NOM BLOG

Monthly Archives: June 2012

Quebec Government Funds "Registry of Homophobic Acts"

Will pro-marriage speech and activism be considered a "homophobic" act?

In what they are touting as a “world first,” a Quebec homosexual activist group has launched a “registry of homophobic acts” with support and funding from the Quebec Government’s Justice Department. Standing alongside Montreal Police Chief Johanne Paquin and Commander Alain Gagnon, the leadership of the group Gai Ecoute launched the anonymous tipster registry at a press conference today.

Included in the definition of actions classified as “homophobic” and deemed worthy of reporting to the registry are: “any negative word or act toward a homosexual or homosexuality in general: physical abuse, verbal abuse, intimidation, harassment, offensive graffiti, abuse, injurious mockery, inappropriate media coverage and discrimination.”

A press release from the group says that anyone who has experienced or witnessed an act of homophobia “must” report it to the registry of homophobic acts.

Funding and support for the venture comes from the Quebec Justice Ministry’s department of “The Fight Against Homophobia.” The Justice Ministry was tasked with fighting homophobia in 2008 and last year pledged $7 million to ‘anti-homophobia’ activities. --LifeSiteNews

Storobin Bill Would Repeal Same-Sex Marriage in New York

Capital Tonight reports on David Storobin not losing any time making good on his promises to be a pro-marriage advocate in Albany:

Nearly a year after the successful passage of New York’s same-sex marriage law, Sen. David Storobin quietly introduced a bill that would repeal the measure.

... The newly minted Republican lawmaker from Brooklyn is running in the so-called “Super Jewish” Senate district, putting him on a collision course with Simcha Felder, a Democrat who has not pledged to support the current minority conference leadership.

... The bill introduced on Thursday can be seen as Storobin doubling down on his effort to keep those voters in the fold as he gears up for yet another election this fall against Felder.

Still, the measure could be problematic for the Republican conference, which has largely worked to put the same-sex marriage issue behind them and focus on economic policy.

As Liz reported this morning, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos was actually booed by conservatives, in part for the perceived hesitance to take up social issues.

NOM's Peters on Why You Can't Separate Religious and Civil Marriage

NOM's Thomas Peters is interviewed in this OSV article on the proposal to "separate" religious and civil marriage:

"...Could a clearer separation between civil marriage — a union sanctioned by the state — and those blessed in a religious setting calm religious freedom concerns by presenting a compromise that both sides of the issue could live with?

... Several gay-rights organizations, such as the Human Rights Campaign, highlighted the civil-religious marriage distinction. Marriage equality, they said, is simply the government recognizing their unions, whether a church wants to bless their partnerships or not.

... But that creates a false distinction in what marriage is, said Thomas Peters, cultural director for theNational Organization for Marriage, which opposes any efforts to define marriage as anything other than one man and woman.

Peters told OSV that trying to separate marriage from its religious and civil dimensions does not resolve religious liberty threats or prevent marriage from becoming unmoored from its foundation in the natural family.

“I don’t think this distinction between civil and religious marriage makes any sense practically speaking,” Peters said.

“This is a temporary distinction proponents of redefining marriage introduce and then, once civil marriage has been redefined, they then set about collapsing the two categories into each other again,” Peters said. “In European countries that have redefined marriage, the next step is to require all individuals [including ministers] who can issue civil marriage licenses that they also grant them to same-sex couples as well.”

In late March, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that same-sex marriage is not a human right guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights.

However, the European court also said that if same-sex couples were allowed to marry, then any church that offers wedding ceremonies would violate anti-discrimination laws if they refused to also marry same-sex couples.

DumpStarbucks.com News: Starbucks Doubles Down on Same-Sex Marriage

Dump Starbucks

Welcome to the DumpStarbucks.com News!

This week Starbucks doubled down on their support of same-sex marriage. Starbucks Australia released a statement echoing their parent company's previous statement that same-sex marriage is core to the brand. Even more interesting is that it appears Starbucks Australia is going to take their support beyond what their corporate parent has done.

"It is with this in mind that Starbucks Australia would like to publicly announce our proud support of marriage equality for all."

