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Home » November, 2011

Monthly Archives: November 2011

EPPC Launches American Religious Freedom Program

November 22, 2011 – 11:00 am

Via their announcement:

[The Ethics and Public Policy Center's] American Religious Freedom program is devoted to protecting and enhancing the inherent religious freedoms of Americans of all religious faiths. The American Religious Freedom program works to inculcate a sound understanding of America's religious freedoms among members of the media, government officials, the legal and academic communities, and the public.

Through its exemplary history of affording robust religious freedoms to all persons, America has preserved national unity and avoided the religious divisions and violent religious conflicts that have plagued peoples and nations throughout the ages and across the globe. The American Religious Freedom program works in coalition with individuals and organizations of all faiths who are committed to protecting religious freedom, regardless of those individuals' and organizations' political affiliations or ideologies.

Brian Walsh is executive director of the American Religious Freedom program.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Culture, Law, Religious Liberty | Comments Off on EPPC Launches American Religious Freedom Program

At Iowa Family Forum, Ron Paul Refuses to Defend Marriage

November 22, 2011 – 10:30 am

From World Net Daily's report of the NOM co-sponsored event:

The two hot topics of abortion and same-sex marriage became even hotter when Luntz, as well as representatives from Focus on the Family and the National Organization for Marriage, questioned the candidates whether the issues were a matter for the states or whether AbrahamLincolnwas right in claiming, "States do not have the right to do wrong."

... Paul, however, pressed for constitutional limits on federal power, arguing, "States definitely have the right to be wrong," and that he would be "very cautious about nationalizing things."

... Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, at one point asked the candidates point blank if they would support a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

"No," Paul answered succinctly.

By NOM Staff | Posted in DOMA, Election Watch 2012, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (9)

Gay Writer Argues for Divorce Equality

November 22, 2011 – 10:00 am

Matthew Breen of The Advocate (a gay newspaper):

I’m divorced. My ex-husband and I were married in 2008. Gay relationships, just like straight ones, often end in separation, and yet it’s surprisingly difficult to admit that after nearly 10 years together and two years married, we parted. Years working in gay media and advocating for LGBT rights (including marching in Prop. 8 protests that started the very day we moved back to Los Angeles) have made me reluctant to make any kind of declaration that my relationship ended. I’m not proud of my divorce, but c’est l’amour. I’m relieved that California made the legal process the same for us as it would have for anyone else.

Equality isn’t always pretty, and that’s a sobering realization...

By NOM Staff | Posted in Culture, Divorce, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (8)

Fired Sports Anchor Hopes Case Will Reinvigorate Canada’s Battle Over Same-Sex Marriage

November 22, 2011 – 9:30 am

LifeSiteNews:

A TV sports anchor who was fired in the spring after tweeting his support for true marriage says he hopes the case will inspire other Canadians to take up the marriage battle, which is experiencing a lull in Canada six years after Parliament legalized same-sex “marriage.”

Damian Goddard, the former host of Connected, was fired by Rogers Sportsnet in May after tweeting his support for an NHL hockey agent who had opposed same-sex “marriage” on Twitter. In June, he launched a human rights complaint against Rogers, contending that the case affects all Canadians with deeply-held religious views.

“I want to … tell people that what I did wasn’t special at all,” Goddard told LifeSiteNews. “I want to tell people of faith that we are commissioned by Christ to speak boldly for the faith.”

Last week, Goddard became the spokesman for the U.S.-based Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance, a project by the National Organization for Marriage dedicated to supporting pro-family citizens who face threats for expressing their views.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Canada, Free Speech, MarriageADA, Religious Liberty, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (3)

Iowa Senator Gronstal Promises to Block the People's Vote on Marriage, Again

November 22, 2011 – 9:00 am

The Associated Press:

A proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in Iowa will again be a topic during the legislative session beginning Jan. 9, but the top Senate Democrat said Thursday he would block debate over the issue.

"People's rights should not be put to a popular vote," said Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs. "We didn't put slavery to a vote of the people. We didn't put the right to go to a school in your neighborhood to a vote of the people of Iowa."

Senate Minority Leader Jerry Behn, R-Boone, said the debate is less about gay marriage than allowing voters to have their say on an emotional issue. He promised that Republicans will again push the issue.

"We're just discussing should Iowans get a vote on it," said Behn. "Absolutely, Iowans should get a vote on it. It's outrageous that he's going to say no."

