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Monthly Archives: March 2012

New PPP Poll Shows Marriage Leading in Maryland!

March 29, 2012 – 12:00 pm

The Washington Post claims Maryland is "split" on marriage even though marriage is actually leading by a few points, and leading by an even wider margin when it comes to voter intensity.

Also note the charged way the question was asked (voters were asked about making same-sex marriage "illegal"):

"...With a referendum on the issue expected this fall, the poll by the independent firm OpinionWorksfound that 43 percent of registered voters would vote to make same-sex marriage illegal, while 40 percent would vote to make it legal.

...Previous polls — including one in January by The Washington Post — have shown somewhat rosier results for same-sex marriage proponents.

...Opponents of same-sex marriage have an advantage in intensity. While 37 percent of Maryland voters “strongly” feel they will vote to make same-sex marriage illegal in Maryland, 31 percent of voters “strongly” feel they will vote to make it legal.

Visit the Maryland Marriage Alliance website for easy ways you can help the marriage win in November!

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

Politicized Banks Who Entered Marriage Fight Dropped by Ohio for "Systematically Exploiting Pension Funds”

March 29, 2012 – 11:00 am

Support same-sex marriage, or focus on keeping clients worth $41 billion happy?

In November of 2011 two banks, while under investigation by the Ohio Attorney General for defrauding four Ohio pension systems, decided to sign on in support of eliminating the federal Defense of Marriage Act (which defines marriage as the union of one man and one woman).

Can massive financial institutions multitask? Sure, but when they have an unhappy client worth $41 billion why are they getting involved in a culture war over marriage?

The cost for Bank of New York Mellon is a $16 million lawsuit by the State of Ohio over their alleged manipulation of exchange rates. For State Street Bank the cost is defending against multiple state lawsuits and the federal government.

Perhaps, like Goldman Sachs, they could use a little more focus on their corporate culture and do a little less worrying about marriage.

-- Jonathan Baker is the Director of NOM's Corporate Fairness Project

By Jonathan Baker | Posted in Corporate Ethics, Marriage, Ohio, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (2)

GraniteGrok: "Standing Up for New Hampshire Families a Faux Group"

March 29, 2012 – 10:00 am

New Hampshire conservative politics blog Granite Grok:

Standing Up For New Hampshire Families was, and is, a faux group funded from outside the state, run by a lobbyist. Measuring it’s effectiveness is merely a measure of the hypocrisy of Democrats who deride outside influence and the ignorance of Republicans who are too lazy to see where the message is coming from. The guy running it is Tyler Deaton. Tyler, like Mo Baxley before him, is propped up by national, out of state money, running their national, out of state agenda. It is neither local, nor grassroots, nor the pulse of public opinion unless the power of a nationally funded propaganda campaign counts.

The New Hampshire Republicans for Equality PAC (nHrFe), the latest, “popped up out of nowhere” web presence to splash ads across your facebook pages and web sites of New Hampshire, has something in common with Standing Up. Tyler Deaton is the front man for both (nHrFe, SUFNHF) and is even listed as the “Treasurer” of the nHrFe PAC.

Same hired gun. Same agenda. And probably the same out of state money. Not really New Hampshire. Not really Republicans. Not that surprising.

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

Gay Marriage is About "Providing the Elite With a New Moral Mission"

March 29, 2012 – 9:00 am

Brandan O'Neill, who claims to be a "libertarian marxist", serves as editor of the UK magazine Spiked:

"...Given its surreality, it is remarkable that so many intelligent people are taking the gay-marriage issue at face value, seriously saying ‘Yes, I fully support the enactment of this long-traduced historic right’. What they should be doing is asking why gay marriage is an issue at all and untangling how it came to be a defining battleground in the modern Culture Wars. Because it strikes me that what is happening here is that, under the cover of ‘expanding equality’, we are really witnessing the instinctive consolidation of a new class, of a new political set, which, lacking the familiar moral signposts of the past, has magicked up a non-issue through which it might define itself and its values.

The reason the gay-marriage issue can feel like it came from nowhere, and is now everywhere, is because it is an entirely top-down, elite-driven thing. The true driving force behind it is not any real or publicly manifested hunger amongst homosexual couples to get wed, far less a broader public appetite for the reform of the institution of marriage; rather it is the need of the political and media class for an issue through which to signify its values and advertise its superiority. Gay marriage is not a real issue - it is a cultural signifier, like wearing a pink ribbon to show you care about breast cancer."