While I'm not exactly sure of the intent behind this statement, the obvious implication is that Starbucks Australia supports the ability of any person to marry anyone else, with no qualifiers. Lest anyone think we are taking this statement out of context, the full statement from the Starbucks Australia Facebook page is as follows:

Core to who we are and what we value as a company is our belief in equal treatment of our partners (employees) and our customers. It is with this in mind that Starbucks Australia would like to publicly announce our proud support of Marriage Equality for all. Many of our stores and partners are actively participating in events and activities aimed at changing local legislation—together we can make a difference.

Such a broad statement is easily misunderstood and tells us that Starbucks is better equipped to sell coffee than push a controversial moral issue. While I doubt they intended to support polygamous, incestuous, or underage relationships, it certainly appears they are trying to push the line.

They should stick to their coffee.

What you can do this week:

Get on your Facebook account and go to the Starbucks Facebook page. On the right hand side, just below the main bar at the top of the page, you should see a list of your own Facebook friends that "like" Starbucks. Look at the list and send your pro-marriage friends a private message along these lines:

I was checking out Starbucks the other day and saw that they have endorsed same-sex marriage. I know you are a big supporter of the family and thought I'd send you a link to the counter-campaign that I found, DumpStarbucks.com. I signed on because I believe in marriage, and that big corporations should stay out of controversial moral issues that have nothing to do with their business.

Feel free to personalize the message as you see fit; the key is to let people know that Starbucks has endorsed same-sex marriage and to help them figure out a way they can join with tens of thousands of other people in speaking out.

Have a great week!

It's All Riding on Four States...Please Help Today!

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Dear Marriage Supporter:

Same-sex marriage advocates are stockpiling millions of dollars that will be used in Washington, Maryland, Minnesota and Maine this November. They know how much is riding on the outcome of these four elections . . . and it is imperative that we stand up and fight back against the Hollywood liberals and radical billionaires bankrolling the gay marriage campaigns.

It is because the need is so urgent that I am asking you today to give whatever you can to help fund these state campaigns. The campaign volunteers are doing heroic work on a shoestring budget, but unless they have the funds to pay for expensive ad campaigns this November, our unbroken string of 32 consecutive states to reject same-sex marriage could come to an end.

Please click here to make the most generous gift that you can
—whether it's $10, $100, or even $1000—
to protect marriage this November.

Yesterday we celebrated Father's Day, acknowledging the unique and critical role that fathers play in the formation of a family for the purpose of raising children. Last month we did the same for mothers.

But there are forces at play who are actively trying to destroy this foundational notion—that marriage is between a man and a woman because it takes a mother AND a father to raise a child.

Will you please make a donation right away to support our Stand for Marriage America campaign? NOM will match every dollar you donate up to $20,000 to double the impact of your gift.

With both DOMA and California's Proposition 8 soon to make their way to the United States Supreme Court, gay marriage advocates know what a coup it would be if they were able to use election returns from November as evidence that the attitudes of the American people are "shifting" regarding same-sex marriage.

Supporter, we have to let them know, in no uncertain terms: NO THEY HAVE NOT!

And the only way to unequivocally do that is to win this November in all four states.

Each of these states—Washington, Maryland, Minnesota and Maine—needs funds to counter the well-funded campaigns of lies and disinformation the same-sex marriage lobby is bankrolling.

Please, click here to make a secure online gift to protect marriage today! When you make a gift to Stand for Marriage America, each state campaign will receive 25% of your total donation, and NOM will match every gift made before midnight, up to $20,000.

Thank you so much for your support. God Bless You,

Michigan House Passes "Julea Ward" Bill to Prohibit Religious Discrimination

We've reported on Julea Ward's story in the past. Now, state legislators in Michigan are doing something to help her situation and to help others who face discrimination over their pro-marriage views:

The Michigan House has passed a bill meant to prohibit religious discrimination against college students who study counseling, social work, and psychology.

