NOMblog: The Official Blog of the National Organization for Marriage

NOM BLOG

Monthly Archives: May 2012

Prof. Robert George's Argument on Behalf of DOMA

May 24, 2012 – 8:30 am

First Things introduces NOM co-founder Prof. Robert George's testimony:

Constitutional scholar and lawyer Robert P. George recently presented an oral argument in one of the cases considering the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, which allows each state to determine for itself the definition of marriage. The text of his argument follows this note.

In an unusual move, the Obama Department of Justice declined to defend DOMA, even as Obama has stated (for example, in a May 9 interview with ABC news) that he favors allowing states to decide the definition of marriage for themselves.

The case in which George presented the oral argument (which was in support of a written brief he filed together with Sherif Girgis and Ryan Anderson) is Cozen O’Connor, P.C. v. Tobits, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Read Prof. George's testimony here.

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

CAAP: "NAACP Abandons its Historic Responsibility to Speak for Civil Rights Movement"

May 24, 2012 – 8:00 am

From their press release:

Today, the Coalition of African American Pastors (CAAP), which includes major leaders of the black church and civil rights leaders who marched with Rev. Martin Luther King, blasted the Board of the NAACP for its endorsement of same-sex marriage. Last week CAAP launched a 100000signatures4marriage.com petition in support of traditional marriage.

"The NAACP has abandoned its historic responsibility to speak for and safeguard the civil rights movement,” said Rev. William Owens, Founder and President of CAAP. “We who marched with Rev. King did not march one inch or one mile to promote same-sex marriage.”

... "We will not stand by and let our beloved civil rights movement be hijacked without a fight."

“Our only weapons in this fight are the weapons of Rev. King: truth and love and courage. We call on all Americans to respect the legitimate civil rights of gay people to be free from violence, harassment, to vote, to hold jobs. But none of us has a moral or civil right to redefine marriage."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Culture, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage, United for Marriage | Comments (5)

President of America's National Organization for Marriage Addresses British Family Conference Banned by Law Society

May 23, 2012 – 4:35 pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 23, 2012
Contact: Anath Hartmann or Elizabeth Ray (703-683-5004)

"The actions by The Law Society are an abject example of the type of sanctions that will befall citizens if marriage is redefined in England."—Brian Brown, NOM president—

National Organization for Marriage

LONDON — Speaking at a family-issues conference that was banned by The Law Society, the president of the National Organization for Marriage, America's largest organization working to preserve marriage as the union of one man and one woman, said the action is an example of the consequences people will face if marriage is redefined in England.

"When an elitist organization like The Law Society, which represents solicitors in Britain, can refuse to countenance a conference promoting the good of one man, one woman marriage, this should be seen as an abject example of the type of sanctions that will befall citizens if marriage is redefined in Britain," said Brian Brown, president of America's National Organization for Marriage. "When marriage is redefined, anyone who refuses to go along with the new definition of marriage is considered to be the legal and moral equivalent of a bigot, and it won't be long before they are targeted by the government for reprisal for holding to their personal and religious beliefs about marriage."

In addition to Brown, other conference speakers included Members of Parliament and the noted British intellectual Phillip Blond, founder of Res Publica.

Brown, who studied at Oxford University, said that in many ways the effort to redefine marriage represents a conflict between the elites and the people. "The vast majority of people in Britain believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman, but the elites in The Law Society look down their nose at them," Brown said. "Marriage was created by God as His first institution. It brings men and women together and is profoundly important for the upbringing of children. The elites scoff at such things, and prefer to substitute their views for those of the vast majority of citizens. This conflict will lead to punishment and reprisal if marriage is ever redefined, just as we have seen with The Law Society banning even discussion of the importance of traditional marriage. Let this be a warning to all British citizens."

