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Monthly Archives: September 2011

Maggie's Column: How Marriage Sunk Weprin in NY-9

September 16, 2011 – 10:53 am

NOM Chairman Maggie Gallagher's latest column discusses the events in New York's special election this Tuesday:

Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011, was a good day for marriage.

North Carolina legislators voted to send a marriage amendment to the people of that state in 2012.

And in New York, the first clear Democratic casualty of gay marriage emerged: David Weprin.

Bob Turner, a Republican whom nobody gave a chance of winning two months ago, is sitting in the seat held by Anthony Weiner, Chuck Schumer and Geraldine Ferraro.

Yes, economic collapse was a huge issue. Yes, Obama's disrespect for Israel, which led former New York City mayor Ed Koch to endorse Bob Turner, was another very big deal. Yes, as my colleague and friend Brian Brown put it, "David Weprin was not able to defend himself against his vote to support same-sex marriage in New York, and his constituents made that clear."

Continue reading at Human Events.

By NOM Staff | Posted in New York, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (10)

"Jews or Gays?" Shocked Pundits Continue Debating SSM Role in NY-9

September 16, 2011 – 10:03 am

FrumForum (whose founder David Frum recently announced he's pro-gay marriage) wistfully hopes gay marriage was not the issue for Jews in NY-9:

I guess that NY-09 has something fundamental to it. Either NY-09 Jews are so fed up – like everyone else – with the economy that it trampled their normal allegiances, or President Obama has sunk to the level of President Carter and gone beyond acceptable “tough love” for Israel. Liberal, pro-gay marriage Democrats have run in NY-09 before, and they have won the support of the majority of NY-09 Jews. This time, however, most of the black hats (Orthodox Jews) showed up at the Republican victory party. I say the Jewish vote is changing; look for it to drop as low as 65 percent Democrat in the 2012 election (allowing for the right Republican candidate).

But over at the Washington Times, another Jewish Republican Eric Golub admits that gay marriage was the big issue for Orthodox Jews:

Yes, as stunning as it sounds, gay marriage was quietly an issue in this race. Most Jews are secular, and support gay marriage. Orthodox Jews are mostly against it. While Orthodox Jews are only 10% of the total Jewish population, they make up a large part of this one congressional district.

By NOM Staff | Posted in New York, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (14)

A Special Victory Message about NY-9 from Brian Brown

September 16, 2011 – 1:00 am

NOM National Newsletter

Dear Marriage Supporter:

By now you've probably read the headlines that NOM played a huge role in helping to defeat Democrat David Weprin and elect Republican Bob Turner in New York's 9th Congressional District. This is an amazing victory because the marriage issue was front and center and became a major factor in the outcome of the race. Turner becomes the first Republican to hold this seat since the early 1920s!

Time: "In an area that includes large pockets of conservative Orthodox Jews, the 55-year-old Weprin—who is himself Orthodox—was hurt by his vote in favor of New York's gay-marriage law."

Politico:
"The socially conservative [National Organization for Marriage] helped to sow unrest with Weprin and Orthodox Jewish Democrats over his support for same-sex marriage."

National Review: "The Turner campaign's success in garnering Jewish votes was, no doubt, aided by the conservative instincts of the Russian and Orthodox communities, many of whose members were angered by Weprin's New York Assembly vote to legalize same-sex marriage..."

The Wall Street Journal: "…Some conservative Jewish groups attacked Mr. Weprin, a state legislator, over his vote earlier this year in favor of gay marriage."

The Jewish Week: "As he left P.S. 255 on Avenue S in Midwood, Brooklyn, Tuesday morning, Albert Tebele said he voted against Democrat David Weprin because of the candidate's vote in the state Assembly to allow gay marriage in New York."

The New Republic: "The district has a large Catholic and Orthodox Jewish population, which makes issues like same-sex marriage (which Weprin voted in favor of it as a New York state assemblyman) [...] hot button issues."

The Nation: "Brooklyn's Orthodox power broker Democratic Assemblyman Dov Hikind cited as his main reason for endorsing Turner [...] Weprin's support for gay marriage."

FoxNews: "There was also the fact that Democrat David Weprin was a proponent of a new law allowing same-sex marriage in New York."

Reuters: "The National Organization for Marriage said in a statement that voters have been unhappy with Weprin's vote to approve gay marriage in New York State."

When legislators in Albany voted to redefine marriage, including Assemblyman David Weprin, NOM vowed to hold them accountable. David Weprin had the misfortune of being the first legislator to face voters since the marriage vote, and he got crushed because of it.

