Gay and lesbians may be gaining more rights across the nation, but they should steer clear of Montana Republicans, who have included the criminalization of homosexual acts in their party platform for 2010.
The party adopted the official platform in June that keeps a long-held position in support of making homosexual acts illegal, a policy adopted after the Montana Supreme Court struck down such laws in 1997.
The platform includes this point under “Crime”:
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Homosexual Acts: We support the clear will of the people of Montana expressed by legislation to keep homosexual acts illegal.
Montana GOP executive director Bowen Greenwood said that has been the position of the party since the state Supreme Court struck down state laws criminalizing homosexuality in 1997 in the case of Gryczan v. Montana. [AP]
Montana Human Rights Network organizer Kim Abbott said the GOP platform statement does not represent the attitudes of most Montanans, and it shows that the party is out of touch with the prevalent view of the people they are supposed to represent.