###

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 Press Releases, Same Sex Marriage, United Kingdom | Comments (18)

HuffPo Writer Argues That "Marriage Equality is Not Enough"

May 23, 2012 – 4:30 pm

No sooner did President Obama come out in favor of redefining marriage as did left-wing writers such as Victoria Coats at the Huffington Post (and doubtless, other places as well) start writing about what they want to happen next if they succeed in redefining marriage, for instance, redefining what marriage is for straight couples as well (and that's just a start!):

"...assimilation into an institution also means assimilation into a particular notion of what's normative and acceptable. Enter: The "Just Like You!" Plea. At the end of the day, inclusion still conforms to a perceived norm, and in doing so, marginalizes other preferences, experiences, and expressions. People in gay relationships (not queer! that's a bad word) just want to buy a house with a picket fence and have 2.5 kids like their mythical heterosexual brothers and sisters. They just want to "raise a family" and take turns walking the dog and emulate the anachronistic norm of patriarchal, economically productive homes. Right? ... No? Okay, so in that case, can we stop pretending like everyone is the same? (And while we're at it can we stop pretending as though "opposite" and "same" sex are in any way accurate or adequate?)

Progressive legislation and equal recognition need not be rallied for on the grounds that all LGBTQ couples are wealthy, white, able-bodied, cis male monogatrons who are "just like you, but gay." Challenging this homo-normative narrative entails acknowledging that the hetero-normative illusion it claims to be "just like" is also a fallacy and furthermore unnecessary as a means for comparison. Do we all have to identify as straight, gay or lesbian, or perform an intelligible gender, or be in "incredibly committed monogamous relationships" to deserve the multiple economic and legal privileges currently provided through marriage?

... "Homosexuality" is not any more natural than "heterosexuality," and, in fact, neither should be conceived as constituting some kind of fixed, continuous entity that can satisfactorily encompass intimate human activity since the beginning of time. After all, it's been only relatively recently that marriage has become marginally less prejudicial than it's been at times in the past, and not long before that was the discursive binary of hetero/homosexuality popularized, so there is absolutely no reason to invoke "nature" here, nor is there a need to concretize acts of sex and intimacy into identity, and identity into institution."

For those who would redefine marriage, nothing will ever be enough.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Culture, Law, Marriage, President Obama, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (13)

Dr. Alveda King: My Uncle Martin Luther King Did Not Embrace the Gay Marriage Agenda

May 23, 2012 – 2:30 pm

A press release from the National Black Prolife Union:

"Neither my great-grandfather an NAACP founder, my grandfather Dr. Martin Luther King, Sr. an NAACP leader, my father Rev. A. D. Williams King, nor my uncle Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. embraced the homosexual agenda that the current NAACP is attempting to label as a civil rights agenda," said Dr. Alveda C. King, founder of King for America and Pastoral Associate for Priests for Life.

"In the 21st Century, the anti-traditional marriage community is in league with the anti-life community, and together with the NAACP and other sympathizers, they are seeking a world where homosexual marriage and abortion will supposedly set the captives free," King added.

"Many Black people are realizing just how far off the mark the NAACP is with regard to the real issues and the most important problems facing the black community," said Dr. Day Gardner, founder of the National Black Prolife Union. "The NAACP organization was founded by blacks who had an understanding and strong faith in God. They were people -- pastors and congregations who knew that the Bible -- which is God's final word -- was indeed very clear on the immorality and wages of homosexuality and abortion. It is appalling that this one time super hero 'civil rights' organization supports the breakdown of traditional marriage and the ruthless killing of our unborn children -- as a civil right," Gardner said. "In its decision to please the world, the NAACP has turned its back on the things of God, therefore, we must encourage those who know the truth to speak out -- to stand firmly on the solid rock -- to not look to the right or to the left. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said: Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter," said Gardner.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, President Obama, Same Sex Marriage, United for Marriage | Comments (18)

Minnesota North District of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod Votes To “Support and Promote The Passage of The Minnesota Marriage Protection Amendment”

May 23, 2012 – 2:00 pm

Minnesota For Marriage:

The Minnesota North District of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS) voted unanimously to “support, and promote, whenever and wherever possible, the passage of the Marriage Protection Amendment on the November 6, 2012 ballot.” The resolution was passed by pastors and laypersons from each congregation at the Minnesota North District Convention held in Alexandria on April 16-18.

