Reince Priebus: Republican Party 'Believes Marriage Is Between One Man And One Woman'

Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said the party's platform on gay marriage has not changed despite the massive effort spearheaded by the RNC to make the party more inclusive.

"I know our party believes marriage is between one man and one woman," Priebus told MSNBC's Luke Russert on Wednesday morning.

Striking a more conciliatory tone, Priebus added, "I also know that we have a party that's going to be inclusive and is going to listen to people ... That's the type of party that I want to continue to build."

Priebus' reiteration of the Republican Party's view on marriage comes at a politically sensitive time. The RNC just released a major report detailing ways to modernize the party and make it more attractive to minority groups, including LGBT voters. Meanwhile, a Washington Post/ABC News poll released Monday showed support for gay marriage is at its highest level ever: Fifty-eight percent of Americans said they believe gay marriage should be legal.

Priebus' comments also follow Ohio Sen. Rob Portman's declaration of his support for gay marriage in an opinion piece in the Columbus Dispatch. Portman, who was encouraged to make the announcement by his openly gay son, met with fellow Senate Republicans on Tuesday to discuss his views on marriage equality. He said afterward that he didn't think any of his colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle were evolving on the issue of gay marriage.

While the Republican platform will not coincide with Portman's views on marriage equality, Priebus confirmed that the RNC will still support him.

"Of course we're going to help Rob Portman," Priebus said. "He's a good conservative Republican."

Original Article
Source: huffingtonpost.com
Author: Will Wrigley