Democratic Party Chair Howard Dean has contradicted his party's platform and infuriated gay rights advocates by saying the party's platform states "marriage is between a man and a woman."
"The Democratic Party platform from 2004 says marriage is between a man and a woman," Dean said May 10 during a "700 Club" program hosted by conservative Christian leader Pat Robertson on his Christian Broadcasting Network.
That statement contradicts the Democratic National Committee's official stance, adopted in 2004. The '04 party platform indicates that marriage is an issue that should be left to the states to resolve, taking no position on whether or not states should marry same-sex couples.
"We support full inclusion of gay and lesbian families in the life of our nation and seek equal responsibilities, benefits, and protections for these families," the platform says.
The DNC issued a statement May 11 clarifying Dean's remarks on the "700 Club."
"I misstated the Democratic Party's platform, which does not say that marriage should be limited to a man and a woman, but says the party is committed to full inclusion of gay and lesbian families in the life of our nation and leaves the issue to the states to decide," Dean is quoted as saying in the statement.
"The Democratic Party remains committed to equal protection under the law for all Americans. How we achieve that goal continues to be the subject of a contentious debate, but our party continues to oppose constitutional amendments that seek to short circuit the debate on how to achieve equality for all Americans."
Gay organizations were quick to criticize Dean, saying this is just the latest in a series of missteps by the former Vermont governor on gay issues.
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"Howard Dean puts his foot in his mouth so often that he should open a pedicure wing in the DNC during his tenure," Log Cabin Republicans President Patrick Guerriero said Wednesday. "Howard Dean's positions on LGBT issues have changed more often than the weather in New England, where he's from."
The Human Rights Campaign refused to accept that Dean's remarks were an accidental misrepresentation of the party's possition and issued a strongly worded statement on Thursday, May 11, condemning the remarks.
"Governor Dean's comments weren't a mere slip of the tongue but a glaring reminder of the governor's lack of leadership on this issue," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.
"As we face a Senate vote in June that threatens to put discrimination in our Constitution, Governor Dean should not only have known better but he should have used the opportunity to speak out about the lack of values involved in the current constitutional debate," Solmonese said, referring to the upcoming vote on the "Marriage Protection Amendment," which would ban states from marrying gay couples.
Solmonese said the DNC's clarification was "a step in the right direction," but that Dean has failed to convey a "commitment to equality."
Jo Wyrick, interim executive director of National Stonewall Democrats, a gay partisan group, also said that Dean was not accurately representing the Democratic Party's views on marriage.
"Democrats do not believe that the federal government should forcefully dictate family policy for individual states, as championed by congressional Republicans and the Bush administration," she said in a statement issued May 10. "Therefore, we strongly point out that Governor Dean incorrectly spoke when stating that the 2004 Democratic Party platform defines marriage as between a man and a woman."
Task Force returns DNC donation
Within hours of the program's broadcast, the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force denounced Dean's misrepresentation.
"Disturbingly, this is not the first time he has misrepresented this important and affirming plank [of the Democratic Party platform], and he has been asked before to correct the record and to cease making these misleading statements," said Matt Foreman, executive director of the Task Force.
"Governor Dean's record on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues since becoming DNC chair has been sorely and sadly lacking," Foreman said. "The Democratic Party chair should stand by and fight for the party's own platform and values."
On May ...
