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Monthly Archives: June 2012

Gay Activists Threaten to Challenge Catholic Doctrine in Court If Schools Don't Obey Bill 13

June 14, 2012 – 4:00 pm

Here in the U.S. it is mostly prominent individual gay rights activists like Dan Savage who are telling other people's teenagers and kids they should get over "that Bullsh*t in the Bible".

In Canada gay marriage activists are threatening to go into schools to get that "crap" --i.e. Catholic teachings about sexuality and family-- out of them, at least when it comes to anti-bullying clubs:

"As Catholic bishops in Ontario scramble to figure out how to square McGuinty’s new law mandating Gay-Straight Alliances (GSAs) with Catholic teaching on sexual morality, homosexual activist groups say that they are prepared to challenge Catholic doctrine in court come September.

After Catholic Bishop Fred Colli of Thunder Bay made statements last week that GSA clubs in Catholic schools would be “true to the teachings of our Church”, Ontario Gay-Straight Alliances Coalition lawyer Doug Elliott told the omosexual news service Xtra! that if Catholics “driven by the position of the Vatican” think they have found a loophole in the legislation, then they will be hauled before the courts.

“If the schools try to play games with kids …. the law is clear. We won’t put up with any of that crap come September,” Elliott said. “If you’re not complying with the law, then we’re going to take you to court. It’s that simple.” -- LifeSiteNews

By NOM Staff | Posted in Canada, Catholic Church, Children, Education, Marriage, Religious Liberty, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (34)

General Mills Declares War on Marriage with Its Own Customers

June 14, 2012 – 3:30 pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 14, 2012

Contact: Anath Hartmann or Elizabeth Ray (703-683-5004)

"This will go down as one of the dumbest corporate PR stunts of all time."—Brian Brown, NOM president—

National Organization for Marriage

Washington, D.C.—The National Organization for Marriage today blasted the General Mills Corporation for effectively declaring a "war on marriage" with its own customers. Speaking at a Gay Pride event today, CEO Ken Powell said General Mills opposes an effort to preserve marriage as the union of one man and one woman in Minnesota, where the corporation is headquartered.

"Marriage as the union of one man and one woman is profoundly in the common good, and it is especially important for children," said Brian Brown, NOM's president. "General Mills makes billions marketing cereal to parents of young children. It has now effectively declared a war on marriage with its own customers when it tells the country that it is opposed to preserving traditional marriage, which is what the Minnesota Marriage Protection Amendment does."

A national survey conducted by the Alliance Defense Fund last year showed that 63% of people with children living in their home, 'believe marriage should be defined ONLY as a union between one man and one woman." Just thirty-five percent of people with children at home disagreed with the statement. Overall, the ADF survey found that 62% of adults believe marriage is only the union of a man and a woman.

"This will go down as one of the dumbest corporate PR stunts of all time," said Brian Brown. "It's ludicrous for a big corporation to intentionally inject themselves into a divisive social issue like gay marriage. It's particularly dumb for a corporation that makes billions selling cereal to the very people they just opposed."

According to the US Census Bureau, there are only 111,033 same-sex households in America with children under age 18 who are living in the household. By contrast, there are over 35 million households with children under age 18.

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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 Corporate Ethics, Minnesota, Press Releases | Comments (49)

150 Christian Leaders Send Protest Letter to Obama Over Religious Liberty Issues

June 14, 2012 – 3:00 pm

Billy Hallowell of The Blaze:

Christians leaders aren’t backing down on their pleas for the Obama administration to further expand religious exemptions surrounding the controversial contraceptive mandate.

The ongoing debate about religious freedom has been raging since the mandate was first announced in January, causing a massive rift between Obama and a plethora of religious leaders and congregants. In a June 11 letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, 149 faith leaders made their views on the matter known.

The letter, which can be read in full here, was assembled by Stanley Carlson-Thies who helped setup George W. Bush’s faith-based office. While numerous protestants were included in the pool of individuals signing on, no Catholic bishops joined in. As stated, the Catholic Church is pursuing its own lawsuits to help rectify the wrongs it sees inherent in the mandate. The National Catholic Register has more about the signatories.

By NOM Staff | Posted in President Obama, Religious Liberty | Comments (1)

Atlanta Black Star: NAACP Stance On Gay Marriage Leads to National Board Member Resignations

June 14, 2012 – 2:00 pm

Atlanta Black Star:

The decision by the National Board of the NAACP to endorse same sex marriage has caused several local officers as well as members of the National Board to resign.