... One of the most striking things about gay marriage is the disparity between mass feeling for the issue (which is best described as weak to non-existent) and elite passion for it (which is intense). All sorts of elite institutions, from political parties to massive corporations, are lining up to back the gay-marriage ‘cause’, clearly having sensed that it is the issue through which their kind can now make a display of their sanctity...

... The transformation of gay marriage into a barometer of moral decency explains why the debate about it is so shot through with censoriousness and condemnation. That is another striking difference between the old genuinely democratic reformers and today’s gay-marriage supporters - where the proper reformers were in favour of openness and debate, the gay-marriage lobby seems far more keen to stifle dissent...

... Some people will say: so what if the campaign for gay marriage is a bit off and snobbish? At least there will be the byproduct of greater equality, actual ‘marriage rights’, for gay people. But even in its own terms, gay marriage is a bad idea, for many reasons. Primarily because, while it is presented to us as a wonderfully generous act of cultural elevation (of gay couples), it is more importantly a thoughtless act of cultural devaluation (of traditional marriage). An institution entered into by millions of people for quite specific reasons - often, though not always, for the purpose of procreation - is being casually demoted, with the Lib-Con government even proposing that the terms ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ no longer be used in official documents. The overnight Orwellian airbrushing of two such longstanding titles from public records demonstrates the extent to which the elite is willing to ride roughshod over traditional identities in pursuit of its own new identity as gay-friendly and moral.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Culture, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage, United Kingdom | Comments (6)

MSNBC & Thomas Roberts Apologize to Maggie Gallagher: Missed Booking "Was Our Mistake"

March 28, 2012 – 3:00 pm

Thomas Roberts of MSNBC was supposed to interview NOM co-founder Maggie Gallagher but MSNBC mistakenly booked the wrong studio.

Thomas Roberts apologized by twitter:

This came after the scheduled segment took place, during which Roberts tried to claim Maggie missed the interview intentionally:

After plugging the interview several times this morning, MSNBC host Thomas Roberts just showed the above empty Seattle studio and said, "This empty studio chair was supposed to hold Maggie Gallagher, former president and co-founder of the National Organization for Marriage. But as you can see she is missing in action, although we did confirm an hour ago that she would be in that studio. I would say, 'Hello Maggie,' but you're not there."

Maybe in future it would be best for hosts to not automatically presume their guest is the one at fault.

MSNBC is working with Maggie to reschedule the interview soon.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, Media, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (30)

WND Poll: 22% See No Legal Problem with Polygamy

March 28, 2012 – 11:00 am

WorldNetDaily:

Polygamy has had very little support in the U.S. since the Republican Party in 1854 declared it, along with slavery, one of the “twin relics of barbarism,” and Congress banned it in 1862. The Mormon church officially abandoned plural marriage in 1890.

... But when the California Supreme Court ruled in 2010 in favor of homosexual marriage, one dissenting justice warned that it would not be illogical to expect that support for polygamy soon would follow.

In fact, a polygamous group in Utah just last month challenged a ban on the practice in court, and now a new WND/Wenzel Poll, conducted exclusively for WND by the public-opinion research and media consulting company Wenzel Strategies, indicates there is a surprisingly high level of support developing across the U.S.

A full 22 percent of the respondents say there is no legal justification for denying polygamy, based on the fact that legislation and judicial decisions have affirmed the validity of same-sex “marriage” for homosexuals.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Law, Marriage, Poll, Polygamy | Comments (41)

Brian Brown to NH Newspaper: "We Will be Very Involved in the General Election”

March 28, 2012 – 10:00 am

The Nashua Telegraph:

The New Hampshire House of Representatives has spoken, killing legislation to repeal the state’s 2-year-old law legalizing marriage for gay and lesbian couples last week.

But this fight is far from over. It now shifts to the ballot box, where the four candidates for governor present a stark choice: Two Republicans back repeal, and two Democrats are sworn to veto any such effort.

The National Organization for Marriage and the local Cornerstone Action New Hampshire combined during the 2010 elections to spend more than $1.5 million to try to defeat Gov. John Lynch and elect a historic Republican super-majority.

... National Organization for Marriage President Brian Brown said his organization has no intention of giving up after last week’s vote.

“Because of the vote, we now have a target list,” Brown said. “Both Ovide Lamontagne and Kevin Smith support traditional marriage. We will be very involved in the general election.”

Meanwhile, internal discussions have begun among the National Organization for Marriage, Cornerstone and like-minded socially conservative groups about how to protect their legislators who backed repeal of same-sex marriage and add to their numbers in the November election.

