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Home » September, 2012

Monthly Archives: September 2012

Pope Tells French Bishops Defense of Marriage is Prophetic

September 27, 2012 – 8:00 am

Strong and passionate words from the pope:

Against the backdrop of an effort to recognize “gay marriage” in France, Pope Benedict XVI told a group of French bishops that the truth about marriage and the family is vital to society and must be promoted in bold and creative ways.

He said marriage and the family “must be promoted and defended from every possible misrepresentation of their true nature, since whatever is injurious to them is in fact injurious to human coexistence as such.”

The family is the “foundation of social life” but it is “threatened in many places by a faulty conception of human nature,” the Pope said Sept. 21. The defense of the family and of human life promotes “values that allow the full development of the human person created in the image and likeness of God.” It is “not at all backward-looking but prophetic.” --CNA

By NOM Staff | Posted in Catholic Church, France, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off on Pope Tells French Bishops Defense of Marriage is Prophetic

AP Fact Check: Same-Sex Couples Already Have Visitation Rights

September 26, 2012 – 5:30 pm

The AP fact checks a claim being made by gay marriage activists in Washington and finds it to be false. Hopefully other news outlets in Washington set the record straight and counteract the misinformation being spread by our opponents:

A second pro-Referendum 74 television ad from Washington United for Marriage implies that same-sex couples’ hospital visitation rights are at risk if voters don’t back the state’s gay marriage law.

The ad started airing Friday in Seattle and Spokane markets on broadcast channels and statewide on cable channels.

... ANALYSIS: Same-sex couples do already have hospital visitation rights under the state’s first domestic partnership law that passed in 2007, granting couples about two dozen rights, including hospital visitation, the ability to authorize autopsies, and organ donations and inheritance rights when there is no will.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Civil Unions, Law, Marriage, Media, Same Sex Marriage, Washington | Comments (14)

Minnesota Amendment Supporters Put Up 25 Billboards in Urban Areas

September 26, 2012 – 4:30 pm

MinnPost:

A group supporting the marriage amendment says it is putting up about 25 billboards on major roads in the Twin Cities, St. Cloud, Duluth and Rochester.

Minnesota for Marriage says one of them is in St. Paul, visible from eastbound I-94, near Cleveland Avenue.

On the billboards are pictures of couples and families with the words "Marriage = One Man + One Woman" and "Vote YES."

The group is supporting a proposed constitutional amendment that would define marriage as only between one man and one woman. Gay marriage is already illegal in the state, but supporters want it put into the constitution to make it harder for the courts or legislators to change.

The pro-amendment group says it will unveil other forms of advertising in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 6 election.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, Minnesota, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (2)

4 Minnesota Churches Vandalized With "Jesus Was Gay" Posters

September 26, 2012 – 3:15 pm

The press report buries the fact that the message posted at these churches involved homosexuality and four out of the five churches publicly support the Marriage Protection Amendment:

Police are searching for the person responsible for vandalizing multiple churches in Buffalo, Minn., over the weekend.

The Buffalo Police Department responded to incidents at several local churches between Saturday and Monday, with four of those incidents involving placement of handwritten posters containing inflammatory messages.

Police found damage to church buildings at five locations. Police say nothing in the posters left behind referenced the upcoming marriage amendment vote, but most of the churches targeted define marriage as between a man and a woman.

... Rob Jarvis, pastor of Hosanna Lutheran, said he found a poster depicting Jesus as being gay.

“It was (the suspect’s) idea of Jesus and then describing homosexual acts, and things like that,” Jarvis said, as his church’s doors were busted out 24 hours later.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Law, Marriage, MarriageADA, Minnesota, Religious Liberty, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (19)

NOM Adds $250,000 to Washington State Marriage Battle

September 26, 2012 – 2:00 pm

The Petri Dish:

The National Organization for Marriage has written its first sizable check to the campaign to repeal Washington's gay marriage law.

NOM contributed $250,000 to Preserve Marriage Washington on Sept. 20, according to information posted on the state Public Disclosure Commission web site.

That is the single largest contribution to Preserve Marriage Washington, the coalition working to defeat Referendum 74 in November. It gives Preserve Marriage nearly $876,000 in cash and in-kind contributions to date though the group has spent a little more than a third.

Find out more at Preserve Marriage Washington.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, Same Sex Marriage, Washington | Comments Off on NOM Adds $250,000 to Washington State Marriage Battle

Flip-Flopper Saland Tries to Talk Past Close Primary

September 26, 2012 – 1:30 pm

Saland does his best to keep a stiff upper lip -- we love the "Retire Saland" sign shown at one part of this clip.

