HOUSTON — The Texas GOP wrapped up its state convention on Saturday by releasing a list of principles, constitutional issues and resolutions, some of which have triggered quite the outcry.
It's 40 pages long and addresses several hot-button issues -- including that homosexuality is abnormal and marriage is between a biological man and a woman.
The GOP says homosexuality is an abnormal lifestyle choice and there should be no special legal entitlements or status for homosexual behavior.
"Homosexuality is an abnormal lifestyle choice. We believe there should be no granting of special legal entitlements or creation of special status for homosexual behavior, regardless of state of origin, and we oppose any criminal or civil penalties against those who oppose homosexuality out of faith, conviction, or belief in traditional values. No one should be granted special legal status based on their LGBTQ+ identification," the GOP said.
The GOP announced more items about gender identification in sports. One says biological males must compete against biological males and biological women against women in athletics. Another says no medical practitioner can interfere with puberty, use sex hormones or surgery on anyone under the age of 21 for sex change purposes.
The platform calls for the complete abolition of abortion and prohibiting "the teaching of sex education, sexual health, or sexual choice or identity in any public school in any grade whatsoever."
The platform also calls for Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide, to be overturned.
The platform notes that "Texas retains the right to secede from the United States." One resolution called for a referendum "in the 2023 general election for the people of Texas to determine whether or not the State of Texas should reassert its status as an independent nation," the platform reads. Another called for the United States to withdraw from the United Nations.
The GOP also said it rejects the 2020 presidential election and believes President Joe Biden was not legitimately elected to office.
"We believe that the 2020 election violated Article 1 and 2 of the US Constitution, that various secretaries of state illegally circumvented their state legislatures in conducting their elections in multiple ways, including by allowing ballots to be received after November 3, 2020," the GOP said. "We believe that substantial election fraud in key metropolitan areas significantly affected the results in five key states in favor of Joseph Robinette Biden Jr."
Convention attendees also codified their opposition to the bipartisan gun bill that's being negotiated and rebuked the state's own Republican Senator John Cornyn for his work on the bill. When Cornyn addressed the convention, he was met with loud boos. The senior senator defended the framework of the gun control legislation, declaring, "I will not under any circumstance support new restrictions for law-abiding gun owners. That will always be my red line. And despite what some of you may have heard, the framework that we are working on is consistent with that red line."
He also pointed out the measures he has fought against in the legislation: "Democrats push for an assault weapons ban. I said no. They tried to get a new three-week mandatory waiting period for all gun purchases. I said no. Universal background checks. Magazine bans; licensing requirements. The list goes on and on and on. And I said no, no, 1,000 times no!"