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Monthly Archives: April 2012

Heritage: Marriage Debate Moves to North Carolina

April 26, 2012 – 9:00 am

Thomas Messner at Heritage's Foundry blog on North Carolina deciding marriage:

According to the Alliance Defense Fund, “Sixty-three million Americans have voted on marriage, and in 31 out of 31 states they have protected marriage as the union between one man and one woman.”

On May 8, North Carolinians will have the same opportunity when they vote on a ballot measure that would amend the North Carolina constitution to protect marriage as one man and one woman.

[Today] the debate about marriage includes not only whether and how to strengthen marriage but also, more fundamentally, what marriage is. That is the question North Carolina voters will decide on May 8.

...State constitutional amendments play an important part in helping to strengthen marriage by:

Protecting marriage from judicial activism in state courts,

Settling the marriage question for state lawmakers,

Reinforcing the understanding that marriage as one man and one woman is deeply rooted in American values, history, and traditions, and

Demonstrating a strong public awareness that marriage as one man and one woman should be affirmatively protected in law.

In addition, efforts to defend the core meaning of marriage as having something to do with mothers, fathers, and children should be coupled with efforts to strengthen marriage in general.

The New Target: Our Children — Silenced in the Classroom

April 25, 2012 – 1:43 pm

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"He said we lost our right to free speech when we walked into that classroom."

Dear Marriage Supporter,

He's 14 years old and goes to Church with his parents.

And he was recently kicked out of class and threatened with suspension by his teacher. What did he do wrong?

He disagreed with his economics teacher over the morality of homosexual conduct.

THAT'S IT!

Listen to Daniel Glowacki tell his story in his own words.

Entering his economics classroom, Daniel asked a question of the teacher: Why did a fellow student have to take off her Confederate belt buckle to enter the class, but the students had to listen to the teacher's own political activism?

For that, he was thrown out of class.

But that was just the beginning.

You have to watch this video to believe it.

As he left class, the teacher called him a racist and a bigot and told him that he was going to have Daniel suspended for bullying and harassment against homosexuals!

That began a campaign against Daniel...facebook, email, radio and television appearances...all decrying this 14-year-old boy as a bigot and a hater.

My friend, is this what society has come to?

We started the Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance to shed light on the deplorable behavior of the radical same-sex marriage advocates who are running roughshod over the freedoms and religious liberties of Americans all across the country.

Please go to marriageada.org and watch this video. You and I need to be informed and we need to stand up to the bullies who are trying to tell us that we are second-class citizens for believing that marriage is between a man and a woman because children need a mother and a father.

By Brian Brown | Posted in MarriageADA, Michigan, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (71)

Challenger to Flip-Flopper Sen. Addabbo Says SSM Vote Will Cost Him Votes

April 25, 2012 – 1:00 pm

New York state senator Joe Addabbo, one of the three Democrats who flip-flopped on marriage, is going to face an up and coming Republican who understands the impact of Addabo's marriage flip-flip on his reelection chances:

NYC Councilman Eric Ulrich didn’t need much urging during a CapTon appearance last night to blast his new Democratic target, Sen. Joe Addabbo, for changing his mind on same-sex marriage – a move Ulrich predicts will cost the senator votes in the fall election.

Addabbo, as you’ll recall, was one of three Democrats who voted “no” on the same-sex marriage bill in 2009, contributing to its demise, and then changed their votes – at Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s urging – to help the measure pass last summer.

“I think that his flip-flop on gay marriage is going to hurt him,” Ulrich said. “I don’t believe that I’ll have to bring that up. I think that that’s clear as day.”

“People know that he voted against it first, and then voted for it two years later…He’s never revealed what his personal opinion is.”

“And I think that with the conservative voters, particularly the Orthodox Jewish and the Catholic community, people who don’t agree with same-sex marriage, that they feel betrayed, that he was trying to have his cake and eat it too.”

“So, people remember that. I’m not going to have to remind them of that. That’s still fresh in people’s minds – especially in parts of the new district.” -- Capital Tonight

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

Video: Vanderbilt Students Launch Campaign to Protect Religious Freedom on Campus

April 25, 2012 – 12:00 pm

The Christian Post:

In their continued fight for religious freedom, Christian students at Vanderbilt University have organized a video campaign highlighting their concern for the university's new policy barring religious groups from selecting members and leaders based on faith requirements -- a policy they say discriminates against Christians.

