GOP Platform Promotes Life and Free Speech for Kids, Parents and Counselors

CLEVELAND - The Republican National Convention's platform promotes the right of parents to have their children counseled on topics of sex, identity and homosexuality in unity with their religion. The platform also has a strong call for taxpayers to be freed from funding abortion providers directly and indirectly through healthcare plans that pay for abortions (pg. 37). These two aspects of the GOP platform are a clear opportunity to return to the heart of America, that of free speech, freedom of religion and the right to pursue life and happiness. Liberty Counsel has been leading the fight to preserve the freedom for minors and their parents to pursue the counseling of their choice in regards to sexuality and unwanted same-sex desires. In New Jersey and California, this organization has litigated for the rights of minors and their parents to continue this type of successful counseling with licensed professionals.

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"We are grateful for the GOP's recognition of this important issue and encouraged to continue our efforts to free minors to pursue the type of counseling they choose. The government has no business sitting in a professional counselor's room and gagging their private speech. It is ironic that those who claim to support sexual freedom, vehemently deny a teenager the ability to adapt his sexual desires according to his goals with professional guidance," said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. Liberty Counsel has also been fighting against taxpayer dollars funding abortion providers who are already making millions of dollars of profit. It filed the first private lawsuit against Obamacare and warned of the law forcing religious groups to pay for abortions and abortifacients. In addition, Liberty Counsel is lead counsel in the on-going defense of Sandra Merritt, a person targeted by Planned Parenthood as responsible for their loss of millions of dollars of taxpayer funds for exposing their illegal sales of aborted baby organs. "No American should be forced to pay for the murder of another, albeit younger, American citizen," said Staver. "The GOP is taking dynamic steps and we are excited to see the party's implementation of this platform in the next four years."

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