Pro-marriage New Yorkers will retire him this November:

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, New York, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (17)

400,000 Minnesota Catholics Asked to Support Minnesota Marriage Protection Amendment

September 26, 2012 – 1:00 pm

Catholics in Minnesota are being asked to support Marriage with their time and treasure -- as 32 states have done:

Minnesota Roman Catholics will receive a letter this week from the state's bishops, urging them to donate money for television ads asking voters to say yes to a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.

For many of the more than 400,000 Catholic households expected to get the letter, it marks the first time they've been asked by church leadership to make a financial donation to Minnesota for Marriage, the chief group campaigning for passage of the marriage amendment Nov. 6.

... Besides asking Catholics to make contributions, bishops are encouraging them to vote yes on the amendment, according to a letter sent to priests and church administrators last week from Jason Adkins, executive director of Minnesota Catholic Conference, the public policy voice of the Catholic Church in the state.

The mailing "gives Catholics an opportunity to support the passage of the amendment and asks them to send a contribution to where it will be most effective," Adkins' letter states. -- Star Tribune

By NOM Staff | Posted in Catholic Church, Marriage, Minnesota, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (3)

Video: Voting YES on Marriage in Minnesota Begins This Week!

September 26, 2012 – 11:00 am

Kalley Yanta of the Minnesota Marriage Minute announces that voting YES on marriage begins this week in Minnesota! Absentee voting has already begun:

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

Marchione, Outspent 4-1, Expects Financial Advantage in November

September 26, 2012 – 9:00 am

The Daily Gazette:

About $850,000 was spent this summer by the campaign of Sen. Roy McDonald in what appears to be a losing effort to hold on to the Republican nomination for the 43rd Senate District.

According to the 10-day post primary filings with the state Board of Elections, McDonald spent more than $200,000 in the latest period, which is on top of $647,000 spent in the three other filings this summer. This total was four times what the winning campaign of Saratoga County Clerk Kathy Marchione spent. Her latest filing, which showed spending of about $60,000, brought her campaign's total slightly above $200,000.

... Heading into November, with both candidates appearing on the general election ballot, Marchione has $20,405.07 and McDonald has $25,155.17. It it likely, though, as the presumptive Republican nominee, Marchione will be able to refill her coffers faster than McDonald, who may not be able to count on money from same-sex marriage proponents in the general election, because that may go to Democratic candidate Robin Andrews, who is openly gay.

Marchione, meanwhile, has declared victory in the primary:

Surrounded by her family and supporters, Saratoga County Clerk Kathy Marchione declared victory in her Republican Senate primary against Roy McDonald.

“We did it!” Marchione said, flanked by officials in this suburban town that comprises her base. “The primary is over and we go forward unified, as far as I’m concerned.” -- Capital Confidential

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, New York, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (4)

PMW: Gay Marriage Activists Lying About Same-Sex Hospital Visitation Rights

September 25, 2012 – 2:00 pm

From Preserve Marriage Washington, which is asking Washingtonians to Reject R-74:

In a television ad which began airing on Friday, a mother shares the story of her daughter’s struggle to care for her dying same-sex partner, saying that after her daughter’s domestic partner suffered a seizure, hospital staff refused to telephone her daughter because they were not married.  There is only one problem: that is not an accurate depiction of the law, says Preserve Marriage Washington, the statewide grassroots coalition committed to protecting the traditional definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

According to the melodramatic ad, “One night in the hospital Cheryl had a seizure, she was asking for Sarah and no one called.  Only marriage guarantees that all couples can be there for each other when it really matters.”

Calling this a “pants on fire” misrepresentation, Preserve Marriage Washington Communications Director Chip White said, “This claim is a bold-faced lie.”

... As reported by the Seattle Post Intelligencer, “The Washington Legislature has approved a domestic partnership law that includes hospital visitation and an array of rights for same-sex couples.  The ‘everything but marriage’ law won approval from the state’s voters in 2009.” (See http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2011/05/17/gov-walker-no-hospital-visitation-for-gay-couples/.)

“This ad is blatantly false,” said White.  “Under Washington law, same-sex couples already have all the same legal rights and benefits as married couples, including the right to be with each other in the hospital.  The law redefining marriage provides same-sex couples no additional rights or benefits because they already have full legal equality.”