The bill was prompted after student Julea Ward was kicked out of a counseling program at Eastern Michigan University for refusing to counsel a gay student, saying it conflicted with her Christian beliefs.  Bill 5040, known as the, "Julea Ward Freedom of Conscience Act," passed 59-to-50 Wednesday.  It now heads to the Senate for consideration. -- WHTC

Indiana GOP Silent on Marriage in New State Party Platform

AP:

The Indiana Republican Party's new platform makes no mention of same-sex marriage, even though GOP gubernatorial candidate Mike Pence has sought a national ban in Congress and legislators have pushed to put a ban in the state constitution.

... Indiana Republican Party spokesman Pete Seat downplayed the importance of the change in the state platform, which was approved during the party convention last weekend.

"A lot of issues are covered; a lot weren't," Seat said. "This platform reflects the broader priorities of the Indiana Republican Party."

... When the legislature voted in 2011 for an amendment banning same-sex marriage, 11 Democrats voted with 59 Republicans to approve it in the House, while three Democrats joined 37 Republicans to support it in the Senate.

The amendment must be approved again by the Legislature elected in November to be considered by voters in the fall 2014 election.

Skelos Booed at Conservative Gala for Allowing SSM Vote

The Conservative Party is no fan of NY GOP Senate Leader Dean Skelos, who allowed a vote to redefine marriage when he did not have to:

Two different sources who attended the state Conservative Party’s 50th anniversary gala in New York City last night emailed to say that Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos was booed by members of the crowd when he was introduced from the dais.

One source estimated between 30 percent and 40 percent of the audience participated in the booing.

He suggested rank-and-file conservatives are still smarting from the fact that Skelos allowed the same-sex marriage bill to the floor for a vote last summer, where it passed, thanks to the “yes” votes of four members of his majority conference.

Those votes cost the members – Sens. Mark Grisanti, Steve Saland, Jim Alesi and Roy McDonald – the Conservative Party’s cross-endorsement.

One of the four, Alesi, has opted not to seek re-election this fall, thanks to a lack of support from both fellow Republicans and Conseravtives in his Rochester-area district...

... The remaining three are all facing primary challenges from more conservative Republicans. -- Capital Tonight

Prof. Brad Wilcox: Are Dads Really Disposable?

W. Bradford Wilcox, director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia:

Dads are disposable. This is the story now being told in certain precincts of our culture, from the Hollywood Hills — “Women are realizing it more and more, knowing that they don't have to settle with a man just to have that child,” in the words of Jennifer Anniston — to the Ivy League — Cornell psychologist Peggy Drexler recently wrote a book, Raising Boys Without Men, that celebrated women raising children without fathers.

There is only one problem with this story: it is a myth that does not fit the facts.

Do not get me wrong. I was raised by a single mom, and I think I turned out OK, as do many children raised in fatherless homes. But as a social scientist, I can also tell you that one consistent conclusion from hundreds of studies on child well-being is this: on average, children are much more likely to thrive when they have the good fortune to be raised in a home with their own married father. -- Deseret News

The Economist on UK Christians Being Refused a Place to Discuss Marriage

The Economist filed this under "diversity and speech" -- our President Brian Brown spoke at the conference in question:

HOW far does tolerance stretch? In March Christian Concern, a lobby group that opposes gay marriage, booked rooms for its conference at the Law Society, a statutory body that represents solicitors in England and Wales. On May 11th the Law Society’s hospitality company cancelled the booking, saying that the event was “contrary to our diversity policy, espousing as it does an ethos which is opposed to same-sex marriage.” Christian Concern then booked at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, a publicly-owned building near Parliament. On May 22nd, the afternoon before the conference was due to start, its chief executive Ernest Vincent cancelled the booking, saying: “The event would conflict with our policy on diversity.”

Christian Concern is incensed. It is planning legal action, possibly for damages, possibly to get a judge to rule that the cancellation was unlawful. It notes that the government has launched a public consultation on changes to the marriage law. Those campaigning for reform are allowed to book the QEII centre; why not those opposed to it? Speakers at the conference (which then moved to a nearby hotel) included a retired philosophy professor, a representative of the Catholic archdiocese of Westminster, the chairman of the Tory Party’s oldest pressure group, the Bow Group, Phillip Blond (another Tory adviser) and Cristina Odone, a journalist married to an editor at this newspaper.

