The Libertarian Party has a long and rich tradition for supporting the rights of the LGTB Community.  As recently as 2013 the Libertarian Party supported the Supreme Court’s decision United States v. Windsor to strike down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) as unconstitutional.

The Libertarian Party has supported same-sex marriage since its founding in 1971.

The Libertarian Party takes the following positions relevant to LGBT rights:

• Section 1.2 “Expression and Communication”:
  • We support full freedom of expression and oppose government censorship, regulation or control of communications media and technology. We favor the freedom to engage in or abstain from any religious activities that do not violate the rights of others. We oppose government actions which either aid or attack any religion.
• Section 1.3 “Personal Relationships”:
  • Sexual orientation, preference, gender, or gender identity should have no impact on the government’s treatment of individuals, such as in current marriage, child custody, adoption, immigration or military service laws. Government does not have the authority to define, license or restrict personal relationships. Consenting adults should be free to choose their own sexual practices and personal relationships.
• 6 Parental Rights”:
  • Parents, or other guardians, have the right to raise their children according to their own standards and beliefs. This statement shall not be construed to condone child abuse or neglect.
• Section 3.5 “Rights and Discrimination”:
  • Libertarians embrace the concept that all people are born with certain inherent rights. We reject the idea that a natural right can ever impose an obligation upon others to fulfill that “right.” We condemn bigotry as irrational and repugnant. Government should neither deny nor abridge any individual’s human right based upon sex, wealth, ethnicity, creed, age, national origin, personal habits, political preference or sexual orientation. Members of private organizations retain their rights to set whatever standards of association they deem appropriate, and individuals are free to respond with ostracism, boycotts and other free-market solutions.
• Section 4.0 “Omissions”:
  • Our silence about any other particular government law, regulation, ordinance, directive, edict, control, regulatory agency, activity, or machination should not be construed to imply approval.

With that in mind, the Libertarian Party of Broward County supports and applauds the recent decision by Florida’s Commission on Human Relations (FCHR), the state’s civil rights enforcement agency, to enforce a Supreme Court ruling that deems discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation illegal.  The ruling provides those who experience discrimination an official State of Florida channel through which a claim can be filed and provides full protection under Florida’s civil rights laws.

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By Dean Morrison, Executive Member of the Libertarian Party of Broward County.