NOM commissioned a "flash" survey on election day by QEV Analytics of voters in the 9th Congressional District that demonstrates how important the marriage issue was in Weprin's loss to Turner.

The survey by QEV Analytics interviewed 251 actual or highly likely voters in the NY 9th Congressional District on election day, concluding just as the polls closed last evening. It found the following:

  • Fifty percent of district voters believe that marriage should only be between one man and one woman while only 38% of voters disagree (13% didn't express an opinion).

  • Marriage supporters include 88% of Orthodox Jews, 53% of Catholics and 47% of other Christians.

  • There is a high correlation between a person's position on marriage and their vote between Turner and Weprin. Those who agree marriage should only be between a man and a woman voted for Turner 81% - 19%.

  • Turner won Orthodox Jews 91%º - 9%; Catholics by 72% - 28%; Other Christians 53% - 47%. Weprin won among non-Orthodox Jews 69% - 29%; among Other/None/DK 76% - 24%.

  • Moreover, among those who agree with the traditional definition of marriage, 44% said Weprin's position was a factor in their vote, while 29% of those who disagree said his position was a factor.

  • Voters told the pollster that David Weprin's position on same-sex marriage was a specific factor in the voting decision of 72% of Orthodox Jews, 29% of Other Jews, 27% of Catholics, 33% of Other Christians, 27% of Other/None/DK.

Remember when the vote to redefine marriage happened last June? There was Andrew Cuomo telling the media that supporting same-sex marriage would be a great political asset to legislators and that he would provide political protection for those who voted the way he, Michael Bloomberg and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) had requested.

"What I've said is I believe the legislators who voted for marriage equality, this is actually going to be an asset to them in their campaign; I believe that…And I told them I'm willing to stand up and say that."

– Governor Andrew Cuomo

Some help Cuomo, Bloomberg and HRC proved to be for David Weprin!

NOM budgeted $75,000 to hold David Weprin accountable, ultimately meeting our goals while spending just over $65,000. We sent three mailers into the district, and launched follow up telephone calls as well.

You can read our mailer to Jewish voters, Hispanic voters, and other voters, or you can see all of them on the NOMblog.

We are very grateful to Rabbi Zecharia Wallerstein and Sen. Ruben Diaz for voicing automated phone calls to tens of thousands of Orthodox Jewish and Hispanic households in the district. You can listen to

Wallerstein's call here and Diaz's call here
.

NOM's involvement in the 9th Congressional District is part of our $2 million pledge to make sure that the voters of New York can hold legislators accountable who voted to redefine marriage. In addition to defeating David Weprin, we have funded four massive rallies as part of www.LetThePeopleVote.com and direct mailers into districts of four State Senators.

NOM will not rest until the people of New York have the right to decide for themselves how marriage will be decided. You can get involved at www.LetThePeopleVote.com. And won't you please make a contribution so that we can keep our work in New York and elsewhere going forward?

Tuesday was a great day for NOM and for marriage. Not only did we prevail in the pivotal NY 9th Congressional District, but we also helped pass a Marriage Amendment through the North Carolina legislature. NOM reached out to 100,000 voters to make sure they let their representatives know: the people want the right to vote! (Kudos to Family Research Council, North Carolina Family Policy Council and the North Carolina Values Coalition, for all their hard work on this too!)

Next May, North Carolina voters will finally have the chance to protect marriage and become the 31st state to enact a state marriage amendment.

Thank you for all you have done to support NOM. You are making a huge difference!

The pundits who predict defeat—who say this debate is done—are wrong. Together you and I have proved that again and again.

This week, praise God, in places as diverse as North Carolina and New York (!), the people have proved once again they do not want the government messing with marriage. The people of this country do not want to be branded by their own government as bigots or haters for standing up for Biblical values.

Together, let me promise you, with your help and God's, truth and love can and will prevail.

Keep fighting the good fight!