The nearly seven-minute video features several university students, alumni, and sponsors speaking on their rights to freely express their religious association, and the importance of electing religious leaders to the university's student run organizations.

The video also claims that there is a disparity in university requirements for Greek organizations and religious organizations, as the university allows Greek organization to "discriminate" for leadership and membership positions.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Education, Free Speech, Religious Liberty, Youth | Comments (4)

Turncoat Senators Under Fire! Help Turn Up the Heat!

April 25, 2012 – 11:27 am

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Dear Marriage Supporter,

A year ago, I made a promise to the people of New York...

...that I would not rest until the people of New York were given their right to vote on the marriage question...

...and to hold the politicians in Albany accountable for their backroom dealmaking and for selling out their constituents by forcing same-sex marriage on the state.

In particular, we have targeted the four Republican Senators who lied to and betrayed their constituents by flipping their votes at the last moment, thereby ensuring the legalization of same-sex marriage.

Help us hold these turncoat Republicans accountable for their vote to legalize same-sex marriage by making a donation of $500, $100, $50 or even $35 to the NOM NY PAC today.

Each of these four Republicans now faces a serious primary challenge for their party's nomination, not to mention their Democratic challengers in the general election.

Senator McDonald (Saratoga) is fending off Kathy Marchant;
Senator Grisanti (Buffalo) faces both Chuck Swanick and Kevin Stocker;
Senator Saland (Poughkeepsie) is running against Neil Di Carlo; and
Senator Alesi (Monroe County) may be looking at a serious challenge from Sean Hanna.

In all four races, NOM will highlight their vote to legalize same-sex marriage and make it a key issue in the race. The public WILL know that their incumbent representative betrayed them on marriage and kowtowed to Governor Cuomo's political ambition and down-state Wall Street money.

It wasn't too long ago that these politicians were singing a different tune.

Senator McDonald, when asked about betraying his constituents on marriage, told the voters that they could "shove it."

Senator Alesi bragged at a same-sex marriage rally, "I think I have some new friends," and said that he had to run as a Republican "because I have to be able to say 'you can vote for marriage equality as a Republican and you can survive.'"

It's a stark contrast to hear Mr. Alesi now complaining that "most of us will be wiped out financially after Republican primaries."

Please donate to NOM PAC NY today to help wipe out Senators Alesi, McDonald, Saland, Grisanti and ALL the politicians who sold you out on marriage.

NONE of these turncoat Republicans have garnered their party's endorsement. Likewise, NONE of the incumbents have been endorsed by the NY Conservative Party.

My friend, this is HUGE!

We have an amazing opportunity this September 11 to send a resounding message to the Albany establishment: selling out your constituents and marriage will cost you your political career.

We MUST send that message. We CANNOT let them accept huge infusions of same-sex marriage money and buy their way back to Albany.

Senator Grisanti raised almost $250,000 following the same-sex marriage vote last June. Senator Saland raised over $425,000! And most of that came from downstate and out-of-state special interests pushing same-sex marriage.

Help NOM send them a message: THIS ENDS NOW!

Give a generous donation to NOM PAC NY today and we WILL
hold these politicians who sold you out accountable.

Thank you!

By Brian Brown | Posted in Let The People Vote, New York, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

My Unpublished New York Times Letter-to-the-Editor

April 25, 2012 – 11:00 am

I recently submitted a letter to the editor to the New York Times in response to Bill Keller's recent article where he tried to claim that voting for gay marriage and betraying their constituents on marriage hasn't harmed pro-SSM Republicans.

Since the New York Times decided to pass on my response, I'll publish it here:

Supporting gay marriage and betraying your constituents has no consequences? Dream on. The voters of New York clearly think differently.

Some recent history: Dede Scozzafava’s votes for gay marriage helped torpedo her short-lived career as a Congressional candidate in upstate New York in 2009. David Weprin squandered a 3-1 Democrat registration advantage last September because the Orthodox Jews in his district so strongly opposed his vote redefining marriage. And right now in the special election to replace disgraced pro gay marriage Senator Carl Kruger, the political newcomer David Storobin is a handful of votes ahead of the pro gay marriage Democrat Lew Fidler, once again in a heavily democratic district!

