Indiana Republicans vote to keep supporting Mike Pence’s stance on same-sex marriage
(Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Indiana Republicans have overwhelmingly voted to keep supporting the definition of marriage added to the party by Mike Pence.
In 2014 as governor of Indiana, Pence sought to define the “traditional family” in the Indiana Republican party platform, clearly stating that marriage was defined as “between a man and a woman.”
Despite a Supreme Court ruling in 2015 that stated same-sex marriage is a constitutional right and brought marriage equality to the whole country, Indiana Republicans voted on Saturday to keep the original wording.
At the party’s biennial state convention, party members held a vote about updating the party’s platform on what makes up a family.
(NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)
However, party members overwhelmingly voted to reaffirm existing support for heterosexual marriages as the preferred family structure by the party.
The voters rejected a proposal from state party chairman Kyle Hupfer that recognised “all loving adults” raising children as families.
Daniel Elliot, the chair of the Republican Victory Committee that helped advocate for the vote, stated that support for heterosexual marriage was vital for the philosophy of Indiana Republicans.
“This language … recognises the reality on the ground that most families are headed by married couples,” Elliot told AP.
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As Governor of Indiana, Pence fought tooth-and-nail against lawsuits from gay couples seeking to marry in the state.
He dedicated considerable resources to the fighting the cases, ordering officials not to recognise gay unions despite an early court ruling – before calling for “a constitutional amendment on the ballot” defining marriage as between marriage as excluding gay couples.
At the time Pence said: “I believe marriage is the union between a man and a woman and is a unique institution worth defending in our state and nation.
(Ty Wright/Getty Images)
“For thousands of years, marriage has served as the glue that holds families and societies together and so it should ever be.”
After equal marriage came to all 50 states in Supreme Court case Obergefell v Hodges, Pence noted: “Under our system of government, our citizens are free to disagree with decisions of the Supreme Court, but we are not free to disobey them.”
(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
As Vice President, Pence has been highly divisive, even within the controversial Trump Administration.
On a recent St Patrick’s Day visit to Georgia, protesters welcomed the Veep — by covering the town in rainbow flags.
One local business owner referred to Pence as Satan, saying that he had dressed up his business for the “unwelcome visit of the Prince of Darkness”.