The two spoke during a taping of the Iowa Public Television program, "Iowa Press."

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

Report: Weprin Defeat in NY-9 Stirring Creative Redistricting Ideas Among NY Senate Republicans

November 22, 2011 – 8:30 am

The New York morning roundup from City Hall and The Capitol:

Senate Republicans appear to be serious about creating a long-rumored “Jewish district” in Brooklyn, according to a well-connected Republican source who saw a copy of their draft redistricting maps. The idea, the source said, would be to put as many Orthodox Jewish voters as possible into indicted State Sen. Carl Kruger‘s Senate district. Nobody is counting on Kruger staying in office for long, and Jewish voters helped propel Republican Congressman Bob Turner to a special election victory this fall. In the prospective Senate race, the Republican candidate could also potentially use same-sex marriage as a wedge issue against Councilman Lew Fidler, who supports it and is presumed to be the Democratic candidate for the seat.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Marriage Election Watch, New York, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off on Report: Weprin Defeat in NY-9 Stirring Creative Redistricting Ideas Among NY Senate Republicans

Full Video of NOM Co-Sponsored Iowa Presidential Thanksgiving Family Forum

November 21, 2011 – 4:44 pm

Here is video of the entire NOM Co-Sponsored Presidential Thanksgiving Family Forum which took place in Iowa this weekend:

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

NH Journal Discovers Powerful National Gay Groups Behind Push for SSM in New Hampshire

November 21, 2011 – 2:00 pm

The New Hampshire Journal does the important legwork and accurately identifies the powerful centralized groups funding the push to redefine marriage:

The entire leadership of the controversial gay marriage advocacy group Standing Up for New Hampshire Families consists of lawyers and activists from New York City and Washington, DC, new documents obtained by NH Journal reveal. In fact, judging strictly from these organizational documents, the group has no connection to the Granite State whatsoever.

... “It’s as though they aren’t even pretending to be a grassroots group anymore,” one conservative activist told NH Journal.

None of the founders of Standing Up for New Hampshire Families has any apparent ties to the Granite State.

Mr. Rouse is the Field Director for the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a powerful national gay marriage lobby. In 2008, Rouse urged gay donors to “target” New Hampshire because the “small state” has “national impact.”

Karin Quimby is also affiliated with HRC. She is the author of a text book titled “Queer Frontiers.”

Solomon and Wolfson are both affiliated with the national Freedom to Marry organization. Solomon’s writings make clear that he has little interest in New Hampshire. Instead he’s simply focused on a strategy to “win more states.”

Getman is an attorney with the Washington law firm Sandler, Reiff, Young & Lamb, P.C.

The Journal continues:

These disagreements [when national groups take over local ones] have resulted in certain facts leaking out to the public and the press; specifically, that the effort to pass gay marriage in 2009 was funded by out-of-state money and once it was successful the financiers disassociated with New Hampshire activists almost immediately. That success was costly in other ways, as well. Numerous state legislators who voted for gay marriage – many of who had once promised they would do no such thing – were voted out of office and replaced by pro-traditional marriage candidates.

It is unclear how both the caustic split in the gay marriage community and the recent revelation about its out-of-state origins will impact efforts to overturn the gay marriage law that the New Hampshire House is now considering.

By NOM Staff | Posted in New Hampshire, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (15)

Occupy Wichita Crashes Heritage Speech on Reducing Childhood Poverty by Promoting Marriage

November 21, 2011 – 1:00 pm

What exactly is so threatening about having a debate about the clear connection between a weak marriage culture and increased rates of childhood poverty?

Robert Rector was just wrapping-up his speech to a room of 250 people. That's when about a dozen protestors, who stood with their backs to him, started shouting.

Rector is from the conservative-minded "Heritage Foundation." SRS invited him to speak about childhood poverty.

"The data shows very convincingly that the strongest factor producing long term poverty in the state of Kansas and every other state is the decline in marriage,” Rector said.

Rector wants the state to educate and encourage marriage. It would be an effort to stop single mom households.

“He has raised some good ideas. It's work, it's family structure. And it's not like we're endorsing that idea per see, it's about getting the discussion started to frame it,” SRS Secretary Rob Siedlecki said.

Siedlecki called for a break when the protestors wouldn't stop.

