The Montana Republican party recently adopted an official platform. Whoops, look at that: A 12-year-old commitment to making homosexuality illegal slipped in there. As far as Montana Republicans are concerned, being gay should be a crime.

The platform, adopted in June, includes this point under "Crime":

Homosexual acts: We support the clear will of the people of Montana expressed by legislation to keep homosexual acts illegal.

It was originally included in the party platform in 1997 after the Montana Supreme Court struck down laws that would make "homosexual acts" a crime. According to Montana GOP director Bowen Greenwood, it remains because "nobody has ever taken the initiative to change it," according to the AP. Oh, so it's a matter of laziness: The Montana Republican Party was too busy making Jiffy Pop over campfires to strike this hateful thing from their platform. It's not that hard! Hit the 'delete' key for about five seconds! (Though, knowing Republicans, their platform is probably scrawled on a piece of parchment in human blood, and each change requires the personal approval of Lord Sauron himself.)

Except, Greenwood also adds:

"There had been at the time, and still is, a substantial portion of Republican legislators that believe it is more important for the Legislature to make the law instead of the Supreme Court"

To be fair, the Montana GOP platform contains a lot of outdated points. Including:

  • Men and women shall not hold hands in public after sunset
  • Every landowning male should know how to read
  • Use every part of an animal after you kill it—even the stomach
  • Make Doom II illegal

Anyway, if you're gay you probably knew about all this months ago when the Advocate covered it. But on behalf of straights everywhere I would just like to say: What the fuck, Montana Republicans?

[Pic via the Advocate]