Dear Friends of Marriage,

Boy, New Hampshire's Gov. John Lynch is mad! Why?

Gov. Lynch is one angry man this week because you and me and thousands of others came together to speak truth to power: When Gov. Lynch campaigned for his office he said he opposed gay marriage. But when it came time to govern, he broke his word. He even refused to let the people of New Hampshire decide this issue. Instead he signed a gay marriage bill into law.

So thanks to your help, NOM launched this wee "Lynch Lied" ad--an ad some call "hard-hitting." But really, when the truth hits, it hits hard.

Like many other powerful politicians, Gov. Lynch gets mad when he gets called to account for his spin game on marriage.

Instead of responding reasonably on the facts NOM's ad lays out on marriage, taxes and the budget, Gov. Lynch lashed out and his party is now trying to get the ads pulled. You can run from the truth, Gov. Lynch, but you can't hide from the people of New Hampshire.

Meanwhile, on the other coast, thanks to your help NOM launched a new phase in the Tom Campbell Truth Brigade: reaching out by telephone directly to thousands of California pro-marriage voters to let them know that during the great drama of millions of Californians coming together to support Prop 8 and our marriage tradition, Tom Campbell was a no-show. Actually Tom was worse than a no-show. He showed up hand in hand with Barbara Boxer and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. He has tried to pretend that his opposition to Prop 8 is no big deal to California voters, who, he says, already know his position. Dream on, Tom. Without giving away too much before we've completed this campaign, let me tell you one thing our telephone outreach campaign is confirming: Very few California primary voters know Tom's record of support for gay marriage and opposition to Prop 8. And when they find out, they do not like it. I don't usually quote the gay press, but On Top Magazine's headline says all you need to know: "NOM Makes Gay Marriage an Issue in Calif. GOP Senate Race."

NOM is needed because politicians who hide or spin their record need to be held accountable. When thousands of great Americans like you come together with others of every race, creed and color to support a great cause--marriage--great things happen.

Here's some more bits of good news you won't hear elsewhere: Remember the fuss about the first so-called gay marriage in Argentina? A judge just invalidated that press stunt. Argentina's laws don't permit gay marriage, regardless of how many photo ops the couples stand for. And in Italy the nation's constitutional court just upheld the validity of that nation's one man, one woman marriage laws. The majority of courts as well as the majority of people understand that our marriage tradition is not discrimination, it's common sense.

That's one reason why (as the Philly Bulletin headline so joyously put it): "Effort to Repeal California's Gay Marriage Ban Flops!" Prop 8 opponents failed this week to gather enough signatures to put repeal of Prop 8 on the ballot this November. It is true that the issue split the gay community. Wiser heads, realizing repeal would fail, urged waiting a bit longer, hoping the Supreme Court will repeal Prop 8 for them. But it is also true, as I told the Bulletin, "Efforts to repeal Prop 8 failed because the majority of Californians do not want to revisit this issue. ...Even the minority of Californians who voted against Prop 8 have accepted that the majority rules and moved on to other issues."

A final bit of good news: Remember Don Mendell, the high school guidance counselor who bravely stood up for marriage in Maine? During the course of the successful campaign last fall to restore traditional marriage in Maine, Don Mendell appeared in a television ad. Not one but two of his fellow social workers decided try to take away Don's livelihood. They filed complaints with the body which licenses social workers (and guidance counselors at public schools in Maine are required to have that license), alleging that simply by saying he believed marriage in Maine should remain one man and one woman, Don Mendell was engaging in discrimination and was unfit to be a social worker. That's the logic of gay marriage, after all. But thanks to your help, the people in Maine stood up to the bullies and voted for marriage. And this week the licensing board announced it was dismissing the complaint again Don Mendell!

Another victory for decency and civility in the public square that you made possible! (Kudos and gratitude to the Alliance Defense Fund, which represented Mendell.)

Don Mendell promises to continue to be a voice for the truth: "I'm speaking out that I do believe in equal rights of children to have a mother and father, if at all possible," he said. "And I will take stands against things that I feel threaten children from having access to a mother and father, especially if that's going to be taught in schools to minors."

God bless him, and God bless you for all that you make possible. It is a joy to be in His service, by your side.

Faithfully,

Brian S. Brown
Executive Director
National Organization for Marriage
20 Nassau Street, Suite 242
Princeton, NJ 08542
[email protected]

PS: NOM relies on your help to speak out for marriage! Whether you can spare $20, $50, or perhaps $200 for marriage--or a monthly donation of as little as $10 each month--every dollar makes a difference.

NOM in the News
"Light, Not Heat, On Same-Sex Marriage"
Rox Laird
Des Moines Register
April 13, 2010
Maggie Gallagher, president of the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, made a case for why society and the government should limit marriage to a man and a woman. Her challenge was clear when she asked for a show of hands and the overwhelming majority of the mostly student and faculty audience either favored same-sex marriage, or was indifferent.

"Maggie Gallagher Rebuts Arguments for Same-Sex Marriage"
Franciscan University of Steubenville
April 9, 2010
"The same-sex marriage battle is only one part of a larger crisis in marriage that I've been confronting for 20 years," said Maggie Gallagher, president of the National Organization for Marriage.

"Prop 8 Opponents Fail to Qualify for Ballot"
San Diego Union-Tribune
April 12, 2010
"Efforts to repeal Prop. 8 failed because the majority of Californians do not want to revisit this issue," said Brian Brown, executive director of National Organization for Marriage. "Even the minority of Californians who voted against Prop. 8 have accepted that the majority rules and moved on to other issues."

"Gay Marriage Ban Repeal Falls Short"
Contra Costa Times
April 12, 2010
The organization's president, Maggie Gallagher, said Prop. 8's foes "talked big, but they failed because the majority of Californians are not on their side."

"Proposal to Repeal Proposition 8 Falls Short; Focus Shifts to 2012"
Sacramento Bee
April 13, 2010
"Proposition 8 opponents talked big, but they failed because the majority of Californians are not on their side," said Maggie Gallagher, president of the National Organization for Marriage, which supported Proposition 8.

"Prop 8 Repeal Bid Fails to Make November Ballot"
San Francisco Chronicle
April 13, 2010
"Even the minority of Californians who voted against Prop. 8 have accepted that the majority rules and moved on to other issues," said Brian Brown, executive director of the National Organization for Marriage, a major backer of Prop. 8.

"Conservative Group Airs TV Ad Attacking Lynch"
Nashua Telegraph
April 14, 2010
The National Organization for Marriage sponsored the $200,000 ad buy that becomes the first independent expenditure in the 2010 state election cycle.

"Dems Hit Back at Anti-Lynch Ad"
John DiStaso
Union-Tribune
April 13, 2010
NHDP DEFENDS LYNCH; BLASTS NOM, STEPHEN. The state Democratic Party has responded strongly bitterly to a new television ad by the conservative National Organization for Marriage that contends Gov. John Lynch "lied" about same-sex marriage and fiscal issues (see earlier update item below).

"Lynch Blasts Ad Criticizing Policies"
WMUR
April 14, 2010
The governor was clearly agitated by the ad, which started running a day ago on cable TV and the Internet. It highlights several issues, ranging from the budget to same-sex marriage, in which the governor has been accused of flip-flopping.