Gallaudet University's chief diversity officer is scheduled to discuss her views about being placed on leave for signing a petition to put Maryland's same-sex marriage law on the ballot for voters to decide.
Angela McCaskill, of Upper Marlboro, is scheduled to speak in Annapolis on Tuesday. J. Wyndal Gordan, an attorney for McCaskill, says she is not "anti-gay."
He says she only signed the petition because she believes the issue should be settled by the democratic process.
Voters will be deciding whether to allow same-sex marriage in Maryland in November.
Gallaudet is the nation's leading university for the deaf and the hard of hearing. McCaskill was placed on leave last week.
Monthly Archives: October 2012
Breaking News: Dr. McCaskill to Hold Press Conference in Annapolis, Maryland Today
October 16, 2012 – 12:15 pm
Knights of Columbus Devote $250K, Almost 45K Volunteers to Passing Marriage Protection Amendment
October 16, 2012 – 11:45 am
The Knights of Columbus are actively contributing to the fight to protect marriage in the four states voting on marriage this November, including Minnesota:
"...the group is trying to make its mark in Minnesota, and has directly given more than $130,000 to the fight.
The Minnesota chapters so far have given at least $31,000 to pro-amendment groups. The national headquarters has given another $100,000. But the group's 43,500 Minnesota members could prove far more valuable. In a race shaping up to be decided by a razor-thin margin, a committed bloc of thousands of energized, like-minded voters could make all the difference.
Craig Larson, state deputy of the Minnesota Knights of Columbus, said local Catholic leaders specifically asked the Knights to take a front-and-center role in the amendment fight.
"They are part of the grass-roots team, there's no doubt about that," said Jason Adkins, executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, which is working to pass the measure. "We are grateful for the support of the Knights of Columbus." -- Star Tribune
Rev. Bill Owens: Obama Can't Take the Black Vote for Granted
October 16, 2012 – 11:15 am
Rev. Bill Owens in the Washington Times:
"...Marriage is a sacred institution that is recognized in every culture around the globe. Marriage between one man and one woman was established by God for procreation. This union creates a family, and it is necessary for the healthy development of children, who need both a mom and a dad in the home.
The black American community already is plagued with problems related to children growing up in single-parent households. For example, a boy who lacks a father in the home is more likely to engage in delinquent and criminal behavior unless he has a positive male role model to help shape him. The homosexual agenda, which attempts to redefine family and marriage, will erode the very foundation of our society. It will place our youth on a dangerous trajectory toward a bleak future in which mothers and fathers don’t matter, values don’t matter and children are placed at risk.
Evidence shows that the lack of intact families in our society leads to social, psychological and emotional problems for children. Why would Mr. Obama want to make homosexual “marriage” equal to traditional marriage when children already face a multitude of issues? The president and others want to legitimize and normalize homosexual “marriage” and shove it down the throats of those who disagree because he is the leader and he said so."
Nordstrom Issues Email in Support of Referendum 74 (Gay Marriage)
October 16, 2012 – 10:45 am
Upscale department store chain Nordstrom Inc. has joined a number of Pacific Northwest businesses in expressing support for gay marriage.
The Seattle-based company sent out an email Thursday morning to its 56,000 employees, saying “is our belief that our gay and lesbian employees are entitled to the same rights and protections marriage provides under the law as all other employees.”
The letter was signed by Nordstrom executives and brothers Blake, Pete and Erik Nordstrom.
Referendum 74, to be voted on next month, asks voters to either approve or reject a law passed earlier this year allowing gay marriage in Washington state. That law is on hold pending the November vote.
Chair of Maryland Marriage Alliance's Statement on Gallaudet U.'s Choice
October 16, 2012 – 10:15 am
We forgot to post this reaction when it was issued last week by Derek McCoy of the Maryland Marriage Alliance:
“Dr McCaskill’s decision to sign the petition does not automatically declare her support for or against same-sex marriage. It merely indicates that she wants to see the decision made by the people and not the legislature. But if her employer is able to restrict her right to engage in the petition-gathering phase of democracy, are they also allowed to enter the voting booth and dictate how she votes?
“Unfortunately, this is only the latest in a long list of attacks on individuals who express support for marriage as a union between one man and one woman. If such attacks can be made before same-sex marriage is law, how can homosexual activists in good faith say that religious liberties will not be attacked if Question 6 passes?”
New Video: Marriage = Biology (Not Bigotry)
October 15, 2012 – 3:00 pm
Please help us share this far and wide particularly with your friends and family in the four states voting on marriage in November as one example of articulating the case against redefining marriage.