The board approved the resolution on May 21—on the heels of President Obama’s endorsement of same sex marriage—despite the fact that the issue wasn’t even on the NAACP’s formal agenda.

“Clearly it’s an evolving conversation,” said Chairwoman Roslyn Brock. It may not have been on a formal agenda, but she believed that it was certainly a relevant issue of civil rights. “Some may never be able to come to terms with the resolution, and that’s fine,” she added.

The NAACP decided to support same sex marriage on the grounds that marriage equality is guaranteed by the 14th Amendment of the Constitution.

Head of the Indiana NAACP Barbara Bolling said that the resolution created debate right away in her state. It even forced one of her branch’s presidents to quit. “It’s an emotional thing, it really is,” Bolling said.

A minister who led the NAACP chapter in Schenectady, N.Y. also resigned, as did National Board member Rev. Keith Ratliff Sr., who has always been the organization’s most prominent and outspoken member when it came to opposing same sex marriage.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, President Obama, Same Sex Marriage, United for Marriage | Comments (9)

Video: Newly-Married Couple Deliver 500,000 Pro-Marriage Petitions to David Cameron

June 14, 2012 – 1:00 pm

From the organizers:

"12 June 2012, a petition of 500,000 names against the redefinition of marriage is handed in to Downing Street and the Home Office. A newly married couple hand the petition in at Number 10, alongside MPs and campaigners."

The UK Christian Institute reports:

A mass petition calling for the traditional definition of marriage to remain unchanged has been presented to 10 Downing Street.

The 500,000-name petition, which was organised by the Coalition for Marriage (C4M), was officially handed over on Tuesday afternoon.

The petition will be kept open by C4M because they say more people are signing it every day.

Dr Sharon James, a spokeswoman for C4M, said: “We’ve got over half a million people who are saying they believe in marriage, and this isn’t just religious people but people of no faith, gay people and straight people.

“We believe passionately in marriage. It’s much bigger than the church and the state and it goes back to the beginning of human history.”

The handover comes before the close of the Government’s consultation on redefining marriage tomorrow.

Dr James added: “The most outrageous thing today is that Mr Cameron said they are a Government who are going to prevail and they are going to introduce same-sex marriage. The consultation hasn’t even closed yet.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, Same Sex Marriage, United Kingdom | Comments (4)

Flow Chart on SSM Debate

June 14, 2012 – 12:00 pm

Hat tip to Tim Hsaio, who created this (full-size version here):

By NOM Staff | Posted in Debating Marriage, Youth | Comments (22)

10 Senators Come to the Defense of DOMA

June 14, 2012 – 11:00 am

William C. Duncan in National Review Online:

"...A very important part of the brief [filed by the 10 senators in defense of DOMA] is its response to “a fundamental misunderstanding of the judicial role in passing on the constitutionality of a federal statute.” The brief explains that nothing in constitutional law “authorizes a court to strike down an otherwise constitutional law based on the belief that legislators individually, or the Congress as a whole, were motivated by ‘animus.’ Adopting any such doctrine would be highly dangerous to the separation-of-powers and the proper functioning of our constitutional system.”

In fact, they explain, the accusation of animus “is little more than an attempt to win an argument by disparaging the motives of the other side.” The senators characterize what the trial court did in this case: “The District Court’s approach cherry-picks statements made by individual members, construes them as reflective of improper motivation, and then imputes these improper motives to the Congress as a whole.” Among other problems with this approach, the brief points out: “Scouring the congressional record for ‘sound-bites’ to divine and disparage the motives of individual legislators also chills the freedom of legislative speech that is the hallmark of robust democratic debate.”

By NOM Staff | Posted in Congress, DOMA, Law, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (15)

Montana Democrats Endorse SSM

June 14, 2012 – 10:00 am

The Helena Independent Record:

Delegates to the Montana Democratic Party platform convention went on record unanimously Saturday for repealing Montana’s constitutional ban on gay marriages.

Without any debate, they supported striking existing platform language advocating legal protection for same-sex civil unions and offering those couples the same legal benefits and responsibilities granted to other individuals “united by civil contracts under Montana laws.”

Instead, the Democrats adopted this new language:

“We support repealing Section 7, Article 13 of the Montana Constitution. All adults should have the right to legally marry another adult of their choice, regardless of sex or gender. We believe same-sex spouses should have the same legal benefits, protections and responsibilities granted to all those who marry.”