The protesters had papers like this one. It says in part, this was an "orchestrated attempt to promote {a} $6.6 million 'marriage initiative,' a Cinderella/fairy tale solution in the face of increasing poverty." On the back, you can see it's from Occupy Wichita.

"Ignorance is completely invisible, but it won't help the poor,” Siedlecki said.

Rector says he doesn't want to coerce or force anyone into a marriage. He's just pointing out the facts. - KWCH Eyewitness News

By NOM Staff | Posted in Children, Kansas, Marriage, News | Comments (64)

CBN News Quotes Maggie Gallagher on Defending DOMA

November 21, 2011 – 12:00 pm

Paul Strand, senior correspondent at the Christian Broadcasting Network, interviewed NOM co-founder Maggie Gallagher (and other social conservatives) about the importance of defending DOMA, marriage and the right to speak in defense of both:

Leading traditional marriage proponents told CBN News that condemnation is pouring down on their heads.

"It's becoming increasingly clear that the gay rights movement, the gay marriage movement, really does believe you're like a racist if you think marriage is the union of husband and wife," explained Maggie Gallagher, co-founder of the National Organization for Marriage. "They want to rip Genesis out of our Bibles."

... DOMA supporters say there's a reason governments have continuously favored and promoted traditional marriage.

"Marriage really matters in itself," Gallagher said. "It's the way we teach the next generation that we need to bring together male and female so that children have a mom and dad."

...Gallagher warned society is playing with fire when it condemns those who insist on one man, one woman marriage.

"And to have the government step in and redefine that view as a form of bigotry has immense consequences for every single human being living in a culture," she said.

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

UK Christian Institute: "Trans Lesbian Couple Marry After One Half Has Sex Change"

November 21, 2011 – 11:00 am

The Christian Institute:

Two divorced fathers who became a transsexual ‘lesbian’ couple have been allowed to legally marry after one of the men had a sex change operation.

Paul, 65, now known as Jenny-Anne Bishop, and Alan, 68, now named Elen Heart, initially divorced their wives and lived together as a gay couple.

They then both became transsexuals and lived as a ‘lesbian’ couple.

The two men, who between them have five adult children from their original marriages, lived together in Clwyd, Wales, for six years as transsexual ‘lesbians’.

In the UK same-sex couples cannot legally marry but Paul underwent a sex change operation last year.

Under the Gender Recognition Act a transsexual with a gender recognition certificate can marry according to their assumed sex.

By NOM Staff | Posted in News, United Kingdom | Comments (25)

Conservative Kevin Smith Says "I'm In" for New Hampshire Governor

November 21, 2011 – 10:00 am

The Union Leader:

The official Republican field for the 2012 governor's election has doubled in size - from one to two.

The Granite Status has learned that former Cornerstone Action executive director Kevin Smith, after thinking long and hard about it, has decided to run for governor.

“I'm in,” Smith said in an interview. “I'm definitely running.”

He has opened a “Kevin Smith for New Hampshire” political action committee and will begin raising money and organizing a leadership committee. KevinSmithforGovernor.com will be online Thursday morning.

Smith, who said he'll wait on a formal announcement until after the presidential primary, joins Republican Ovide Lamontagne and Democrat Maggie Hassan in officially bidding to succeed outgoing Gov. John Lynch.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, New Hampshire, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (1)

National Post Blog: Goddard Firing Tests Religious Freedom, Free Speech

November 21, 2011 – 9:30 am

Charles Lewis who runs a blog for Canada's National Post writes (this appeared on the front page of the print edition as well):

The firing of broadcaster Damian Goddard, who was let go from Sportsnet six months ago, is turning into a test case about religious freedom in Canada and the right to declare those views in public.

Mr. Goddard lost his job after he wrote on Twitter [“I completely and whole-heartedly support Todd Reynolds and his support for the traditional and TRUE meaning of marriage.”]

“I do not hate homosexuals,” the devout Roman Catholic said in an interview this week.

“But if I remain silent I am consenting to something I don’t believe in. I have 2,000 years of Christian history backing me up on this. I’m good with that.”

On Wednesday, it was announced Mr. Goddard had been hired as a spokesman for the Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance, a wing of the National Organization for Marriage, which is working to stop legalizing same-gender marriage in the United States.

... [a] lawyer, who would not comment directly on Mr. Goddard’s case, said there is now a dangerous atmosphere in Canada in which comments protected under law can be twisted to appear as hate speech.

