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Monthly Archives: March 2011

New Study: CDC Reports Sharp Rise in Abstinence Among Teens, Young Adults

March 7, 2011 – 12:10 am

"The largest and most in-depth report on US sexual behavior, sexual attraction, and sexual identity shows a rising number of young people are electing to remain abstinent. In 2006-2008, 29 percent of females and 27 percent of males ages 15-24 reported not having any sexual contact, compared with 22 percent in 2002, CDC said Thursday."

The study also reports a sharp rise in same-sex sexual activity among women: 13 percent of women reported every having had same-sex sexual contact compared to 5 percent of men.

The report, “Sexual Behavior, Sexual Attraction, and Sexual Identity in the United States: Data from the 2006-2008 National Survey of Family Growth,” was published in National Health Statistics Reports (2011:36). It can be found here.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Research/Study, Youth | Comments Off

Gay Press: SSM Backers Say They Are Still 4 Votes Short in MD

March 7, 2011 – 12:06 am

This report from the gay press suggests the Rhode Island House Judiciary Committee may vote on gay marriage as soon as Thursday; meanwhile gay marriage backers are still 4 votes short of a majority in the Maryland House:

Backers in the [Maryland] House concede they remain 4 votes shy of the majority needed to send the bill to the governor’s desk, but insist they will win with the help of several on-the-fence lawmakers.

Opponents in Maryland have promised a referendum on the law, if approved by lawmakers.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Maryland, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (1)

Equality Maryland: SSM "Not a Done Deal" in MD

March 6, 2011 – 11:53 pm

Delegates Tiffany Alston and Jill Carter also had harsh words about the process:

"This process has not been what it should be," said Delegate Tiffany Alston, D-Prince George’s, who had signed on as a co-sponsor of the bill but ended up voting against it. "This has not been the deliberative process that we normally engage in in this committee."

Alston, who was one of the two delegates who skipped a scheduled vote on Tuesday, said her constituents did not support gay marriage, but would support civil unions. She introduced an amendment for civil unions that was rejected, and she ended up voting against the bill, which was approved without any amendments.

"To tell us that we are not allowed to amend something if we earnestly believe we should be able to is wrong, and to tell us we have to vote a certain way is wrong," Alston said.

... Morgan Meneses-Sheets, executive director for Equality Maryland, an advocacy group for gay and lesbian Marylanders, described the committee vote as an important step forward while acknowledging the vote could be close in the full House.

"It’s not a done deal, so we’re just going to keep working," Meneses-Sheets said. (source)

By NOM Staff | Posted in Maryland, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (4)

Monday Morning: Maggie talks DOMA on C-SPAN!

March 5, 2011 – 5:15 pm

Maggie Gallagher, chairman of the board of the National Organization for Marriage, will be on C-SPAN's Washington Journal this Monday morning from 8:30-9:15am ET to discuss DOMA. You can watch the show online here on the C-SPAN website.

CSPAN will be taking questions by twitter, e-mail and the phone lines, so please ask Maggie questions!

You can submit questions for Maggie in advance (and live) here: [email protected]

Here are the call-in phone numbers:

Republicans: (202) 737-0001

Democrats: (202) 737-0002

Independents: (202) 628-0205

Outside U.S.: (202) 628-0184

You can also submit questions by adding @cspanwj to the end of a twitter update.

By NOM Staff | Posted in DOMA, News, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (1)

NH Vote to Delay Repealing SSM Likely to Influence GOP Presidential Race

March 5, 2011 – 5:05 pm

New Hampshire Republicans in committee voted to "retain" a bill repealing same-sex marriage, a move that will require them to vote on the bill to repeal gay marriage in January 2012. Politico notices that's likely to influence the prominence of the issue for GOP candidates.

Bizarrely, as ever in the msm, these reporters seem to think opposing gay marriage will be a political problem for Republican candidates. (It may perhaps complicate life for Mitch Daniels, the "truce" candidate.)

New Hampshire gay-marriage debate puts 2012 hopefuls on spot (Politico)

New Hampshire’s Legislature is likely to hold a vote to repeal the state’s law permitting same-sex marriage next January, a development that would force the GOP presidential field to confront the issue on the eve of the first-in-the-nation primary.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, New Hampshire, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (2)

NOM's Readership Exploding, Thank-You!

March 5, 2011 – 4:51 pm

Source: www.Alexa.com

By NOM Staff | Posted in News | Comments (3)

Brian Brown quoted in AP story on DOMA intervention

March 5, 2011 – 3:01 pm

A first reaction to yesterday's news:

The White House declined to comment on Boehner's announcement.

The law's supporters applauded the new House speaker, saying constitutionality should be decided by the courts and not by the president.

"With the House intervening, we will finally get lawyers in that courtroom who are trying to win this," said Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage. (source: AP)

By NOM Staff | Posted in DOMA, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (9)

National Organization for Marriage Thanks Speaker Boehner for Standing Up for DOMA

March 4, 2011 – 7:30 pm

Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), responds to House Speaker John Boehner’s comments today on the Defense of Marriage Act:

"This is a great win for marriage, for democracy and for our Constitutional processes. We are grateful to Speaker Boehner and to the GOP leadership for standing up for the federal Defense of Marriage Act, and for the prerogatives of Congress. President Obama's radical decision to dump the defense of DOMA is not only bad politics, it is going to backfire tactically. With the House intervening, we will finally get lawyers in that courtroom who are trying to win this case--and we are confident that in the end DOMA will be upheld by the Supreme Court."

To schedule an interview with Brian Brown, President, or Maggie Gallagher, Chairman, of the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Elizabeth Ray, [email protected], (x130) or Mary Beth Hutchins, [email protected], (x105) at 703-683-5004.