Government promotes natural marriage for a reason, permits many other relationships (including gay relationships) while prohibiting very few relationships (like incest):
You can join NOM's efforts to protect marriage by visiting www.MillionDollarMarriageMatch.com.
WaPo Faith Reporter Asks: "Why is Polygamy So Problematic?"
October 15, 2012 – 2:00 pm
As three states face ballot questions on whether to uphold the traditional definition of marriage between two members of the opposite sex, some in the national intelligentsia are looking forward to the next victory of the sexual revolution: polygamy.
The faith writer at The Washington Post asked in a recent column, if one believes marriage should sanction any affectionate arrangement that makes its parties happy, “Why is polygamy so problematic?”
John Witte Jr., a law professor and religion scholar Atlanta’s Emory University, has written in a forthcoming book on plural marriages that the case for legalizing polygamy rests on the same ground as that of homosexual unions.
“American states today, viewed together, already offer several models of state-sanctioned domestic life for their citizens: straight and gay marriage, contract and covenant marriage, civil union and domestic partnership,” he writes in the first chapter of a forthcoming work on polygamy. “And the parties can further tailor these built-in rights and duties through private prenuptial contracts. With so much marital pluralism and private ordering already available, why not add a further option — that of polygamous marriage?”
Lisa Miller, who writes the Post‘s “On Faith” column, wrote that she knows defending the indefensible can make libertines uncomfortable. “But really. If the purpose of marriage is to preserve personal happiness, protect and raise children, and create social stability through shared property and mutual obligation, then why is polygamy so problematic if it occurs among consenting adults?”
London Mayor Admits: Marriage Has Been Around Since the Stone Age
October 15, 2012 – 1:00 pm
London Mayor Boris Johnson thinks this is a put-down of marriage, but we think marriage isn't just a relic of the past -- it's foundational to the human experience:
London Mayor Boris Johnson says the nation needs “to move beyond the Stone Age” by redefining marriage.
He supports David Cameron’s plan to rewrite the meaning of marriage, saying: “frankly I can’t see what the fuss is about.”
He made the dismissive remarks in an article for The Independent, a newspaper which is actively campaigning for marriage to be redefined.
He said marriage “has been here since before the Stone Age, and now it needs to move beyond the Stone Age”.
Prime Minister David Cameron avoided mentioning his controversial gay marriage policy in his keynote speech at the Tory Party conference. -- The UK Christian Institute
John Fund on the New Blacklist (Being Pro-Marriage)
October 15, 2012 – 12:00 pm
John Fund of National Review talks about Dr. Angela McCaskill of Gallaudet U's situation and what it means:
"...Hollywood has spent more than half a century railing against the anti-Communist blacklists of the Forties and Fifties that prevented some people from working in the movie industry. Woody Allen, George Clooney, and countless other celebrities have produced films purporting to show how evil the blacklist was and upbraiding those who were silent while it was imposed.
Well, a blacklist is being imposed in Maryland right now, and few are questioning it. The same thing happened in California four years ago, after that state’s voters approved Proposition 8, defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Many activists hounded anyone who had supported the measure.
... At least the old Hollywood blacklist targeted those who either professed Communist sympathies or refused to sign loyalty oaths. As columnist Maggie Gallagher pointed out during the furor over Proposition 8, “Targeting an entire business because one person associated with it made (in their personal capacity) a donation to a cause is brand new.” Some gay activists are one step away from claiming that if someone disagrees with them, they shouldn’t be allowed to work anywhere. The original Hollywood blacklist never went that far, but you won’t see any movies made about the current intolerance of supporters of traditional marriage.
Liberals claim to favor open and honest debate in the democratic process, but when it comes to gay marriage it appears some proponents would rather intimidate their critics."
AP: "At 0-32, Gay-Marriage Forces Seek 1st Win at Polls"
October 15, 2012 – 11:30 am
We like this Associated Press headline for reminding readers about where the current statewide marriage-vote tally stands, even as the AP is of course eager to hope for a 1st victory for our opponents this November:
"...Dating back to 1998, 32 states have held votes on same-sex marriage, and all 32 have opposed it. Maryland is one of four states with Nov. 6 referendums on the issue — and gay-marriage advocates believe there's a strong chance the streak will be broken.
In Maryland, Maine and Washington, it's an up-or-down vote on legalizing same-sex marriage. In Minnesota, there's a measure to place a ban on gay marriage in the state constitution, as 30 other states have done previously.