Platforms are a statement of a political party’s philosophy. Any changes in the Montana Constitution would have to be endorsed by the Legislature and approved by voters, or proposed and passed as a constitutional initiative or changed by a court.

In 2004, Montanans, by a 2-to-1 margin, voted for a constitutional initiative to ban same-sex marriages. The provision says: “Only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state.”

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

Shareholder Takes Target to Task Over Corporate Effort to Redefine Marriage

June 14, 2012 – 9:15 am

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 14, 2012
Contact: Anath Hartmann or Elizabeth Ray (703-683-5004)

"[T]he Target Corporation is donating $120,000 to same-sex marriage advocates who are official participants in the campaign, is saying that the debate will be bad for the Minnesota business community, and still has the nerve to say they are not taking a position on the marriage amendment itself."—Jonathan Baker, Director of the Corporate Fairness Project, NOM—

National Organization for Marriage

WASHINGTON, D.C.—At the Target 2012 annual shareholder meeting yesterday in Chicago, Illinois, a Target shareholder took corporate leadership to task for Target's ill-advised donation to the Family Equality Council, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that is actively opposing the marriage amendment in Minnesota.

"In the midst of the campaign over the definition of marriage in Minnesota, the Target Corporation is donating $120,000 to same-sex marriage advocates who are official participants in the campaign, is saying that the debate will be bad for the Minnesota business community, and still has the nerve to say they are not taking a position on the marriage amendment itself," said Jonathan Baker, Director of the Corporate Fairness Project for the National Organization for Marriage. "This is a patronizing and incoherent stance for a corporation to adopt, particularly when the funds in question are supposed to be a charitable donation that creates good will toward the corporation. It's good to know that expressing concern over corporate support for a radical social agenda is now just taking an "unfair shot" at corporate leadership.

A long-time Target shareholder who attended the annual meeting roundly criticized Target for their donation to the Family Equality Council. Not only was the shareholder upset that the donation had drawn Target into the cultural war over marriage in which they have no business interest, but he was also concerned with how the donation would affect Target as a national retailer. Protests and boycotts have already been started, and Target does not seem to take the shareholder's best interests to heart, argued the shareholder.

Target corporate leadership responded by ignoring the questions about the recipient of the funds raised through the sale of the PRIDE t-shirts and simply said the question was an "unfair shot" at the team that works very hard to deliver shareholder value.

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To schedule an interview with Jonathan Baker, Director of the Corporate Fairness Project at the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Elizabeth Ray (x130), [email protected], or Anath Hartmann (x166) [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 Corporate Ethics, Minnesota, Press Releases | Comments (18)

GOP Senators Weigh in on DOMA Fight Before the 9th Circuit

June 14, 2012 – 9:00 am

Law.com:

"Nothing in Supreme Court jurisprudence, the senators contend, "authorizes a court to strike down an otherwise constitutional law based on the belief that legislators individually, or the Congress as a whole, were motivated by 'animus,'" states the brief, which is signed by Michael Stern of Fairfax, Va.

"Judicial 'psychoanalysis' of legislative motives, to use Justice Cardozo's phrase, is a highly subjective exercise, which threatens needless friction between the branches," the brief continues. "Scouring the congressional record for 'sound-bites' to divine and disparage the motives of individual legislators also chills the freedom of legislative speech that is the hallmark of robust democratic debate."

In a footnote, the senators added that they didn't appreciate White's comparison of the arguments for DOMA with historical arguments against interracial marriage, either.

Hatch, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee when DOMA was passed, received written assurances from the Clinton Justice Department that the legislation was constitutional, the brief states."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Congress, DOMA, Law, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (6)

NOM to Join Catholic Bishops, Other Faith Leaders in Fortnight for Freedom Campaign

June 13, 2012 – 4:45 pm

U.S. Catholic bishops are calling for a "Fortnight for Freedom" to be observed from June 21-July 4th:

"Culminating on Independence Day, this special period of prayer, study, catechesis, and public action will emphasize both our Christian and American heritage of liberty. Dioceses and parishes around the country have scheduled special events that support a great national campaign of teaching and witness for religious liberty."

NOM's mission is two-fold: to protect marriage and to protect the faith communities that sustain it. There is no doubt that the HHS mandate poses a grave and unprecedented risk to the full expression of religious freedom promised by the First Amendment of our Constitution, so we proudly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Catholics and other faith communities in opposing this intrusive and unnecessary mandate.

