Young conservative shakes things up at GOP confab, but party sticks with anti-gay marriage stance

POCATELLO — A young conservative shook things up Saturday at the Idaho Republican Party state convention in Pocatello, but despite his plea, the party stuck with anti-gay marriage platform planks.

The debate came on the closing day of both the GOP state convention in Pocatello and the Idaho Democratic Party state convention in Caldwell; the two adopted sharply differing party platforms and resolutions.

Among the differences: The Republicans opposed Medicaid expansion, while the Democrats endorsed it. And the Democrats endorsed legalizing cannabis for both medical and recreational use for those over age 21, in a platform that party officials described as their most progressive ever.

The Democratic platform also calls for local-option taxing authority for cities and counties, repeal of Right to Work, keeping guns out of the hands of convicted domestic abusers, keeping Idaho’s citizen redistricting commission as-is, and funding pre-K.

Republicans made the first changes to their party platform since 2012, but kept most of it intact, including a call “to protect the traditional family and use all means possible to prevent expansion of the definition of marriage beyond that of a bond between one man and one woman.”

This year’s changes include noting that the United States was founded on Judeo-Christian principles; emphasizing families and the private sector as the best avenues to provide early childhood education; and correcting a handful of typos and grammatical errors.

Dom Gelsomino, 26, an openly gay Republican who has run for the state Legislature and the Meridian City Council, made a passionate argument for the GOP to abandon its opposition to same-sex marriage, to become more inclusive and to stand up for civil rights.

Gelsomino isn’t a moderate. He describes himself as a libertarian who affiliates with the GOP because third parties don’t have an electoral shot. He’s a fan of former GOP Sen. Russ Fulcher, who’s now running for Congress.

In an interview, he railed against the Democratic Party for what he sees as a commitment to gaining power, fiscal irresponsibility and a willingness to expand government beyond its constitutional limits.

But, he argued, in areas such as gay marriage, the GOP has done the same.

“I believe we have abandoned our values,” he said.

That was the same message he delivered forcefully to the Republican faithful on the floor of the convention in Pocatello.

“Government should not be involved whatsoever in a matter that was not delegated to it by the Constitution,” Gelsomino said in his floor speech.

Gelsomino said he is a life-long Christian who attends church every week with his mother.

“Scripture tells us, in John 15:12, ‘This is my commandment: that you love one another as I the Lord God have loved you,’” he said, hefting a large Bible into the air. “God loves all his children unconditionally. … What gives government any authority to say otherwise?”

Gelsomino said he sees the foundations of the GOP as a commitment to individual liberty and limited government. And he said the Republican Party had strayed from those foundations by supporting the use of government authority to proscribe private relationships.

“I believe in a nation where freedom and liberty are allowed to flourish,” he said.

While there were some grumpy reactions to Gelsomino’s speech — the longest floor speech of the convention — and while his plea to remove the platform amendments hostile to gay marriage ultimately failed, many approached him after the session broke to congratulate him. Some said they agreed with his position on the issue, related that they had gay family members or asked for further clarification.

Rep. Bryan Zollinger, R-Idaho Falls, a co-founder of the Idaho House Freedom Caucus, tweeted a message of unqualified support after Gelsomino’s speech.

“We as Republicans are and need to remain the party of inclusion,” Zollinger wrote. “Less intrusive government means government has no business in licensing families. Thank you for reminding some of these party principles (Dom).”