No wonder the four GOP Senators who flip-flopped on marriage have desperately been amassing campaign war chests in an effort to temper the wrath of the voters -- gay marriage is an issue losing elections for Democrats. And no amount of ink spilt in Manhattan (or checks flown in from Hollywood) will save politicians who chose to betray their constituents back home on an issue as important as marriage.

By Thomas Peters | Posted in Marriage, New York, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (3)

NOM's Christopher Plante, When Asked If Washington Will Approve Gay Marriage: "No."

April 25, 2012 – 10:00 am

Jerry Cornfield of the Washington State Herald notes that "voters have repeatedly opposed gay marriage in other states" before interviewing NOM's Christopher Plante, who is helping oversee the Referendum 74 Campaign to repeal gay marriage there:

"You asked if Washington will be the first to buck the trend. Our answer to that is clearly no," said Christopher Plante, deputy campaign manager for Preserve Marriage Washington, which is gathering signatures for Referendum 74. "Every time people have had a chance to vote on marriage, they've stood for defining it as between a man and a woman."

... "When you ask the question properly, people say enough is enough, don't mess with marriage," said Plante, who is a NOM employee on loan to Preserve Marriage Washington for the duration of the campaign.

... "We have our work cut out for us," he said. "We're confident people of Washington will understand by election time that R-74 is about the definition of marriage."

Find out how you can help at PreserveMarriageWashington.com.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, Same Sex Marriage, Washington | Comments (6)

Pew: Romney Leads Obama on Marriage By 7 Points

April 25, 2012 – 9:00 am

No wonder President Obama doesn't want to officially endorse same-sex marriage -- he's already underwater on the issue compared to Mitt Romney, according to the Pew Research Center, which found that among the 28% of registered voters who think the issue of gay marriage is "very important", they prefer Romney 50% to Obama's 43%.

Just another sign that gay marriage is not a winning issue when you are seeking national office.

By Thomas Peters | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, Poll, President Obama, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (1)

LSN: NOM Says HuffPo, HRC & Obama Administration Involved in Criminal Leak of Confidential Tax Documents

April 25, 2012 – 8:00 am

Christine Dhanagom of LifeSiteNews:

The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) is calling for an investigation of the Obama Administration, a liberal news outlet, and a gay rights group, all of whom NOM says may have violated federal law through their involvement in releasing the organization’s confidential tax information to the public.

... NOM President Brian Brown is crying foul, though, and says he has evidence that the document came straight from the IRS.

... In a letter to Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration requesting an investigation, Brown wrote: “The publication of the officially filed Schedule B can only have occurred as the result of a third party’s illegal actions: either one or more IRS employees or an external source who has unlawfully obtained access to confidential IRS computers and confidential taxpayer information. In either case, it is clear that a federal crime has been committed.”

The organization has also pointed out that the President of the Human Rights Campaign, Joe Solmonese, is a national co-chair of Obama’s presidential re-election campaign.

By NOM Staff | Posted in IRS, Law, News, Politics, President Obama | Comments (1)

THANK YOU for Dumping Starbucks and Standing Up for Marriage!

April 24, 2012 – 6:33 pm

Dump Starbucks

Welcome! Thank you so much for taking the DumpStarbucks.com pledge. You and more than 30,000 other Americans are standing up to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and letting him know we think Starbucks should be selling coffee—not pushing gay marriage! Thank you.

I'm Jonathan Baker, head of NOM's Corporate Fairness Project. I was there at the Starbucks annual meeting at the Seattle Opera House in March because I really wanted to ask Howard a question: His executives were claiming the corporation endorsed gay marriage in Washington State, and that they did so because gay marriage is "core" to the Starbucks brand. Like you, I respect the role that businesses play in creating great products and services, as well as jobs, so I wanted to make sure that this view that Starbucks=Gay Marriage was endorsed at the top.

And like you I was shocked when Howard told me "yes." So we launched our ongoing DumpStarbucks.com campaign to let these rich guys in their Seattle bubble know: diversity and tolerance should include us too! Don't trample on the sacred values of so many of your customers and employees, Howard. It's not nice, it's not smart, and it's certainly not inclusive!