“Marriage is a foundation of society that aids the state in carrying out its role of providing order and stability in society and social evidence establishes that children do best when raised by their married mother and father,” said Rev. Don Fondow, Minnesota North District president.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, Minnesota, Same Sex Marriage, United for Marriage | Comments Off

Video: Maggie Gallagher on Gay Marriage vs. Interracial Marriage

May 23, 2012 – 1:00 pm

NOM co-founder Maggie Gallagher participates in a series by The Daily Beast where readers can ask prominent thinkers anything they want. In this video she answers why protecting marriage as the union of husband and wife is not the equivalent of opposing interracial marriage:

By NOM Staff | Posted in Culture, Law, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (13)

Video: Christian Teen Madeleine McAulay Tells FoxNews About the Hateful Response To Her Video On Gay Marriage

May 23, 2012 – 12:30 pm

Mediaite:

On Wednesday, Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy interviewed a 16-year-old conservative teen on her political beliefs, as well as the backlash she’s received for them. “She’s conservative, she’s christian and she’s only 16 years old,” said Doocy, introducing Madeleine McAulay. “But when it comes to politics, this North Carolina teenager is certainly not afraid to speak her mind. [...] Referred to as the teenage political maverick, it’s no surprise that the 16-year-old is being followed by none other than her political idol, Sarah Palin.”

....Doocy then turned to the reaction the teen received after posting a video about same-sex marriage in her home state on her website, FaithHopeAndPolitics.com.

“Within, I think, two days,” she said, “I had over 1,000 views. And, you know, the hatred and the vile, vulgar, disgusting comments started coming in and over the past few days, they have gotten totally extreme and completely inappropriate.”

“Well, they are inappropriate,” Doocy agreed, “and I was looking at your website last night and, well, there were some death threats there.”

“Yes. That was the first time yesterday that I had ever received, you know, kind of death wishes and that was quite interesting, to get that feeling,” she told him.

Watch the video:

By NOM Staff | Posted in Civility, Free Speech, Marriage, MarriageADA, Media, North Carolina, Same Sex Marriage, Youth | Comments (13)

AP: The Good, Loving People Who Oppose SSM

May 23, 2012 – 12:00 pm

The Associated Press does an excellent job of interviewing some of the people behind the pro-marriage movement -- good people whose views are based not only on conviction but on real life experience that marriage really is the union of husband and wife and that when we abandon or deny this reality, children and society suffer:

"...opponents [of same-sex marriage] cite their own specific, personal experiences -- as a missionary working with teens from single-mother households or a nurse treating a suicidal gay man -- to explain their belief that the only way forward is for marriage to be limited to between one man and one woman.

Many say that although their opposition to gay marriage begins with a reading of the Bible, it is confirmed by the challenges and observations of everyday life in a country whose values they see as crumbling. The politics of recent days, they say, will not change that.

That view is echoed in interviews with opponents from around the country, with some of the strongest conviction in states where gay marriage has been a hot issue.

In Minnesota, where a vote is set for this fall on an amendment similar to North Carolina's, missionary John Tolo said he had long admired Obama for rising to become the nation's first black president. But he lamented Obama's stand on gay marriage as an unprincipled pursuit of campaign cash.

The president's stand contradicts the lessons of his own experience, said Tolo, recalling his own drug use and multiple sexual relationships after his parents divorced and, more recently, his work in a poor part of St. Paul.

In the Frogtown neighborhood, where Tolo's group has bought and is renovating an abandoned house that he says is a gathering point for teens, too many children grow up in households where there's "this fundamental breakdown of having a healthy father role model and a healthy mother role model," he said. "There's this major identity issue where men are just missing."

Tolo said that, while he supports the idea of some kind of legal recognition for same-sex couples, marriage is a sacred template for raising and caring for children as God intended. Broadening marriage risks undermining that, while infringing on the rights of Christians to define their own institutions.

The entire article is well worth reading.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Culture, Marriage, Media, Minnesota, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (12)

Florida Poll: 25% of Voters Less Inclined to Back Obama Over Gay Marriage Issue

May 23, 2012 – 11:30 am

Less than two months ago Obama led Romney in Florida by 7 points. Now he trails Romney by 6 points. What changed?