Groups supporting same-sex marriage, which has been legalized by court rulings or legislative votes in six states and the District of Columbia, are donating millions of dollars to the four campaigns.
They're hoping for at least one victory to deprive their foes of the potent argument that gay marriage has never prevailed at the ballot box.
... Opponents of gay marriage expect to be outspent in the four states, perhaps by more than 2-to-1 overall, yet they remain hopeful their winning streak can be preserved.
"We definitely can win all four if we can increase the fundraising," said Brian Brown of the National Organization for Marriage, which has pumped more than $2 million into the campaigns against gay marriage. Its TV advertising is just beginning, including in the expensive markets that reach Marylanders in the Washington, D.C., suburbs.
"We do have a big hill to climb to be able to effectively communicate our message," Brown said. "But we don't need to match the other side — we win repeatedly while being outspent."
Speaking of which, have you visited Stand for Marriage America yet?
Gallaudet U. Suspension Could Mean A Lawsuit
October 15, 2012 – 11:00 am
A Gallaudet University diversity officer suspended for signing the Maryland marriage referendum petition could have grounds for a lawsuit because the actions violate D.C.'s public policy, a leading law professor on speech rights said today.
Had a D.C. referendum been at issue, Gallaudet University President T. Alan Hurwitz's actions today placing chief diversity officer Dr. Angela McCaskill on administrative leave because she "participated in a legislative initiative " could even have constituted a criminal violation, UCLA law professor Eugene Volokh told BuzzFeed.
Under the D.C. Code, it is a criminal violation for "[a]ny person who ... by threats or intimidation, interferes with, or attempts to interfere with, the right of any qualified registered elector to sign or not to sign any initiative, referendum, or recall petition." The sentence for violating the provision can be up to a $10,000 fine and a year in prison.
In a recent article Volokh published in the Texas Review of Law & Politics, he wrote about whether general bans on "threats" apply to threats of loss of employment, noting that "in similar statutes, the terms 'threats,' 'intimidation,' and 'coercion' have indeed been interpreted to include threat of economic retaliation."
Because a Maryland law — and not a D.C. law — is at issue in the referendum, however, the D.C. Code's criminal provision is not directly implicated. But, it could indirectly apply to McCaskill's suspension through a civil lawsuit in which she seeks money or reinstatement.
Video: New Reject R-74 Ad: "Not About Equality"
October 15, 2012 – 10:00 am
A new ad by Preserve Marriage Washington, now on the airwaves, explains some of the reasons why voters should Reject R-74 (gay marriage):
Learn how you can get involved at Preserve Marriage Washington.
Leader of Northwestern College Champions Pro-Marriage Resolution
October 15, 2012 – 9:00 am
The student senate at Northwestern College in Roseville is supporting the concept that marriage is only between a man and woman.
But in recently adopting that resolution, the student group avoided declaring a position on the proposed Minnesota constitutional amendment, says Isaac Schultz, a member of Northwestern's student senate. (The proposed state Marriage Admendment would legally define marriage as being only between a man and a woman.)
"Our purpose is to engage students in a discussion and this (resolution) does it in a way" that is consistent with Northwestern's Biblical and Christian beliefs, Schultz told Roseville Patch. He added the student senate didn't want to disenfranchise any students by taking an official stand on the Marriage Admendment.
Meanwhile, Isaac said he doesn't expect the campus to bring in speakers from Minnesota for Marriage or Minnesotans United for All Families to debate the Marriage Amendment. Instead, he anticipates the issue will be held at a break-out session after daily chapel. (Northwestern is a private Christian liberal arts college.)
Pope Announces Year of Faith for Catholics Worldwide and Ties Faith to Marriage
October 14, 2012 – 9:00 am
This week Pope Benedict initiated a year of faith for Catholics around the world and linked the challenges facing marriage and faith:
"...The 85-year-old head of the Roman Catholic Church, who was an expert at the Council known as "Vatican II" and one of its most reformist voices, has made the new evangelism a centrepiece of his papacy since being elected in 2005.
...Benedict stressed that marriage and family must be at the centre of the new evangelism, as there was "an obvious link between the crisis of the faith and the crisis of marriage". -- AFP
Everything We Fight for Is at Stake, NOM Marriage News, October 11, 2012
October 11, 2012 – 7:50 pm
This week, I want to announce a brand-new website we're launching today. The Marriage Election: A Look at Marriage and Presidential Politics is a service NOM will be providing throughout the rest of the election season, to educate voters on how marriage fits into the national debate over who will be our country's next President. In addition, this site will cover breaking marriage news as it relates to the Presidential race, including any mentions of marriage that might come up in the official candidates' debates (such as tonight's showdown between Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan). Please visit the site today, and pass this great resource on to your friends!
