Republican financiers are aiming to change the GOP's approach to gay marriage, and they're eying the platform at the upcoming GOP national convention, reports
Politico.
The financiers are supporting the American Unity Fund, a group that's lobbying convention delegates to add language that accommodates gay marriage. The divisive issue pits more moderate members of the party and its hard line conservative base.
"We need to be inclusive," said Jerri Anne Henry, leader of the convention campaign at the American Unity Fund.
The American Unity Fund seeks to change the Republican Party's platform stance as it was set in 2012, in which it called gay marriage an "assault on the foundations of our society."
They also seek delegates who might be receptive in gay-marriage friendly states such as California, and they're looking in North Carolina for those who don't support Gov. Pat McCrory's law that requires transgender individuals to change their birth certificate to be allowed to use the bathroom of their choice.
Changing the party's stance is necessary, "if the party is to remain viable in the years to come," said Henry.
An editorial in the
Rutland Herald noted that corporations have come out against the hardline stance, since they want the widest customer base possible. Republicans, the editorial said, refuse to acknowledge a "clear movement in our society."
"Conservative forces need to understand there is a serious challenge, and they need to take it seriously," said Jim Bopp, a social conservative activist who helped create the platform in 2012.
Party members who oppose support for gay marriage are also gearing up. "We're prepared for the fight," said Ed Martin, president of the conservative group Eagle Forum.
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