Brian Brown

Brian S Brown

Brian S. Brown
President
National Organization for Marriage

P.S. Doing what we do takes not only guts, but money. We spent nearly $75,000 in New York City alone, sending mailers to the homes of voters who disapprove of gay marriage, reminding them of David Weprin's words and votes for gay marriage. We paid for Sen. Rev. Ruben Diaz to send robo-calls into the homes of the many Christian Latinos in the district, as well as getting prominent Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Zechariah Wallerstein's voice to Orthodox Jews saying he was endorsing Bob Turner because David Weprin had disgraced Torah values. We were the first ones into the race and played a pivotal early role in helping drive down Weprin's polling numbers, enticing others to help defeat the pro-gay marriage Democrat. We don't stand for marriage only with words, but with organizing know-how and key resources. We didn't plan for this fight, it arose, and NOM spotted the opportunity and responded. Can you help us be in a position to respond the next time we have the chance to change history, to prove to politicians it doesn't pay to be for gay marriage? Your donations are critical: $20 today will help demonstrate the lie that the American people are fine with gay marriage!

Times are tough. I know how valuable your $20 is, and I promise to take my stewardship responsibility seriously, to use your precious gift wisely and thriftily, to make God's truth of marriage known—and triumph—throughout the land. Please, if you can spare $20 for marriage this week, help us win more victories!

By Brian Brown | Posted in New York, North Carolina, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (2)

CNSNews: Same-Sex Marriage Played Role in NY-9 Upset

September 15, 2011 – 2:45 pm

Penny Star reports:

The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) released results of a survey Wednesday that shows that the same-sex marriage law passed recently in New York played a role in the Republican win in the congressional race to replace Anthony Weiner.

... Weprin supported the same-sex marriage law, and voters reacted, according to a survey conducted for NOM.

“This survey demonstrates what many people have been saying for a long time – David Weprin’s vote in favor of same-sex marriage cost him election to the U.S. House,” said Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage. “NOM funded a major independent expenditure campaign in this race and the survey shows that marriage was a major factor in the race and cost Weprin the election.”

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

Local TV Surveys Battle Lines in NC: Black Church vs NAACP

September 15, 2011 – 1:58 pm

Local TV reports on the N.C. marriage amendment, the day before the Senate approved it for the people's vote next May:

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, North Carolina | Comments (12)

Weprin Effect: Early Turner Supporter May Challenge Pro-SSM Senator Kruger

September 15, 2011 – 1:00 pm

New York Capitol News reports that Turner's victory and the mobilization of the Orthodox Jewish community may encourage a Republican challenge against disgraced pro-SSM NY Senator Carl Kruger:

One of Republican Rep.-elect Bob Turner‘s earliest supporters in the Orthodox Jewish community, Chaskel Bennett, is now rumored to be interested in running as the Republican candidate in the prospective race for indicted State Sen. Carl Kruger‘s seat.

The Orthodox blog the Yeshiva World floated Bennett’s name yesterday, declaring him the “front-runner” for the Republican nomination in a possible race against Democratic New York City Councilman Lew Fidler. In an interview, Bennett did not rule out a run, but sought to focus attention instead on Turner’s victory Tuesday night. “I’m not making any comment on that,” said Bennett, who has close ties with the influential Jewish social services organization Agudath Israel.

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

NC Marriage Vote the "Culmination of Over 10 Years of Intensive Work"

September 15, 2011 – 12:30 pm

These things don't happen overnight, as the Baptist Press reports:

After years of watching their neighbor states pass constitutional amendments protecting the natural definition of marriage, North Carolinians finally will get to vote on the issue in 2012.

...All four states that border North Carolina passed constitutional marriage amendments in 2004 or 2006, but leaders in the then-Democratic-controlled North Carolina legislature blocked an amendment from even coming to a floor vote. That changed last year when Republicans took over both chambers for the first time in more than 100 years. North Carolina also is the only state in the Southeast without a marriage amendment. State polls and experience in other states, though, show the issue is far from a partisan issue and likely will get support from significant percentages in both parties. Marriage amendments have passed in Democratic-leaning states such as California, Michigan, Oregon and Wisconsin.

"It's the culmination of over 10 years of intensive work," Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League of North Carolina, told Baptist Press. The organization supports the amendment and works with Christian organizations, including the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. "Every year that that legislation was put forward, the leaders in both chambers would not even allow it even to be heard. But when the leadership changed at the last election, we knew we had hope that we were finally going to get a hearing on it, and if we could get a hearing, that it would pass."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, North Carolina | Comments Off on NC Marriage Vote the "Culmination of Over 10 Years of Intensive Work"

Sen. Grisanti Considering Flip-Flopping to "Independent Democrat"

September 15, 2011 – 12:00 pm

Things aren't looking good for pro-SSM Republican Senator (for now) Mark Grisanti in Buffalo...

