform on Marriage

New campaign kicks off in early primary states, ends at GOP Convention

New York – Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry is launching a $1 million campaign to reform the national Republican Party platform between now and the 2016 GOP convention. The group’s aim is to strike existing anti-gay language from the official party platform and replace it with more respectful and unifying language.

“It’s time to modernize the Republican Party,” said Tyler Deaton, campaign manager for the Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry. “Our aim is to make the national platform less divisive toward gay people and their families - and more focused on unifying all conservatives around our core beliefs of freedom, family, and limited government. The future of the Party is clear on the marriage issue- a seismic shift is already underway in support of the freedom to marry.”

A Pew poll earlier this year shows 61% of Republicans under the age of 30 supporting gay couples marrying. Another poll by the New York Times/CBS News shows a majority of Republicans under 45 are also supportive.

The new campaign, called "Reform the Platform," reflects and builds on grassroots pro-freedom successes already seen in states like NevadaIndianaCaliforniaOregon, and New Mexico.

The campaign is also in response to the Republican National Committee’s post-2012 election Growth and Opportunity Project. “We do need to make sure young people do not see the Party as totally intolerant of alternative points of view,” noted the report. “Already, there is a generational difference within the conservative movement about issues involving the treatment and the rights of gays…If our Party is not welcoming and inclusive, young people and increasingly other voters will continue to tune us out.”

"Reform the Platform" will begin touring the early primary states of New Hampshire, Iowa, Nevada, and South Carolina this spring and summer.

Young Conservatives propose striking the anti-gay and anti-freedom to marry references in five different sections of the official platform. The group also wants to replace the divisive language with unifying language that reads:

We believe that marriage matters both as a religious institution and as a fundamental, personal freedom.  Because marriage—rooted in love and lifelong commitment—is one of the foundations of civil society, as marriage thrives, so our nation thrives.

We believe that the health of marriage nationwide directly affects the social and economic well-being of individuals and families, and that undermining families leads to more government costs and more government control over the lives of its citizens. Therefore, we believe in encouraging the strength and stability of all families.

We recognize that there are diverse and sincerely held views on civil marriage within the Party, and that support for allowing same-sex couples the freedom to marry has grown substantially in our own Party.  Given this journey that so many Americans, including Republicans, are on, we encourage and welcome a thoughtful conversation among Republicans about the meaning and importance of marriage, and commit our Party to respect for all families and fairness and freedom for all Americans.

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Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry is a campaign to highlight and build support for the freedom to marry among young conservatives across America. They represent the rapidly growing numbers of young conservatives across the country that agree all Americans should be able to share in the freedom to marry.