Romney Backer Says GOP Should Drop Inclusive Pro-Equality Amendment

Kris Kobach

Kansas secretary of state Kris Kobach said that including broad language to express support for equality should not be in the Republican party platform, using language that groups LGBT people with drug users and polygamists.

Members of the Republican party were meeting in Tampa to iron out the 2012 platform according to Think Progress. Nevada delegate Pat Kerby recommended an amendment to the platform that would not implicitly condemn the Defense of Marriage Act, but which states, "under the constitution, every American gets treated equally under the law." Kobach argued against the amendment, and said it was too broad.

"Our government routinely judges situations where you might regard people completely affecting themselves…like for example the use of controlled substances, like for example polygamy, that is voluntarily entered into," he said. "We condemn those activities even though they are not hurting other people, at least directly."

Kobach not only has endorsed Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, but he also advises his campaign on immigration.

According to the Human Rights Campaign, Kobach has frequently condemned LGBT rights organization, saying that groups like the HRC promote "homosexual pedophilia."

HRC vice president of communications Fred Sainz said Kobach's statements were offensive and "the latest sign that the GOP platform is being influenced by people who certainly do not speak for the majority of Republicans." The earlier of which is likely the fact that the antigay Family Research Council's president, Tony Perkins, authored the platform's stance against marriage equality and LGBT families.

Sainz added, "It’s time for leaders within the GOP to take some responsibility and realize that their outdated platform – and the incendiary and vitriolic language used by some of their colleagues like Kris Kobach – sends a dangerous message and has a very real impact on the LGBT community, particularly youth."