Just days after local polling tested his viability in both major parties, Republican State Sen. Mark J. Grisanti of Buffalo says that “all options are open” on whether he will stick with the GOP or return to the Democrats for the 2012 election.

Grisanti, who ran for the Senate in the Democratic primary in 2008 and then upset Democratic incumbent Antoine M. Thompson as a Republican in 2010, also did not rule out joining the Senate’s Independent Democratic Caucus, which has often bucked the Democratic hierarchy.

... Grisanti’s comments are the closest he has come to indicating his election plans for next year after he refused to rule out running as a Democrat following his controversial support of same-sex marriage last spring. -- Buffalo News

By NOM Staff | Posted in New York, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (3)

IL Catholic Foster Care Ruling Endangers Status of All Foster Care Agencies

September 15, 2011 – 11:30 am

CitizenLink:

Last week, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) informed the Evangelical Child and Family Agency (ECFA) — a 61-year-old group that has been contracting with the state to place foster children in homes since 1965 — that its contract will not be renewed in the new fiscal year, since the agency won’t place kids with same-sex couples.

... “They’re saying all agencies that contract with DCFS need to be an ‘agent of the state,’” said ECFA Executive Director Ken Withrow. “Til now, the understanding was that we would be partners with the state — in our case, recruiting evangelicals to become foster care parents.”

... Tammy Schulz, an Oak Park mother whose four adopted children came to her as foster care cases through ECFA, said the trend smacks of religious discrimination.

“They’ve been blatant about their evangelical Christian beliefs and have a great track record,” she said. “Why else would they do this to a group that’s worked with the state for 45 years?”

By NOM Staff | Posted in Adoption, Civil Unions, Illinois, Law, Religious Liberty | Comments (18)

10 Dems Joined GOP to Let N.C. Vote on Marriage; Early Polling Encouraging

September 15, 2011 – 11:00 am

Earlier this week 10 Democrats in the North Carolina House joined Republicans to pass the constitutional marriage amendment on to the Senate, which approved it for the people's vote the next day.

The Bellingham Herald published good coverage of the scene that has been set:

Sen. Bill Rabon, another fence-sitter, said he was influenced by the bipartisan House vote in which 10 Democrats supported the measure. "The House is much more in tune with the local population," the Southport Republican said.

He rejected suggestions that GOP legislative leaders twisted arms to get the affirmative vote. "This was my choice and my vote," he said.

As for how he would vote on the amendment in May, Rabon refused to say. "I still have a chance to vote on this in May. The same as you will: by secret ballot," he said

... Rep. Paul Stam, an Apex Republican and amendment bill sponsor, has results from a survey of 500 likely general election voters by Public Opinion Strategies on July 31 and Aug. 1 showing that 61 percent of the respondents were "definitely for" the amendment, with support crossing party lines. Twenty-three percent were "definitely against" the amendment. The poll had a margin of error of 4.38 percentage points.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, North Carolina | Comments (1)

Legal Action Threatened Against Town Unless They Force Clerk to Issue SSM Licenses

September 15, 2011 – 10:30 am

CitizenLink:

People for the American Way Foundation (PFAW) is threatening legal action against a New York town unless its clerk starts issuing same-sex marriage licenses — or resigns.

Rose Marie Belforti made national headlines last month when she announced that her Christian beliefs would not allow her to sign same-sex marriage licenses, and that a deputy clerk would now fulfill this particular task.

According to PFAW, Belforti has committed a misdemeanor for refusing to personally issue two women a marriage license on Aug. 30. If the board fails to force Belforti to “perform her essential duties” or resign, the liberal advocacy group vows to take legal action on the women’s behalf.

By NOM Staff | Posted in New York, Religious Liberty, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (19)

Ripple Effect: NY Democrats Worried About Getting "Weprined" for Their SSM Support Next Election

September 15, 2011 – 10:00 am

David Weprin's historic loss, precipitated by his support for gay marriage, has other Democrats in the empire state spooked, The New York Capitol News reports:

Some Democratic sources claim Councilman Lew Fidler is worried last night’s election returns imperil his expected bid to replace indicted Sen. Carl Kruger. Many Brooklyn neighborhoods where Turner performed strongest constitute the core of Kruger’s district. One of Kruger’s most likely Republican opponents, attorney David Storobin, said Fidler’s positions on social issues might cause a similar Orthodox backlash against him.