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

Proponent of Finnish SSM Admits Marriage Should Simply Become a "Couple Relationship"

March 28, 2012 – 9:00 am

Ruth Institute President Dr. Morse often says that gay marriage reduces marriage to a "government registry of friendships" and this Star Observer coverage of a proposal to legalize same-sex marriage in Finland makes it clear that redefining marriage would, in the minds of SSM proponents, reduce marriage to simply a "government registry of relationships":

"...Considered one of the most conservative Nordic nations, there is already a relationship register in [Finland] for same-sex couples, which has been in place since 2002.

... European Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Alexander Stubb, the first signatory of the initiative, spoke passionately for the amendment during debate.

“This initiative [to legalize SSM] is aimed at dismantling a system that causes inequality, in which couple relationships are divided into A and B categories” he said.

Really? There is no difference in category whatsoever between heterosexual couples that can create new life through each other and homosexual couples that must always rely upon a third-party to become parents?

And the only thing that marriage does to distinguish the union of husband and wife from every other union is simply to put a label (A or B) on it?

Frankly, if the no difference between relationship A (opposite-sex couples) and relationship B (same-sex couples) why should there be a difference between relationship A (two sexual partners) and relationship B (three sexual partners)? What's so special about couples?

By Thomas Peters | Posted in Europe, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (39)

NC Bishops: Obama "Further Escalating" Confusion About Marriage

March 28, 2012 – 8:00 am

The two Catholic bishops of North Carolina have responded to President Obama's announcement that he opposes the May 8th Marriage Protection Amendment, as LifeSiteNews reports:

“In his comments on the upcoming referendum in our state, the president regrettably characterized the marriage amendment as a matter of discrimination,” [the bishops] wrote, adding: “While we are respectful of the office of the president, we strongly disagree with this assessment.”

“His stated opposition to the referendum on the marriage amendment in North Carolina is a grave disappointment, as it is reported to be the first time the president has entered into this issue on the state level, further escalating the increasing confusion on the part of some in our society to the very nature of marriage itself.”

The Catholic Church has strongly supported the amendment, which will appear on the ballot during the May 8 primary election. The state’s pro-family organizations say they are thankful for the bishops’ leadership.

... The bishops’ letter states, “Children have the right to the indispensable place of fatherhood and motherhood in their lives as they grow, are loved, nurtured, and formed by those whose unique vocation it is to be a father and a mother through the unique bond of one man and one woman in marriage.”

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, North Carolina, President Obama, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (27)

Dump Starbucks: Bloggers Edition

March 27, 2012 – 4:00 pm

Shane Vander Hart of Caffeinated Thoughts (an Iowa conservative politics blog):

...Starbucks has claimed to be “post politics and post partisan” nevertheless decided to jump into the political fray back in January in order as a corporation throw its support behind same sex marriage legislation in Washington State. They are obviously free to do that, and we are free to demonstrate our disapproval. It seems to be a odd business decision to make a decision that will alienate roughly half of your customer base.

And yet they did. Voluntarily and apparently enthusiastically as reported by Maggie Gallagher, co-founder of the National Organization of Marriage who attended a recent shareholders meeting [...] thus the Dump Starbucks campaign was born. A portion of every coffee, bag of coffee beans or ground coffee, lattes, etc. purchased goes toward their assault on traditional marriage. If the CEO, Howard Schultz, decided to just personally get involved that’s a completely different thing, but they decided as a corporation to get involved – shareholders, employees, and customers who believe differently be damned.

Until they shift back into a neutral position, while I’ll miss my French Roast Coffee Beans and Café Americanos, I can get my coffee elsewhere.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Dump Starbucks | Comments (23)

Man Demoted For Pro-Marriage Facebook Comments Denied UK Human Rights Laws

March 27, 2012 – 3:30 pm

The UK Christian Concern:

A Judge has ruled that a Christian who was demoted for posting private comments on his Facebook page criticising the introduction of “gay marriage” in churches cannot rely on his human rights to defend himself.

... Mr Smith had posted a comment on his private Facebook page, out of working hours, suggesting that the introduction of “gay marriage” was “an equality too far.”

... A spokesman for the Christian Institute, which is supporting Mr Smith, said:

“This ruling, while not fatal to Mr Smith’s case, is deeply concerning. It reinforces the widely-held perception that Christians are not afforded the same human rights as others.

