Nevada GOP Strikes Its Opposition to Gay Marriage

Good news, at least by GOP standards: The Republican Party of Nevada is dropping its opposition of gay marriage and abortion from its official platform. On Saturday, during the group's annual convention in Las Vegas, it voted to exclude language opposing same-sex marriage and abortion. Previously the party platform defined marriage as "between a man and a woman" — as does the Nevada Constitution — and described its position on abortion as "pro-life."

The state party Chairman Michael McDonald told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the convention had been successful. “I think it was about inclusion, not exclusion,” McDonald said about the changes to the platform. “This is where the party is going.”

This change marks the latest move in Nevada towards marriage equality. Just a few weeks ago the Republican Party in Clark County (which includes Las Vegas) made similar edits to its party platform, removing the section that defined marriage as just between a man and a woman and cutting its statement opposing abortion. Clark County even went one step further and added a section affirming people of all sexual orientations.

It also follows a poll last year that revealed that most Nevadans want to repeal the state's ban on same-sex marriage. Only those who identified themselves as "deeply conservative" wanted to keep the ban, and overall 54 percent were in favor of a repeal.

So get to it, Nevada.