Politico's Byron Tau writes:

President Obama's same-sex marriage endorsement makes a full quarter of Florida voters less likely to cast their ballots for him, according to a poll released Monday.

Quinnipac's latest poll of the Sunshine State finds that 25 percent of voters say Obama's endorsement of gay marriage makes them less likely to vote for him. On the other hand, 11 percent say that it makes them more likely to vote for him.

... On the whole, Romney beats President Obama by six points in Florida, leading 47 to 41 percent over the incumbent president.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Florida, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, President Obama, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (7)

Michelle Malkin on "How the Gay Marriage Mob" Attacked a Boxing Champ

May 23, 2012 – 11:00 am

We especially note the efforts to attack Manny Pacquiao's livelihood by harassing Nike to drop their sponsorship of him:

"...The Courage Campaign, a community-organizing outfit that claims to have 750,000 members and is funded by the radical Tides Foundation, immediately called on Pacquiao-sponsor Nike to drop him over his "hate speech against gays." The group took to Twitter to demand that the athletic shoe company "Drop Manny," the "homophobic boxer." The call was amplified by Think Progress, an online character assassination squad backed by George Soros.

... While L.A. media outlets reported that The Grove has retracted its ban, Caruso had failed as of late Thursday evening to apologize on Twitter or acknowledge the false smears against Pacquiao that prompted the Soros goon squad's boycott demands.

... This bigoted anti-bigot brigade mimics a wave of similar campaigns against both social and fiscal heretics who refuse to conform to "progressive" values. Targets include Rush Limbaugh, the American Legislative Exchange Council, Mitt Romney donors, Wisconsin's union-reforming governor, lieutenant governor and GOP state legislators, Catholic health care providers, and now black church leaders and boxers who dare to state their religious views publicly.

Let this be a teachable moment on pernicious "community organizing" and brazen liberal hypocrisy. There is nothing more intolerant and chilling than the self-appointed, self-unaware tolerance police. -- CNS News

By NOM Staff | Posted in California, Free Speech, Marriage, MarriageADA, President Obama, Religious Liberty, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (8)

Florida Sun Sentinel: "Many Black Voters Unhappy with Obama Over Same-Sex Marriage"

May 23, 2012 – 10:30 am

Florida is of course an important swing state in the November election. In 2008, it voted 62% in favor of marriage, back when President Obama said he believed in one-man, one-woman marriage. In the same year, he only carried the state by 3 points.

The Sun Sentinel reports:

At the Neighborhood Unisex Barbershop on Sistrunk Boulevard in northwest Fort Lauderdale, the room fell silent as the president's interview came on TV. At Mount Calvary Baptist Church in Pompano Beach, the pastor turned the midweek Bible study into an open forum on the controversy. At St. John Primitive Baptist Church in Delray Beach, the pastor expressed his concerns.

"That's crazy," said Demetrius Simmons, 27. "In Scripture, a man should stick with a woman." His view was common, across generations, among people attending midweek services last week at Mount Bethel Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale. For Louise Branch, 53, it's simple: "God says man-woman."

And Rosalee Colen, 89, said she'd "tell Obama right to his face I don't believe in that." If the president prayed about same-sex marriage, Colen said he'd realize he's wrong.

Obama can't afford to alienate too many people like Simmons, Branch and Colen.

An explosion of pride and political enthusiasm among African-Americans generated a wave of votes in 2008 that helped make Obama America's first president of color. And black voters are an essential part of the coalition Obama needs if he's to win re-election, especially in Florida, which awards 29 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.

How critical are votes from black Floridians? In 2008, Obama won 51 percent of the vote in the state. Exit polls showed he won 42 percent of white voters. Hispanics, who made up 14 percent of the electorate, voted 57 percent for Obama. And African-Americans, who were 13 percent of the state's voters in 2008, voted 96 percent for Obama.

