GOP governor condemns LGBT provisions in state party platform: 'Hurtful and divisive'

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North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, a Republican, took to Twitter on Thursday to condemn certain provisions in the state Republican Party's platform that made highly controversial claims about LGBT issues.

The statements were included in a resolution on the party's opposition to "Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination" (SOGI) bills.

The platform was approved by a mail-in vote in April and addressed a wide array of issues, not just those related to the party's position on the LBGT movement. But many, in addition to the governor, objected to those lines.

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"As I’ve long said, all North Dakotans deserve to be treated equally and live free of discrimination. There’s no place for the hurtful and divisive rhetoric in the NDGOP resolutions," Burgum said. "We can respect one another’s freedoms without disrespecting or discriminating against the LGBT members of our state and our party, whom we support."

The resolution was meant to show the party's opposition to adding sexual orientation or gender identity to protected classes like race -- a generally standard position among Republicans nationwide. It also included noncontroversial statements like the party is against discrimination from a place of "hatred." Further, it noted some versions of SOGI bills "criminalize not using certain preferred pronouns." But there were a number of other declarations in the resolution that caused uproar.

One line read that "[m]any LGBT practices are unhealthy and dangerous, sometimes endangering or shortening life and sometimes infecting society at large."

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Another read: "[R]esearch has shown that causes of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) compulsions are primarily developmental and not genetic as in color and gender."

"SOGI bills seek to pacify those made uncomfortable as a result of their gender dysphoria," yet another said, "by compromising the potential comfort and safety of an untold number of innocent individuals."

A separate line warned that SOGI laws could "empower" gay or transgender people "to assume positions of mentorships of minors often over objections of parents influencing their emotions and thereby recruiting for their lifestyles."

"The @NDGOP thinks NoDakotans like me are only interested in recruiting young people to a lifestyle, protecting bathroom voyeurs & infecting society," Joshua Boschee, the North Dakota House Minority Leader, said in a tweet Wednesday. "Is this how my legislative colleagues feel? Is this how Gov. @DougBurgum feels? If not, then say something & do something about it!"

Burgum sent out his tweet just hours after Boschee's message, and Boschee thanked "the @NDGOP lawmakers who have started to speak out against this disgusting language within your party's platform."

North Dakota's Democratic Party said the resolution was "troubling but not surprising," in a statement reported by KX News.

The North Dakota American Civil Liberties Union also weighed in.

"If these policies don't actually reflect North Dakota, then what are constituents of all political parties doing to fix this and address the state of inclusivity for LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit folks?" the organization said in a tweet.

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The state GOP's executive director, Corby Kemmer, issued a statement Wednesday apologizing for the language in that resolution, which was first reported on by The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead on Wednesday.

“The resolutions were presented for an up or down vote, and no one resolution was voted on individually,” Kemmer said.

He continued that the delegates wanted "to stand up for individual and religious liberties" but that "this language falls woefully short of that goal."

Kemmer said that the resolution would be reconsidered in a "future meeting."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.