Local News: NOM "Blasts" General Mills' Marriage Stance

KSTP 5 ABC/The Associated Press:

A national group opposed to gay marriage blasted Golden Valley-based General Mills' decision to oppose a marriage amendment in Minnesota, calling it "one of the dumbest corporate PR stunts of all time."

General Mills said Thursday it opposes a proposed Minnesota constitutional amendment to bay gay marriage, the largest company in the state to come out against the measure so far.

... Minnesota for Marriage, a main group pushing for the amendment's passage, accused General Mills of "pandering to a small but powerful interest group."

"By taking this position, General Mills is saying to Minnesotans and people all around the globe that marriage doesn't matter to them," Chairman John Helmberger said in a statement.

... Businesses have found it can be risky to take sides on polarizing social issues. Target Corp. suffered a backlash two years ago after making a political donation to a Republican candidate for governor who opposed gay marriage. The company was criticized again earlier this month for selling gay pride T-shirts to raise money for a group working to defeat the gay marriage ban.

Reason.com: Obama's Gay Marriage Contradiction

Jacob Sullum is a senior editor at Reason.com and a nationally syndicated columnist:

Last month, when President Obama finally endorsed gay marriage after years of equivocation, he emphasized that he still thinks states should be free to address the issue as they see fit. Since many voters strongly oppose gay marriage, it is clear why Obama advocates a federalist approach to the question. But it is not clear that he logically can.

... Obama does not argue that DOMA violates the 10th Amendment by impermissibly intruding on a power that the Constitution reserves to the states. Instead he says the law violates the guarantee of equal protection implicit in the Fifth Amendment's Due Process Clause.

... In fact, [DOJ's] Holder and Obama implicitly have staked out a stronger position against state bans on gay marriage than the 9th Circuit did. Under the heightened scrutiny favored by Obama, the government must show that a legal distinction based on sexual orientation is "substantially related to an important government objective."

... many other states' gay marriage bans could be vulnerable under the heightened scrutiny that Obama applied to DOMA.

Obama may wish to avoid the implications of his constitutional logic until after the presidential election. But if the Supreme Court agrees to hear the California case this fall and asks the solicitor general to weigh in, that may not be possible.

Video: Sen. DeMint, Tony Perkins and Pastors Speak in Support of Marriage at Capitol Press Conference

Via the FRC blog:

Sen. Jim DeMint, Tony Perkins, Bishop Harry Jackson and Pastors Speak in Support of Marriage Between One Man and One Woman:

Video: Pro-Marriage Campaign Director Debates What the Bible Says about Marriage on UK TV

A preview of how the debate between our President Brian Brown and Dan Savage will go when they debate what the bible says about marriage?

Andrew Marsh, Campaign Director of Christian Concern, pushes back against efforts to claim Christ would be in favor of redefining marriage:

What Did You Get Your Dad For Father's Day?

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Dear Marriage Supporter,

With Fathers' Day tomorrow, what better time to give a gift to protect marriage in honor of your own dad?

Dads aren't perfect—and those of us who are dads know that better than anyone! But even imperfect dads make unique and valuable contributions to the lives of their kids. And marriage is the link that binds the family together—father, mother and children.

Same-sex marriage advocates claim that any two parents are "just the same" as a married mom and dad. And that's the new regime they want to force on America—Parent A and Parent B, as the new Massachusetts birth certificates put it.

Don't let it happen!

Between now and Monday night, we need to raise $20,000 to help the state marriage campaigns in Washington, Maryland, Minnesota and Maine organize volunteers and begin spreading the word in advance of the November elections. Voters in thirty-two consecutive states have voted to protect marriage—but if we lose in even one state this November, gay marriage advocates will trumpet that victory all the way to the Supreme Court.

By making a gift to STAND FOR MARRIAGE AMERICA, you can give directly to the state campaigns, and NOM will match your gift up to $20,000.

Click here to make a secure online gift to protect marriage today!
When you make a gift to Stand for Marriage America, each state campaign will receive 25% of your total donation, and NOM will match every gift made before midnight on Monday, up to $20,000.

Happy Fathers' Day!