... Weprin’s loss could complicate the Queens Democrats’ efforts to take out GOP Councilman Dan Halloranin 2013. Jerry Iannece was angling for Weprin’s seat in the Assembly, but now is instead almost sure to run against Paul Vallone in a Democratic primary for Halloran’s seat. That could lead to a repeat of their divisive 2009 primary, which helped Halloran win the seat.

Also, Weprin's loss means it will be more difficult to redistrict the 9th Congressional District, as Tea Party Nation mentions. New York is losing two congressional seats as a result of the 2010 census. True to form, New York --a state which just legalized SSM-- is contracting, not expanding.

We'll be reporting on more fall-out from Weprin's loss in the days and weeks ahead.

By NOM Staff | Posted in New York, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (2)

WSJ Reporter Finds What Defeated Weprin: Same-Sex Marriage

September 15, 2011 – 9:30 am

Alison Fox, Pervaiz Shallwani and Aaron Rutkoff for the Wall Street Journal:

Voters interviewed Wednesday pointed to their opposition to same-sex marriage and Turner’s pro-Israel politics as factors that swayed them to pick a Republican.

... Chaim Klein, a 26-year-old bookkeeper in Brooklyn’s Midwood neighborhood, said the election came down to issues, not party politics.

State Assemblyman David Weprin, the defeated Democratic candidate, voted in favor of gay marriage earlier this year, “so people went out against him,” said Klein, a self-described Democratic voter in the past. “Now because of this people voted Republican.”

Tzirel Zlotnick, a teacher and self-described Orthodox Jew and Republican voter in Kew Gardens, Queens, said she didn’t think much of former Rep. Anthony Weiner, the Democratic lawmaker who resigned from the seat following a scandal over sexually charged online messages. But she would have voted for Weprin, who also identifies as an Orthodox Jew, if not for same-sex marriage.

“How can he call himself an Orthodox Jew and vote for gay marriage?” Zlotnick said. “If not for that, I probably would have voted for him.”

Bella, a principal at a Jewish school for girls in Midwood who declined to give her last name, echoed the decisive nature of Weprin’s same-sex marriage vote. “We felt as a community this is where we wanted to take a stand,” she said.

 

By NOM Staff | Posted in New York, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off on WSJ Reporter Finds What Defeated Weprin: Same-Sex Marriage

Are Some Social Workers A Little Too Anxious to Affirm Novel Family Forms?

September 15, 2011 – 9:00 am

A judge in Australia thinks maybe so:

A six-year-old boy in Australia was removed from his lesbian foster parents after they posted a photo of him dressed as a girl onto Facebook, a Supreme Court judgment revealed last month.

One of the women is reportedly seeking to undergo a ‘sex change’, while the other is hoping to bear a child through artificial reproduction.

... The boy’s mother had been trying to regain custody, but the country’s Supreme Court rejected her plea.  Dubbed ‘Campbell’ by the New South Wales Children’s Court, the boy was removed from his parents along with four stepbrothers and two stepsisters in 2006 because of complaints about physical and mental abuse.

He and his 12-year-old sister were placed with the lesbian couple in 2009, and he has now been placed with new foster parents who have said they hope to adopt him. -- LifeSiteNews

By NOM Staff | Posted in Australia, Children, Parenting | Comments (5)

Prof. Robert George on What Happened in NY-9

September 15, 2011 – 8:30 am

NOM Founding Chairman Prof. Robert George explains at the Mirror of Justice blog:

In the run up to the election, a group of Orthodox rabbis, most from Brooklyn, but including others, notably Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky and Rabbi Simcha Bunim Cohen, two nationally prominent Orthodox Jewish authorities, published a letter stating that "it is forbidden to fund, support, or vote for David Weprin." The reason? As a member of the New York state legislature, Weprin, despite his Orthodox Jewish beliefs, voted to redefine marriage to include same-sex partnerships. This, the rabbonim declared, was chillul Hashem---a desecration, or bringing of shame, on God's name. The rabbis went on to say that "Weprin's claim that he is Orthodox makes the chillul Hashem even greater.

The letter from the rabbonim went farther [...] by asserting that under Jewish law "it is incumbent on every Jew" to support and vote for Weprin's opponent, "if the opposing candidate is committed to safeguarding the moral values that made made this Republic great, including the educational, religious. and parental freedoms of Torah adherents, defending family values, opposing abortion on demand, protecting the moral environment, opposing the radical LGBT (To'aiva) agenda, including opposing legislation of civil unions, as well as defending the security of our brothers internationally, particularly in Eretz Yisroel."

By NOM Staff | Posted in New York, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (2)
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