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By NOM Staff | Posted in Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

Maryland Update - “The Chairman Did What He Was Told”

March 4, 2011 – 6:04 pm

So an update on Maryland:

They needed twelve votes to pass the gay marriage bill out of committee. Del. Sam Arora (D.-Silver Spring) who favored gay marriage before he opposed gay marriage, folded under pressure and said he was going to vote for gay marriage “in order to get it to the people.”

Sorry Sam, you didn’t vote to refer it to the people, you voted for gay marriage.

Del. Tiffany Alston, God bless her, voted “no” “for my constituents.” Her proposal to do civil unions instead failed 10-10.

They needed twelve votes to get gay marriage out of committee and so in the end the Chairman of the Committee Joseph Vallario (D-Prince George) who opposes gay marriage, voted “yes.”

Del. Michael D. Smigiel Sr. (R-Cecil) said he was not surprised.

"The chairman did what he was told," Smigiel said. "That's why he's chairman." (source)

Next stop: a vote on the House floor.

It’s not clear they have the votes. It’s pretty clear to me, after the outpouring of public opposition, especially from the black church, that if they pass this bill, the people of Maryland will veto it.

By Maggie Gallagher | Posted in Maryland, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (5)

NOM Responds to Speaker Boehner's Comments on DOMA

March 4, 2011 – 6:00 pm

NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MARRIAGE THANKS SPEAKER BOEHNER FOR STANDING UP FOR DOMA

Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), responds to House Speaker John Boehner’s comments today on the Defense of Marriage Act:

"This is a great win for marriage, for democracy and for our Constitutional processes. We are grateful to Speaker Boehner and to the GOP leadership for standing up for the federal Defense of Marriage Act, and for the prerogatives of Congress. President Obama's radical decision to dump the defense of DOMA is not only bad politics, it is going to backfire tactically. With the House intervening, we will finally get lawyers in that courtroom who are trying to win this case--and we are confident that in the end DOMA will be upheld by the Supreme Court."

By NOM Staff | Posted in DOMA, News, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (1)

RSC Chairman Jordan Applauds Boehner on DOMA Action

March 4, 2011 – 5:13 pm

Republican Study Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan released the following statement after Speaker John Boehner announced that the House’s Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group will meet for the purpose of defending the Defense of Marriage Act in federal court.

“Marriage and the family are vital cornerstones of society,” said Chairman Jordan. “I thank Speaker Boehner for working to ensure that marriage gets a robust defense against lawsuits seeking to redefine it. Unilateral action from the White House is no way to determine the constitutionality of a law. DOMA deserves the same defense in court as the rest of our laws. If President Obama refuses to do his job and defend the law, the House will do it for him.”

By NOM Staff | Posted in DOMA, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (1)

Senator Marco Rubio Releases Statement on DOMA Defense

March 4, 2011 – 4:57 pm

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio issued the following statement regarding the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA):

“I want to thank Speaker Boehner and the House Republican leadership for taking action to defend this critical law that was enacted by a bipartisan majority in Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton. It is unfortunate that President Obama decided to no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act. While much of the debate in Washington is focused on creating jobs and growing our economy, we should not sit by while this administration makes profound and regrettable decisions based more upon the politics of the day than the words of our Founding Fathers. This law protects one of our most sacred institutions and because of the House’s actions today, it will be defended.”

By NOM Staff | Posted in DOMA, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

Congresswoman Hartzler introduces resolution on Obama's DOMA decision

March 4, 2011 – 4:04 pm

In addition to Speaker Boehner's statement today, Congresswoman Hartzler has introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives requesting that the Obama administration reverse course and continue defending DOMA:

Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler is the lead sponsor of legislation calling on President Obama and his Department of Justice to respect the law and enforce the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).

“President Obama’s decision to order his Justice Department to stop defending DOMA is not a surprise but it is disappointing,” Hartzler said. “Once we start going down the road of selectively enforcing our laws we are headed for chaos. President Obama took an oath to uphold the laws of the United States and he is breaking his word to the American people.”

“The 1996 Defense of Marriage Act was enacted through large majority votes in both the House and Senate and was signed into law by President Clinton,” added Hartzler. “President Obama is subverting the will of the representatives of the people. The good citizens of the 4th Congressional District are expected to follow the law and President Obama should not put himself above the law."

In 2004, Hartzler served as state spokesperson for the Coalition to Protect Marriage, which supported Missouri’s defense of marriage amendment. That amendment passed with the support of 71 percent of the state’s voters.

By NOM Staff | Posted in DOMA, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (7)

WaPo Columnist: Supporting a Vote by the People is "Unconscionable"

March 4, 2011 – 3:44 pm

Here's the weirdest position of all that pro-gay marriage advocates have settled on: it's okay for the legislature to vote on gay marriage, but "unconscionable" for the people to do so.

By Maggie Gallagher | Posted in DOMA, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (7)

Interfaith Group Urged Speaker of the House to Defend DOMA in Court

March 4, 2011 – 3:34 pm

The news is developing fast but we did not want to miss this signification action taken by an interfaith coalition:

"Administration’s decision to abandon DOMA was ‘lapse in judgment’ - House must join litigation fully to ‘defend true meaning of marriage’"

Leaders of Catholic, Protestant and Sikh communities of faith—together representing tens of millions of adherents—joined together to urge the U.S. House of Representatives to fight for the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in federal courts, in a March 3 letter to Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio), Speaker of the House of Representatives. (source)

Speaker Boehner has indeed announced that he is taking action to defend DOMA.

By NOM Staff | Posted in DOMA, Religious Liberty, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (2)