Texas Democrats respond to GOP, call for ban on gay conversion therapy in party platform

[n2doc]

Three weeks ago, the Texas GOP made headlines by endorsing the discredited practice of gay conversion therapy in its 2014 party platform.

This past weekend, the Texas Democratic Party responded in its 2014 platform by calling for a ban on gay conversion therapy, also known as “reparative therapy.” While the Texas GOP’s reparative therapy plank drew international attention, the Democrats’ response has gone largely unnoticed.

LGBT delegates reportedly stormed the floor at one point during the state Democratic Party’s convention in Dallas, carrying signs emblazoned with the hashtag “#WeDontNeedFixin.” Democrats later approved a platform alleging that the Texas GOP “continues to encourage violence against the very souls of LGBTQ people through the quackery of reparative therapy, which is now illegal in two states.”

“Texas Democrats strongly oppose the use of any public funding for this demonstrably harmful practice,” the Texas Democratic Party platform states, before calling for the state to sanction those who practice reparative therapy.

more

http://www.lonestarq.com/texas-democrats-respond-gop-reparative-therapy-plank/

[theHandpuppet]

1. Can you tell me more about the Stonewall Dems?

Is this a Dem group comprised of LGBT democrats?

[TexasTowelie]

2. Here is some information about Stonewall Democrats of Texas.

http://stonewalltx.org/about-us

The Texas Stonewall Democratic Caucus (TSDC) is a general-purpose political committee and is the official Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Caucus of the Texas Democratic Party. TSDC was formerly the Lesbian/Gay Democrats of Texas, an organization formed in the early 1970s to work on behalf of the lesbian and gay community within the Texas Democratic Party. TSDC was founded on November 21, 1999 by Michael Milliken of Dallas, who became its first president. At the 2000 Texas Democratic Convention in Fort Worth, delegates voted to give TSDC two seats on the State Democratic Executive Committee (SDEC). Since then, both the President and Vice President of the TSDC have served as SDEC members with voting privileges except in statutory matters.

A generation ago, neither the Republican nor the Democratic Party opposed homophobia. Today, the platform of the Democratic Party opposes prejudice based on sexual orientation and gender identity and explicitly supports the adoption of national, state, and local policies to outlaw discrimination. In contrast, the Republican Party has become the political instrument of those devoted to perpetuating discrimination. We believe the Democratic Party is the home of those devoted to securing fair and equal treatment for all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

The TSDC is composed of members of the LGBT community and our straight allies (hereinafter referred to as "our Community") to promote our civil rights through a grassroots-based Democratic political organization serving the State of Texas. It draws its strength from a statewide network of individuals and clubs who are working to realize these goals:

Maximize Democratic voter turnout in our Community;
Educate our Community and people who are supportive of it about the vast differences that exist between the two major parties on the issues of concern to our Community;
Encourage our Community to participate in the campaigns of Democratic candidates and at all levels of the Democratic Party;
Sensitize Democratic candidates and officeholders to the needs of our Community;
Educate voters about legislative issues that affect our Community; and
Work with local lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Democratic clubs and individuals to encourage and foster the creation of new clubs.

The TSDC elects officers and conducts business at its biennial meeting at the Texas Democratic Convention in even-numbered years. In the interim, the TSDC is governed by its Executive Board, consisting of the four elected officers, the presidents and vice-presidents (or co-chairs) of each LGBT Democratic club in Texas and Texas Board members of National Stonewall Democrats. The TSDC is an affiliate organization of National Stonewall Democrats.