Each week, I'd like to share with you the latest developments in this campaign, the news stories and more importantly the stories from people like you who are making your voices heard!

Most recently we have taken DumpStarbucks.com international! Last week our Mandarin, Arabic, Turkish, Spanish, and Indonesian translations of the Dump Starbucks website went live. While the international effort is still in its infancy, folks in China are beginning to take notice, with Beijing Shots offering a liberal take on our site and advertising. National Public Radio also picked up on our international efforts.

This past week OneNewsNow picked up on the DumpStarbucks.com campaign with their story, "What Coffee is your Church Drinking?"

Let me share with you the courageous story of one DumpStarbucks.com supporter who emailed her experience to us.

At about 1PM today (4-4-12), I walked into Starbucks, Flower Hill (Gaithersburg, MD) and asked to speak to the manager. A young woman appeared, speaking with an Eastern European accent. I told her that we had been regular Starbucks patrons (including at this location), but that we no longer would be...anywhere. I then said: "We, and many we know, have chosen to join the international boycott of Starbucks, because of their recently-announced corporate 'core values', which include the support of same-sex marriage. I oppose this policy for religious reasons. This is a serious moral issue, which affects our whole society. Thus, it is an infringement upon and an offense to my religious values & freedoms." The manager answered very sympathetically and courteously, saying, "Oh, I didn't know about this [corporate policy]; I'm so sorry this offends you!" I then asked her to pass on my comments to the corporate level, and she readily agreed to do so.

At this point I nodded & said, "Thank you for listening."

Tell us what you think. Is this something you'd be willing to do? We’d love to hear your story, whether it involves going to a store manager, or simply sharing your thoughts with a few friends. Just hit "reply."

I have one thing you can do today to help make your voice heard. If you are a Facebook user can you go on your Facebook page and "like" the DumpStarbucks.com Facebook page. Thank you so much for caring about God's vision of marriage—and about corporate fairness. We look forward to continuing to work with you as we support marriage and the workplace rights of employees and customers to hold personal opinions on marriage without being told by corporations their views are unacceptable.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Baker
Director—Corporate Fairness Project
National Organization for Marriage

By NOM Staff | Posted in Dump Starbucks, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (27)

Urgent Need In North Carolina!

April 24, 2012 – 3:16 pm

Urgent Need In North Carolina!

Dear Marriage Supporter,

I'll keep this message brief, but we have an urgent need in North Carolina and I need your help immediately.

As we expected, our opponents in North Carolina have just launched a million dollar ad campaign, flooding the airwaves with outrageous lies and misrepresentations.

And the North Carolina campaign doesn't have the resources to respond.

Tami Fitzgerald, head of Vote for Marriage NC, tells me that they have had to cut their advertising budget by two-thirds simply because they don't have the money...and that the pro-SSM forces in North Carolina have just placed a television schedule that will outnumber pro-marriage ads 3 to 1.

I am asking each of us to dig deep and do whatever you can to help protect marriage in North Carolina right now. Please click here to give directly to the North Carolina campaign.

No matter how much you can afford, it is absolutely critical that you take immediate action!

Here's the good news. Our opponents know that the people of North Carolina believe in marriage. In fact, their ads never once mention same-sex marriage!

But they are flooding the airwaves of North Carolina with misleading messages suggesting that the marriage amendment will strip single people of domestic violence protections and deprive kids of health insurance.

They've made these claims before. Virginia's amendment is very similar to North Carolina's, and opponents there claimed that the amendment would remove domestic violence protections from unmarried people—but it wasn't true in Virginia, and it's not true in North Carolina.

In fact, 30 states have marriage protection amendments, and nowhere have the opponents scare tactics proven true.

But we must have the resources to expose these lies—on television, so that the people who are watching these ads will also see the truth presented side by side.

Out-of-state gay marriage organizations like the Human Rights Campaign have poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into North Carolina, knowing the critical strategic impact of this state—the last state in the South without a marriage amendment.

We don't have millions of dollars from Hollywood liberals and Wall Street insiders, but we do have hundreds of thousands of hardworking Americans across the country who care about marriage and are aware of how significant this battle is.

If each of us were to give just $25, $50, or $100, the North Carolina campaign could fight back effectively. Will you join me in supporting the North Carolina campaign today?