By NOM Staff | Posted in Law, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage, Washington | Comments (27)

General Mills Shareholders Take Company to Task Over SSM Endorsement

September 25, 2012 – 12:00 pm

Star Tribune:

General Mills' stand against a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage got both criticism and accolades from shareholders at the company's annual meeting on Monday.

The Golden Valley-based packaged foods giant has been the most prominent Minnesota corporate voice opposing the November ballot amendment, which would recognize marriage only as a union between a man and a woman.

"I really had a heavy heart and it saddened me that General Mills took a political stance on the amendment," one shareholder said during the meeting's question-and-answer period. "Whether for or against, I don't think politically you should have taken a stand on that."

Another shareholder at the Minneapolis Children's Theater asked, "What was the reason for the company to get involved when perhaps over 50 percent of your customer base will be offended? I just don't understand the rationale."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Corporate Ethics, Economics, Marriage, Minnesota, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (23)

France Set to Ban "Mother" and "Father" from Official Documents

September 25, 2012 – 11:00 am

A move recognizing that same-sex marriage renders the institution genderless:

The move, which has outraged Catholics, means only the word "parents" would be used in identical marriage ceremonies for all heterosexual and same-sex couples.

The draft law states that "marriage is a union of two people, of different or the same gender".

It says all references to "mothers and fathers" in the civil code – which enshrines French law – will be swapped for simply "parents".

The law would also give equal adoption rights to homosexual and heterosexual couples. -- UK Telegraph

By NOM Staff | Posted in Children, France, Marriage, Parenting, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (31)

Marchione Extends Lead Over Mcdonald

September 25, 2012 – 10:00 am

The Post Star:

State Sen. Roy McDonald’s re-election bid was dealt a significant blow on Monday after the final round of absentee ballots didn’t close Saratoga County Clerk Kathy Marchione’s lead in the race for the Republican line on November’s ballot.

Marchione held a slim 106-vote lead when the GOP primary polls closed on Sept. 13. That lead swelled another four votes last week after absentee votes were counted Thursday in Washington County and Rensselaer County.

That meant the McDonald campaign had to close the gap in Saratoga County and Columbia County, which tallied absentee ballots on Monday.

But that didn’t happen.

Marchione carried the absentee ballots in Columbia County by a 134-108 vote, according to that county’s Democratic elections commissioner, Virginia Martin.

“For all intents and purposes, it sounds like we’ll be on the Republican line,” said Marchione campaign spokesman Ken Giardin.

... Marchione will [also] appear on the Conservative Party line, support directly related to her opposition to McDonald’s vote last year in favor of gay marriage.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, New York, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (2)

DiCarlo Wins Conservative Line, Vows to Fight On

September 25, 2012 – 9:00 am

From Neil DiCarlo's campaign:

Neil Di Carlo trumped Senator Saland by 92 votes in the 41st district primary after absentee and write-in ballots were counted for the Republican and Conservative parties (unofficial BOE counts). Di Carlo and Senator Saland each won one line: Di Carlo won over 81% of conservative votes while Senator Saland, after alienating his base, won a Pyrrhic victory on the Republican line by only 1%.

... Di Carlo added, “Despite being outspent $700,000 to my $25,000 I have shown that integrity matters and that ideas and morals matters more than money. I have also exposed the Senator for what he is, a RINO. Governor Cuomo's and Mayor Bloomberg's recent endorsements of Senator Saland prove that they believe he is more of a progressive Democrat than the Democrat candidate!”

Di Carlo concluded, “I want to thank all my volunteers for bringing my campaign this far. Having won the majority of votes in the primary, I look forward to winning the general election in November and serving the people of the 41st with integrity as their State Senator.”

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

Gay Man in Washington Post: Why I Oppose Gay Marriage

September 24, 2012 – 3:30 pm

Doug Mainwaring (who lives in Maryland) courageously shares his personal evolution towards opposing gay marriage in the Washington Post:

"...Full disclosure: I am gay. A few years ago, I was on the other side of the fence on this topic. But the more I read, thought, investigated and attempted to defend my position, the more I realized that I couldn’t. I feel very strongly that gay relationships should be supported by society. I have grown convinced, however, that the term “marriage” should not be altered or adjusted in any way.

Let’s face it: We should not attempt to force into an old construct something that was never meant for same-sex partnerships. We should welcome the opportunity to christen a new tradition, beginning a new chapter in the history of gays and lesbians within American society. Same-sex relationships are different from heterosexual relationships, and gay men and lesbians need to accept that and design their own tradition."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Debating Marriage, Marriage, Maryland, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (21)
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