From an open letter to the Democratic Platform Drafting Committee:

To the Members of the Democratic Party Platform Drafting Committee:

The Democratic Party has a noble history of fighting for the human and civil rights of all Americans.

We, the undersigned, believe it is time for the party to hold true to this record and add to the legacy by taking a stand in support of the freedom to marry for all loving and committed couples.

We urge you to affirm the freedom to marry in the Democratic Party by including this plank in the platform discussion of families:

The Democratic Party supports the full inclusion of all families in the life of our nation, with equal respect, responsibility, and protection under the law, including the freedom to marry. Government has no business putting barriers in the path of people seeking to care for their family members, particularly in challenging economic times. We support the Respect for Marriage Act and the overturning of the federal so-called "Defense of Marriage Act," and oppose discriminatory constitutional amendments and other attempts to deny the freedom to marry to loving and committed same-sex couples.

Sen. Michael Bennett
Sen. Sherrod Brown
Maria Elena Durazo
Sen. Dianne Feinstein
Rep. Charles Gonzalez
Attorney General Kamala Harris
Sen. Carl Levin
Sen. Barbara Mikulski
Mayor Annise Parker
Attorney General Eric Schneiderman
Emily Tisch Sussman
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse
Sen. Richard Blumenthal
Sen. Ben Cardin
Rep. Keith Ellison
Sen. Al Franken
Rep. Raul Grijalva
Sen. John Kerry
Sen. Bob Menendez
Sen. Patty Murray
Rep. Nancy Pelosi
Sen. Chuck Schumer
Sen. Mark Udall
Sen. Ron Wyden
Sen. Barbara Boxer
Sen. Chris Coons
Sen. Russ Feingold
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand
Sen. Tom Harkin
Sen. Frank Lautenberg
Sen. Jeff Merkley
Rep. Jerrold Nadler
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen
Rep. Jan Schakowsky
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa