Same-sex marriage and Republican dissent

The subject of gay marriage is of huge political import right now, especially with DOMA being up for a vote in the U.S. Supreme Court.  And though nothing has come out of that as of yet, people on both sides of the argument are doing what they can to make their voices heard. Despite all evidence that things are changing and that legal prejudice against the LGBT community is drifting into the past, the Republican party is still trying to hold on to its “values,” even if it means hurting their chances for the future.

In an effort to boldly assert their opposition to gay marriage, the party voted to make sure that their Republican mission statement maintained its definition of marriage as between “one man” and “one woman.”  They also went on to make public their support for Proposition 8 and DOMA, as if we didn't already know this.  They have even gone so far as to attack their own members when one of those members happens to disagree with them on the subject.  A recent case involves Republican Chairman Pat Brady, who endorsed the legalization of same-sex marriage in his home state of Iowa.  A victim of repeated attacks, now his party is trying to remove him from his Chairman position.

Of course, Brady isn't the only one that doesn't feel like siding with the party in a show of blind unity.  Some have written up reports detailing exactly why the Republican stance on gay marriage needs to change.  Whether they’re doing this because they believe in the validity of same-sex marriage or whether they’re just trying to ensure they get enough votes to be reelected, however, is up for debate.  And it’s not just the politicians who are ready to make the change.  A recent poll says that 34 percent of Republicans are OK with gay marriage. Yes, the party is definitely changing.

But despite all the evidence, the debate rages on and people cling to the remnants of the past.  The Republican Party continues to dig deeper and hope that maybe, just maybe, the country will change its mind back to the way it thought back in the “good old days.”  One thing is for certain - if neither the Republican Party nor the minds of the masses change, then the GOP may find itself fading away.

Anti-gay logo courtesy of loannesM via Wikicommons