“If the shoe were on the other foot, if an employee had been disciplined for advocating gay marriage, it is inconceivable that human rights arguments wouldn’t apply.”

Andrea Minichiello Williams, CEO of Christian Concern, commented:

“Adrian Smith has been demoted and has received a big pay cut just for expressing a privately held opinion outside of work, an opinion that merely supports the current legal definition of marriage.”

“This ruling highlights the continuing reluctance of the judiciary to recognise and uphold the rights of Christians to express their beliefs freely. It also confirms the suspicions of many that the introduction of same-sex ‘marriage’ will deeply damage freedom of speech and freedom of belief in this nation.”

By NOM Staff | Posted in Free Speech, Law, Marriage, Religious Liberty, Same Sex Marriage, United Kingdom | Comments (13)

Slovenia Votes No on Same-Sex Marriage, Overturning Law Adopted by Parliament

March 27, 2012 – 3:00 pm

The Turtle Bay and Beyond blog (covering international law, policy and institutions):

Yesterday, Slovenia held a post-legislative referendum on the new Family Code that was adopted in the Slovenian parliament in June 2011.

In a popular vote, 55% of voters rejected the new Family Code and 45% supported the law. Turnout was 30% on a sunny Sunday.

The people of Slovenia expressed their belief that motherhood and fatherhood are both unique and represent a fundamental value; for the good of a child,” said Aleš Primc, head of the Civil Initiative that proposed the referendum.

...This was a first referendum of this kind in an EU member state and is likely to become an important point of reference for any further legislation in this area in the region of Central Europe.

... On 3 February 2012 the Civil Initiative delivered well over 40,000 verified signatures, needed to hold a referendum on the new Family Code to the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia.

Following the rejection of the new Family Code at this referendum, this legislation is now scrapped and Slovenia will go back to the drawing board, with a recently established new Slovenian government, and a clear message from the Slovenian people.

Let the people vote!

By NOM Staff | Posted in Europe, Let The People Vote, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (9)

NOM Proud of Strong Record on Minority Partnerships

March 27, 2012 – 12:05 pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 27, 2012
Contact: Anath Hartmann or Elizabeth Ray (703-683-5004)

"We proudly bring together people of different races, creeds and colors to fight for our most fundamental institution: marriage."—Brian Brown, president—

National Organization for Marriage

Washington, D.C. — The following statement may be attributed to Brian S. Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, concerning documents written in 2009 and provided by NOM to the state of Maine:

“The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) was formed in 2007 and has worked extensively with supporters of traditional marriage from every color, creed and background. We have worked with prominent African-American and Hispanic leaders, including Dr. Alveda C. King, Bishop George McKinney of the COGIC Church, Bishop Harry Jackson and the New York State Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz Sr., all of whom share our concern about protecting marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

“Gay marriage advocates have attempted to portray same-sex marriage as a civil right, but the voices of these and many other leaders have provided powerful witness that this claim is patently false. Gay marriage is not a civil right, and we will continue to point this out in written materials such as those released in Maine. We proudly bring together people of different races, creeds and colors to fight for our most fundamental institution: marriage.”

###

To schedule an interview with Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Elizabeth Ray (x130), [email protected], or Anath Hartmann, [email protected], at 703-683-5004.

Paid for by The National Organization for Marriage, Brian Brown, president. 2029 K Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006, not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. New § 68A.405(1)(f) & (h).

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, Press Releases, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (65)

CBN Video: "Starbucks Boycotted Over Gay Marriage Support"

March 27, 2012 – 12:00 pm

The Christian Broadcasting Network reports:

By NOM Staff | Posted in Dump Starbucks | Comments (4)

NOM Congratulates Prof. Robert George's Appointment to the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom

March 27, 2012 – 11:00 am

From the office of Speaker of the House John Boehner:

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) issued the following release announcing his appointment of Dr. Robert P. George to the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom:

“Dr. George is a respected and leading voice for religious freedom, and I’m pleased that he will bring his passion for this issue and legal expertise to the commission. No person should live in fear of persecution for worshipping as they see fit or be forced by government mandate to disavow or compromise their faith. He will be a great resource in the House’s effort to defend this fundamental human right.

“This commission has a unique opportunity to call attention to efforts that threaten religious liberty around the globe, and I was pleased that Congress reauthorized it last year. Lastly, I appreciate the leadership of Rep. Frank Wolf, the founder of the commission, who has been a leader in Congress to ensure that religious freedom is protected in the U.S. and is appropriately addressed in our foreign policy.”