"The African-American community is socially conservative and church-oriented," said state Sen. Chris Smith, a Democrat who represents Broward and Palm Beach counties. Two days after the president's May 9 statement, "we got into a heated discussion at my barbershop. My barber and the guy next to me were opposed to it. They were opposed to gay marriage and they think it's wrong."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Florida, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, President Obama, Same Sex Marriage, United for Marriage | Comments (3)

Round-Up: Even More Black Pastors Speak Out Against Obama's Marriage Switch

May 23, 2012 – 10:00 am

Obviously we are doing our best to cover and report on the groundswell of black pastors speaking up for marriage. Here are a few more we missed:

CNN: Addressing his large, mostly black congregation on Sunday morning, the Rev. Wallace Charles Smith did not mince words about where he stood on President Barack Obama's newly announced support for same-sex marriage: The church is against it, he said, prompting shouts of "Amen!" from the pews.

The Orlando Sentinel: "I'm opposed to same-sex marriage. I don't find any support for it in the Bible," said the Rev. Willie Barnes, pastor of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Eatonville. "I wish he had never made that statement."

USA Today: "...he planned to focus directly on the topic in next week's sermon. "President Obama has betrayed the Bible and the black church with his endorsement of same-sex marriage," McKissic said."

Kansas City Star: "This is not a gay issue but a moral issue," said the Rev. C.L. Bachus, pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Kansas City, Kan. "We know that biblically we are bound to disapprove of same-sex relationships, along with other behaviors that are considered sin."

WAPT 16 News: "16 WAPT found several pastors in Mississippi who spoke out against the president in their sermons last weekend. Pastor Dwayne Pickett's Sunday sermon at New Jerusalem Church centered around the issue of same-sex marriage."

BET: "[Pastor Jamal Bryant]: "My response was shock and disappointment. And what many clergy are trying to discern is that is this a decision made out of political expediency or moral conviction? The timeliness of this whole matter does not makes sense given what has happened in North Carolina. So my question is, is he exchanging one minority for another? It has been speculated that the president is taking the Black vote for granted, so did he think he could do this without any losses from his Black supporters? The president has not been able to find one credible Black pastor of note to stand with him on this issue. That’s saying something."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, President Obama, Same Sex Marriage, United for Marriage | Comments (5)

Mike Adams on Why Marriage Is More Than Just Religious Belief

May 23, 2012 – 8:00 am

Mike Adams argues that people's political outlook also affects their views on marriage:

"...For libertarians, recognizing marriage in any form is problematic. The true libertarian considers both the conservative and the liberal to be misguided on the issue. Libertarians believe the conservative is wrong to think that government should be in the business of promoting a religious institution. Libertarians believe the liberal is even more misguided to believe that government should recognize and regulate an even broader range of relationships than it already does.

Many self-proclaimed libertarians such as Neal Boortz were outraged at North Carolina voters’ recent affirmation (61% to 39%) of traditional marriage. These confused libertarians are really social liberals with fiscally conservative leanings. They have failed to grasp the merit in preventing a judicial fiat that would have produced greater entanglement between the government and private relationships.

Many liberal Christians were also disappointed by the passage of Amendment One in North Carolina. But it wasn’t their religion that compelled them to oppose it. Liberal Christians are simply more committed to their politics than they are to God. And they value His approval less than that of their fellow man." -- TownHall

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

Kaczor on Why Polygamy is Bad for Men, Women & Children

May 23, 2012 – 12:00 am

This week on Public Discourse, Chris Kaczor discusses recent empirical research that suggests that polygamy is socially detrimental:

"...Pushed by advocates of same-sex marriage and multiculturalism, some scholars, such as the signers of "Beyond Gay Marriage," argue that it is irrational and bigoted for contemporary society to limit marriage to just two people. However, there is no bigotry in treating different things differently, and there are many important differences between polygamy and monogamy in practice as well as in principle.

There are three main forms of polygamous relationships: polygyny, polyandry, and polygynandry. In polygyny, by far the most common form of polygamy, one man may marry a number of wives. In polyandry, one wife has two or more husbands. This form of polygamy is extremely unusual, and often takes the form of two brothers marrying the same woman. In polygynandry, two or more wives marry to two or more husbands. Polygynandry is even more rare than polyandry, but will be similar in some respects to polygyny, insofar as a man has more than one wife. Since both polygynandry and polyandry are virtually non-existent, I'll focus on the more common case of one man with multiple wives, and use the more common term polygamy to describe this arrangement."