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Quoted from an email from NOM.
"Good news! Marriage is now officially on the ballot in Maine this November.
Mainers turned in more than 100,000 signatures asking for the People's Veto to repeal the gay marriage law. (Vote Yes on One!) After verifying 60,000 signatures the state actually stopped counting!
Money is going to be critical to getting the message out; the campaign needs to make ad buys this week, so if you can possibly spare just $10 or $100 this week, do not give it to me -- go to StandforMarriageMaine.com and fight back!
Maggie and I were both in Maine this week. Maggie did a radio show this morning--it's the Maine equivalent of Hannity and Colmes--the Ken and Mike Morning News show.
Maggie pointed out that you cannot say both that gay marriage is about "equality" and then turn around and claim that "it's not going to affect anyone else." Equality arguments don't lead to live-and-let-live tolerance. They lead to the expansion of government power to repress "bigotry"--i.e., the traditional understanding of marriage.
Gay marriage has real consequences. That's because gay marriage represents a government's endorsement of a new moral dogma: There is no difference between same-sex and opposite-sex unions. Maggie pointed out that when gay-marriage advocates repeatedly say the word "equality," we should pay attention: It means people like you and me, who think the ideal for a child is a mom and dad united in marriage, are going to start getting treated like bigots who oppose interracial marriage.
Ethan (a substitute host filling in for Ken) had a real hard time hearing what Maggie was saying.
I'm not surprised. A certain kind of liberal imagines that he is a diverse, cosmopolitan, and tolerant sort of guy--but too often actually it turns out he lives in a narrow social world filled with people who think just like him. Faced with real diversity--a difference of opinion--he is shocked, shocked that anyone can disagree with him!
"What you are saying sounds like bigotry to me," he more or less told Maggie. (I'm doing this from memory; I don't have a transcript, so forgive me!)
Most people get fazed, naturally enough, when they hear that--but not Maggie. "I've come to understand, reluctantly," she told him, "that people like you do hear ideas like 'Marriage is a union of husband and wife because kids need a mom and dad' as bigoted. That's why I want everyone else listening to understand very clearly: When they say 'equality, equality, equality,' they are telling you that gay marriage is going to have real consequences for everyone who disagrees with the government's new definition of marriage."
We are going to fight hard to protect marriage and religious liberty in Maine and throughout this great country. Thank you for all you do to make the Truth heard loud and clear! (And don't forget to donate what you can to StandforMarriageMaine at this crucial time!)
I have a question for you: What if they announced gay marriage and no one showed up? That's the question being raised by Vermont's tumultous passage of a gay marriage law last spring.
After all the brouhaha, when gay marriages were permitted, only a handful of couples showed up to take advantage--or even to get a license for a future union. (See the AP story "Slow Start: No Rush for Same-Sex Weddings in Vermont," below.)
We are seeing the same pattern repeated in other jurisdictions which allow gay marriage. When the law is first changed in a country, there is a spurt of symbolic interest. But that quickly dies down as gay marriage is "normalized." Very few gay marriages take place.
Gay-marriage advocates argued publicly that there is somehow a "conservative case for gay marriage." Other gay-marriage advocates argued that gay marriage would NOT limit the sexual freedom of gay people or gay culture--it would instead transform the marriage culture.
So far in Vermont, the conservative case for gay marriage is looking pretty anemic.
Meanwhile, in Iowa this week we came within a sliver of knocking off the Democratic candidate for a seat in the state assembly. 100 votes!
My friends will tell you: I’m a guy who hates to lose.
Iowa--just 100 votes. But something really important happened in Iowa's 90th district: Marriage won!
As I told the press, "Voters in Iowa's 90th House District voted yesterday to elect Democrat Curt Hanson in a narrow victory of just over 100 votes only after he publicly pledged to support placing such an amendment before the voters of Iowa. The National Organization for Marriage launched an independent expenditure in support of Republican Stephen Burgmeier after he made an early pledge to support placing a pro-marriage constitutional amendment on the ballot. The NOM advertising focused on the marriage issue and the people's right to vote. In response to NOM elevating marriage as a central issue in the campaign, Curt Hanson made a similar pledge to support placing the issue before voters, which helped cement his narrow victory in a district that has traditionally been a strong Democratic voting district. For example, President Obama carried the district last year by over 1,400 votes."
With both candidates supporting giving the voters the right to restore marriage in Iowa, marriage was the big winner yesterday. We at NOM appreciate Curt Hanson's commitment to giving Iowans the right to vote on this issue, and let me promise you: We will be following up with him to help him keep his pledge when the issue next comes up in Des Moines.
A fellow named Adam sent us an email asking some questions. Listen guys, I can't respond to every blogger who want speak to me, so let me just answer now once and for all:
NOM is an independent organization that is not officially associated with any church. We work with people of all faiths, and with all organizations and communities, religious or secular, who are willing to work to protect marriage as activists, as donors, and as board members. Yes, we welcome and have welcomed the help of LDS church members in all three capacities. The bulk of our supporters tend to be evangelicals and Catholics because the majority of American marriage supporters are Protestant or Catholic.
But we do not ask people's religious affiliations before accepting their help. "Have you now or have you ever been a Mormon?" is a sort of religious test for participation in democracy which I find personally repugnant and contrary to the spirit of the First Amendment.
Let me be crystal clear: The LDS church is not responsible for NOM's formation, and NOM has never received any promise of assistance from Salt Lake. We would welcome such assistance, as we would from other faith communities. But Salt Lake is not responsible for NOM's activities and the continued press suggestions are unfair to the the LDS church leadership and to Mormons in America generally.