As our supporters well know, the redefinition of marriage also poses immediate and grave risks to religious liberty in this country, which is one of the reasons why we track issues related to marriage and religious liberty closely on our blog, have established a Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance, and continue to be actively vigilant when individuals and institutions have their core civil liberties attacked and diminished simply because their faith inspires them to be pro-marriage.

We will be announcing more opportunities for our supporters to participate in the Fortnight for Freedom leading up to June 21st.  We entreat your prayers and invite you to prepare to participate actively in the meantime!

By NOM Staff | Posted in Catholic Church, Marriage, Religious Liberty, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (18)

AP: R-74 Qualifies for Washington State Ballot!

June 13, 2012 – 1:00 pm

The AP:

A referendum on gay marriage in Washington state has qualified for the ballot.

The secretary of state's office announced Tuesday that Referendum 74 passed the signature-verification process that has been taking place since last week.

Sponsors turned in 247,331 signatures, far more than the minimum of 120,577 valid voter signatures required.

... The referendum seeks to overturn the measure allowing same-sex marriage in the state. That law was passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Chris Gregoire earlier this year. The law was supposed to take effect last Thursday but was put on hold once the signatures were turned in last Wednesday.

National groups, including the Washington, D.C.-based National Organization for Marriage, have said they'll aggressively fight to strike down Washington's new law.

PreserveMarriageWashington is now rolling out the next stage of pro-marriage activism and volunteer opportunities. Go check it out!

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, Same Sex Marriage, Washington | Comments (25)

Video: How Does SSM Interfere With Religious Liberty?

June 13, 2012 – 12:00 pm

Kalley Yanta of the Minnesota Marriage Minute explains how redefining marriage affects religious liberty.

She says, "Same-sex marriage impacts the religious freedom of individuals and groups in many profound ways. If marriage is redefined to be genderless and people and groups do not accept that, they will be in conflict with the law and subject to legal consequences. This already has occurred in a variety of ways in other states."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, Minnesota, Religious Liberty, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (72)

Business Insider: Obama Is Doing Stunningly Bad Among African Americans In North Carolina

June 13, 2012 – 11:00 am

The author does not have same-sex marriage on his radar otherwise he might have a better way to interpret these numbers:

President Barack Obama is rapidly losing support among African-American voters in North Carolina, a new poll out today from the Democratic-leaning Public Policy Polling shows.

The poll finds that Mitt Romney would get 20 percent of the African-American vote if the election were held today, compared with 76 percent for Obama. Overall, Romney has a 48 percent to 46 percent lead on Obama in the crucial swing state.

Obama received 95 percent of the support from African-Americans in North Carolina in the 2008 election, compared with just 5 percent for Republican nominee John McCain.

In PPP's May poll, Obama received 87 percent of the African-American vote to Romney's 11 percent.

All of Obama's numbers with African-Americans are sliding. His approval rating is down from 86 percent to 77 percent. Romney's favorability, meanwhile, has doubled from 9 percent to 18 percent.

Jim Williams, a polling analyst at PPP, said it could be "statistical noise" that comes with a small sample (only about 200 African-Americans were surveyed). But he said it was not something the agency has "ever seen before."

"Seventy-something percent is obviously low," Williams told Business Insider. "It's not something we've ever seen before. It's definitely something we're going to monitor."

Williams added the obvious: If the results keep turning up like this, it would be "very bad news for him."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, North Carolina, President Obama, Same Sex Marriage, United for Marriage | Comments (37)

Local Minnesota TV: Marriage Proponents Seek Corporate Neutrality

June 13, 2012 – 10:00 am

This report by KARE-11 includes an interview with Jonathan Baker of NOM's Corporate Fairness Project:

A national group working to ban gay marriage has asked Minnesota's largest corporations to remain neutral on the issue.

The National Organization for Marriage sent letters to the state's 50 largest companies, as well as the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, asking them to remain neutral on the marriage issue.

Gay marriage is already against the law in Minnesota, but voters will decide in November whether to place that ban in the state Constitution. The amendment would define marriage as solely between one man and one woman.

"The corporations all have customers and employees that come down on both sides," Jonathan Baker of NOM told KARE.

"They have customers and employees that want to support the traditional definition of marriage as a union of a man and a woman, and customers and employees that would like to extend the definition of marriage to couples of the same gender."

The Target Corporation found itself taking some heat from opponents of gay marriage when it launched a pride tee-shirt campaign in honor of Gay Pride Month, which is June, selling a variety on designs online for $12.99 a piece.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Corporate Ethics, Marriage, Minnesota, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (20)
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