My friend, for the first time, I'm truly concerned that we could lose this battle if we don't have the resources to respond to this campaign of lies and misrepresentations. I can't overstate the disastrous impact of such a defeat, not only in North Carolina, but nationwide.

The clock is ticking and the same-sex marriage groups have fully funded their deceptive media campaign, spreading their lies and misleading the voters. We must be able to fight back with the truth, but with just two weeks left, time is very short.

Please respond before it's too late.

By Brian Brown | Posted in Marriage Election Watch, North Carolina, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (6)

Video: Vote FOR Marriage NC Releases TV Ad

April 24, 2012 – 3:00 pm

See it for yourself!

Find out more at VoteFORMarriageNC.com! Early voting has begun!

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, North Carolina, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (8)

Leading NC Democrat Facing Gay Sex Harassment Scandal Now Faces New Charge: He Infected Girlfriend With HIV

April 24, 2012 – 2:00 pm

The North Carolina Democratic Party is roiled with these scandals, as voters begin to vote on the Marriage Amendment.

We have no comment, we just report:

Rebecca Burgin, a long-time former girlfriend of former North Carolina Democratic Party executive director Jay Parmley, told The Daily Caller that she believes Parmley infected her with HIV.

Parmley resigned on April 15 amid sexual harassment allegations from a former young male staffer.

Burgin, a 29-year-old Oklahoman, has shared her story with TheDC, including the revelation that Parmley’s lawyer offered her health coverage, paid for by the Democratic National Committee, to manage her illness. She ultimately declined that offer, fearing it would constitute insurance fraud. Parmley, she said, abandoned her a few months later.

On April 13, TheDC first exposed allegations, leveled in December by former North Carolina Democratic Party communications staffer Adriadn Ortega, that Parmley showed him a picture of a penis, gave him unwanted shoulder rubs and made apparent sexual advances toward him. Ortega also alleged that Parmley discussed with him in detail his past sexual activity, including “solicit[ing] sex from gay websites.”

Parmley’s ex-girlfriend Rebecca Burgin told TheDC that Parmley forever changed her life by making her HIV-positive. She’s worried, she said, that Parmley may have done to someone else what he did to her.

“My motivation for talking to you was that I have read the articles, I have read the letter [that Ortega sent to Parmley detailing sexual harassment allegations] and everything like that,” Burgin said.

“And after Jay and I broke up, the biggest concern that I had was, ‘what if this happened to somebody else? Would he do this to someone else?’ … My biggest concern is for anybody else that has had a relationship with him that he did not tell.”

Burgin told TheDC that she believes Parmley “prey[s] on” younger adults like her and Ortega.

“When Jay and I met, I was 20 and he was 32,” she said. “To me, it seems to be a pattern, potentially… The unnerving thing to me is that it looks like he uses his position of authority to prey on younger adults.” -- The Daily Caller

By NOM Staff | Posted in News, North Carolina | Comments (24)

FoxNews: Proposed Kansas Law Would Force Churches to Host Gay Weddings

April 24, 2012 – 1:00 pm

Todd Starnes at FOX News & Commentary:

Religious liberty groups are blasting a proposed ordinance that would force churches in Hutchinson, Kan. to rent their facilities for gay weddings and gay parties.

The Hutchinson City Council will consider adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the protected classes in the city’s human relations code. They are expected to vote on the changes next month.

According to the Hutchinson Human Relations Commission, churches that rent out their buildings to the general public would not be allowed to discriminate “against a gay couple who want to rent the building for a party.”

Meryl Dye, a spokesperson for the Human Relations Commission confirmed to Fox News that churches would be subjected to portions of the proposed law.

“They would not be able to discriminate against gay and lesbian or transgender individuals,” Dye said. “That type of protection parallels to what you find in race discrimination. If a church provides lodging or rents a facility they could not discriminate based on race. It’s along that kind of thinking.”

By NOM Staff | Posted in Kansas, Law, Marriage, Religious Liberty, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (15)

Video: Is Gay Marriage A Civil Right? African-American and Latino Leaders Speak for Themselves

April 24, 2012 – 12:00 pm

Watch this video and it's pretty clear that African-American and Latino leaders who oppose same-sex marriage are doing so out of deep conviction, like other Americans: