Republican Party (United States) an article in the "Cincinnati Commercial", the term was modified to "grand old party". The first use of the abbreviation is dated 1884. The traditional mascot of the party is the elephant. A political cartoon by Thomas Nast, published in "Harper's Weekly" on November 7, 1874, is considered the first important use of the symbol. An alternate symbol of the Republican Party in states such as Indiana, New York and Ohio is the bald eagle as opposed to the Democratic rooster or the Democratic five-pointed star. In Kentucky, the log cabin is a symbol of the Republican Party (not related
Political positions of the Republican Party Department of Education when it was initially created in 1979. Republicans tend to oppose No Child Left Behind and the Common Core State Standards. Republicans have traditionally opposed same-sex marriage and other LGBT rights. Groups advocating for LGBT issues inside the party include the Log Cabin Republicans, Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry, and College Republicans. In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in "Obergefell v. Hodges" that ended bans on same-sex marriage nationwide, the Republican Party is divided as to whether to accept the ruling or to fight it by measures such as a possible amendment