Fake complaints take time and energy away from investigating real and serious abuses of the political process. NOM has retained the top legal firm of Bopp and Bostrum to provide us with legal counsel in every state that we operate in. Thanks to their expertise and our firm determination to meet our legal obligations, NOM has never been found to violate any state or federal election law.
Until next week, may God bless you for all your courageous efforts to stand up for marriage! |
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NOM Interview of the Week
"D.C. Coalition Fights for Traditional Marriage"
CBN.com
September 4, 2009
Interview with Maggie Gallagher
"Slow Start: No Rush for Same-Sex Weddings in Vermont"
Associated Press
August 30, 2009
MONTPELIER, Vt. -- Bed-and-breakfast owner Jeff Connor was hoping for a boom in business once Vermont opened the door for same-sex couples to marry.
The law takes effect Tuesday, but he's still waiting. So far, he has only one wedding celebration planned at the 11-unit Grunberg Haus, in Duxbury. It's for Sept. 8.
NOM in the News
"WaPo profiles Brian Brown"
World Magazine
August 31, 2009
The Washington Post wrote a sympathetic profile of Brian Brown, executive director of National Organization for Marriage. The reporter calls Brown "pleasantly, ruthlessly sane" and says he speaks to the nation's center instead of rousing extremists....
"National Organization for Marriage Comes to DC"
Examiner.com
August 28, 2009
Washingtonians have a new neighbor whose voice will certainly add to the cacophony of DC's LGBT discussion -- The National Organization For Marriage (NOM) has just moved their headquarters to town.
"Head of National Organization for Marriage is Oxford convert to Catholicism"
Catholic Culture
August 31, 2009
In an article whose bias has been ably analyzed by the GetReligion blog, The Washington Post has profiled Brian Brown, executive director of the National Organization for Marriage, "the preeminent organization dedicated to preventing the legalization of same-sex marriage."
"Iowa groups file formal complaint against National Organization for Marriage"
Iowa Independent
August 31, 2009
The state's largest gay rights organization and a progressive religious group have filed a formal complaint against the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board.
"Genteel slander"
Richard Rosendall
Bay Windows
September 2, 2009
Reporter Monica Hesse wrote that Brown sounds more reasonable than incendiary types like Pat Robertson. That is true -- and that is what makes him dangerous.
"Group that opposes gay marriage now targeting Iowa"
Associated Press
August 26, 2009
A group that helped to outlaw gay marriage in California is turning its focus to Iowa, hoping to begin the long process of overturning a state Supreme Court decision earlier this year that legalized same-sex marriage.
The National Organization for Marriage has launched the Reclaim Iowa Project, targeting legislative races in the state in an effort to elect candidates who support putting the issue of gay marriage before voters.
"Pro-family candidate loses tight Iowa race"
BP News
September 2, 2009
The National Organization for Marriage -- a group that fights to prevent the redefinition of marriage -- endorsed Burgmeier and spent $86000 in television and radio ads supporting him.
"Election offers peek at gay marriage fight"
DesMoinesRegister.com
September 3, 2009
Despite the loss, the National Organization for Marriage succeeded in making gay marriage an issue, the head of the group said Wednesday.
"The Gist: Interview with NOM's Brian Brown"
Michelangelo Signorile
September 03, 2009
Brian Brown of the National Organization for Marriage joined me on the show yesterday, a few days after a very puffy piece about him and the group appeared in The Washington Post (I had interviewed reporter Monica Hesse about the criticism of the article on Tuesday.)
"Gay marriage continues to stir campaigns in Iowa"
Los Angeles Times
September 1, 2009
The issue revolves around an open state House seat and whether New Jersey-based National Organization for Marriage broke state campaign laws by spending more than $86,000 in TV ads to support the GOP candidate. The complaint against NOM, as it is known, was filed with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board.
"Iowans tread long road to marriage protection"
OneNewsNow
August 31, 2009
In April, Iowa's Supreme Court ruled in favor of homosexual marriage -- and the legislature subsequently declined to move toward putting the issue before voters. Maggie Gallagher of the National Organization for Marriage says that sentiment was echoed by the governor's office.
"Carrie Prejean Files Suit for Religious Discrimination, Slander"
Associated Content
September 1, 2009
Carrie Prejean cut an advertisement on behalf of the National Organization for Marriage opposing same sex marriage.
"Democrat wins House seat in fierce contest"
DesMoinesRegister.com
September 2, 2009
That total doesn't include money raised in the last days of the election or the $86,080 spent on television ads on behalf of Burgmeier by the National Organization for Marriage in Washington, D.C. Both candidates support allowing a constitutional vote on whether Iowa should ban same-sex marriage.
"What the WaPo's National Organization for Marriage profile left out"
Media Matters for America
August 30, 2009
On Friday, I noted that the Washington Post devoted more than 2,000 words to a profile of National Organization for Marriage executive director Brian Brown -- without ever once quoting a criticism of Brown or NOM.
"Anti-gay marriage group may need to disclose donors, state warns"
DesMoinesRegister.com
August 28, 2009
An out-of-state anti-gay marriage group will likely need to form its own Political Action Committee and disclose its donors if it continues its Iowa activities, a state official warned today.
The National Organization for Marriage has spent more on a special Sept. 1 House race in southern Iowa than either the Democratic or Republican candidate has raised in cash, according to campaign reports released this week.
"Success of anti-marriage group is bolstered by chief's 'sane' manner"
SmartBrief
August 28, 2009
The success of the National Organization for Marriage, which helped pass California's Proposition 8 constitutional marriage ban, is due in large part to its executive director, Brian Brown, who is described here as "a pleasantly, ruthlessly sane" representative for his cause.
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