“Hate speech needs to be related to inciting violence, not hurting feelings,” he said.

“I draw a distinction between ‘hurt speech’ and hate speech, and the culture has shifted in which hurt speech has become hate speech.”

What Damian tweeted is neither hate speech nor hurt speech, it was a civil expression of his civic point of view.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Canada, Marriage, MarriageADA, Religious Liberty, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (3)

Gay marriage is now one step closer to reality - Help us fight back!

November 21, 2011 – 9:10 am

Email Header Image

Dear Marriage Supporter,

We just launched a critical fundraising drive to SAVE the Defense of Marriage Act.

Because legislation that will destroy marriage as we know it is now on the move!

Please make one URGENT and GENEROUS gift to the National Organization for Marriage right away!

Remember, we are still in the midst of our million dollar matching campaign, so every dollar you donate will be matched and have twice the impact!

Contribute

Just a few days ago, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a bill to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act to the full Senate.

Marriage Supporter, this is the first time in history that federal legislation to redefine marriage has been passed out of committee.

Why is this happening now? Two reasons:

First, the anti-marriage politicians in Washington believe that YOU aren’t paying attention. They think you’re too involved in your plans for the Holidays to care about what they are doing.

Second, the deep-pocketed lobbyists with the Human Rights Campaign are making an unprecedented, well-funded push to shove this legislation onto President Obama’s desk, where he will sign it into law.

They have launched a brand new national video campaign with anti-marriage celebrities and politicians all demanding homosexual marriage "rights."

We must have your support. Please stand with us and fight back to protect DOMA!

Fight back with us by making your most generous contribution of $50, $100 or even $500 to NOM right now – every penny we receive in the next few days will be spent spreading our pro-marriage message and responding to the lies and smears coming from the anti-marriage radicals.

Marriage Supporter, it is vital that we stop this anti-marriage legislation dead in its tracks before Congress goes in to recess for the holidays.

NOM is your voice in Washington, and the ONLY national grassroots group in America solely dedicated to fighting and winning for marriage.

Together, we can prevent this. But you and I must act now to STOP Congress from repealing the Defense of Marriage Act and forcing gay marriage on the entire nation.

So please do your part to make this "Save DOMA" fundraising drive a success. Make one urgent, generous gift to NOM of $50 or more right now.

Contribute

Thank you in advance.

Sincerely,

Brian Brown

Brian S Brown

Brian S. Brown
President
National Organization for Marriage

PS: Marriage Supporter, the Human Rights Campaign takes in more than $30,000,000 per year, and they receive free help from their celebrity friends and the news media.

We at the National Organization for Marriage rely on you and caring individuals just like you all over America. And we are dedicating ourselves to an emergency effort to protect the Defense of Marriage Act. PLEASE HELP!

Your urgent gift of $50 or more right now is important. Thank you and God bless you!

By Brian Brown | Posted in DOMA, Politics, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (9)

Victory for Prop 8! California Supremes Tell 9th Circuit Protect Marriage Has Standing to Defend Law

November 21, 2011 – 9:00 am

Elaboration on good news from last week, via William C. Duncan on NRO's The Corner blog:

...the state supreme court decided that the Proposition 8 campaign has standing to defend the law, noting that California courts have consistently allowed “official proponents” of an initiative to “to defend a challenged voter-approved initiative measure in order ‘to guard the people’s right to exercise initiative power.’”

The court [said]:

Neither the Governor, the Attorney General, nor any other executive or legislative official has the authority to veto or invalidate an initiative measure that has been approved by the voters. It would exalt form over substance to interpret California law in a manner that would permit these public officials to indirectly achieve such a result by denying the official initiative proponents the authority to step in to assert the state‘s interest in the validity of the measure or to appeal a lower court judgment invalidating the measure when those public officials decline to assert that interest or to appeal an adverse judgment.

...Basically, the court has turned back the plaintiffs’ attorneys’ attempt to throw the case, in collusion with recalcitrant government officials, and vindicated the principle that the people of California deserve to have their laws respected and defended in court.

The next step will be for the Ninth Circuit panel to rule on the substantive claim of Proposition 8’s constitutionality.

By NOM Staff | Posted in California, Law, Prop 8, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off on Victory for Prop 8! California Supremes Tell 9th Circuit Protect Marriage Has Standing to Defend Law
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