Republican leaders push for ban on gay marriage

1.00pm - By ANDREW BUNCOMBE in Washington

Republican leaders are pushing for a constitutional ban on gay marriage to be included in the party's official policy positions as they prepare for the upcoming convention in New York.

A draft of the party's so-called platform, released yesterday, includes an undertaking to seek a constitutional amendment to outlaw gay marriage in a second Bush term.

If approved, it would be the first time the Republican party has officially included in its platform support for such a ban: in 2000 the party settled for a statement that simply supports the definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman.

The decision is likely to set off a heated debate within the party between hard-liners and moderates who want to fashion a more inclusive image for the Republicans. The draft platform also calls for a constitutional ban on abortion, as it did in 2000.

The gay marriage debate was given fuel earlier this week when Vice-President Dick Cheney made clear he differed from President Bush on the issue of gay marriage and said he believed it was an issue that should be decided by individual states.

Mr Bush has said he supports a constitutional ban. Mr Cheney, whose daughter is gay, said that Mr Bush "makes policy for the administration". But he added:

"People ought to be free to enter into any kind of relationship they want to."

Yesterday Chris Barron, political director of the gay rights group Log Cabin Republicans, said: "This shows that this issue continues to divide the country, our party and even our president and vice-president."

His group, along with abortion-rights group Republicans for Choice and the Republican Youth Majority, had proposed a much more expansive "unity" plank to be included in the platform.

It wanted the platform to read: "We recognise and respect that Republicans of good faith may not agree with all the planks in the party's platform. This is particularly the case with regard to those planks dealing with abortion, family planning, and gay and lesbian issues. The Republican Party welcomes all people on all sides of these complex issues and encourages their active participation as we work together on those issues upon which we agree."

Steven Fisher of the gay rights group, Human Rights Campaign, said: "I think there are deep divisions within the Republican party. There are millions of Republican families like the Cheneys who are offended that President Bush is trying to put the issue of gay marriage in the constitution."


- INDEPENDENT