University Attacks Free Speech
Dr. Angela McCaskill.
You may not know her name but you should. She is the first black deaf woman to be granted a PhD by Gallaudet University, a national university for deaf people.
Until a few days ago, she was Gallaudet's chief diversity officer.
You can see her discussing her job here:
But then someone complained about Dr. McCaskill.
Was it about her job performance? Did she make a mistake? Fail in a key duty? Treat someone wrongly?
No. The complaint against Dr. Angela McCaskill consists of one fact and one fact alone: she exercised her core civil rights by signing a petition to put the question of marriage on the ballot for the voters of Maryland.
That's it. But that in itself was enough for Gallaudet to relieve Dr. McCaskill of her responsibilities and to place her on paid leave while they "investigate" her!
This is a very sad day in America. African-American Christians, it seems to me, are paying a disproportionate price for exercising these core civil rights to speak, to vote, to donate and to organize on behalf of marriage and traditional views on sexuality. Consider these examples:
Crystal Dixon, an administrator at the University of Toledo, was fired after writing a letter (as a private citizen) to the editor of the Toledo Free Press. The letter respectfully opposed the notion of gay rights and explained God's plan for human beings. Activists later tried to keep a city from hiring her.
In New Jersey, a special education teacher, Viki Knox, wrote a message on her personal Facebook page criticizing the school's promotion of a "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History Month." Activist groups and others have demanded that she be fired, and have planned protests targeting her. The lawyer who began the attack on Knox said: "Hateful public comments from a teacher cannot be tolerated. She has a right to say it. But she does not have a right to keep her job after saying it."
This week The Star-Ledger reports that, under ongoing pressure and threats not only to her job but to her pension, Viki Knox has chosen to resign!
And in Michigan, Julea Ward, a graduate student at Eastern Michigan University, was dismissed from that school's counseling program after asking for permission to refer a client to another counselor because she was uncomfortable affirming that client's same-sex relationship.
But there's something especially chilling in this most recent case regarding the treatment of Dr. McCaskill, who simply exercised her civil right to sign a petition in favor of putting a certain question before her state's voters.
It would be shocking to the conscience if this happened anywhere. But here's another thing you may not know about Gallaudet: it's not a private university! It's a Congressionally chartered corporation, with a legal obligation to report each year to the Secretary of Education, who must approve any transfer or sale of real property owned by the university. Traditionally, the diplomas at Gallaudet are even signed by the President of the United States.
I hope Gallaudet University does the right thing. If not, I hope the President of the United States will make it clear that this injustice must stop. As a final failsafe, I hope Congress recognizes its responsibility to affirm how this behavior is unacceptable in a government-affiliated institution.
Let me make it clear that there is a principle at stake here as important as marriage itself: No American, whether he or she is for or against gay marriage, should be afraid to vote, to sign petitions, to donate or to speak—with civility of course!—in support of that position.
Even Marylanders for Marriage Equality campaign manager, Josh Levin, says that Angela McCaskill "should be reinstated immediately."
I thank Mr. Levin for that, and I hope and pray that he's doing that out of conviction and not just because he knows that this story is a real problem for his goal of getting voters to approve gay marriage in Maryland—the record of gay rights activists is not very good in this regard.
Please join me in praying for Dr. McCaskill, and praying that justice be done in her case.
NOM's Frank Schubert: A Leader in Protecting Marriage
The New York Times has noticed the genius of our own Frank Schubert in an article entitled, "One Man Guides the Fight Against Gay Marriage."
Gay rights leaders despise Mr. Schubert, who has devoted himself to the issue in recent years, for what they call his misleading arguments. They have also learned to fear him for messages that are less openly harsh than those voiced by many other opponents of gay rights: a strategy aimed at reassuring the moderate voters who decide such elections that barring gays and lesbians from marriage does not make them bigots. [...]
"Everyone has a right to love who they choose," says an ad now running in Minnesota, "but nobody has a right to redefine marriage."
Telling voters they are not prejudiced if they vote against same-sex marriage is "diabolically smart and creative," said Fred Sainz, vice president for communications of the Human Rights Campaign, a national advocacy group for gay rights."
They despise us, but here's the thing—Frank Schubert doesn't despise anybody:
Mr. Schubert, who has a lesbian sister raising two children in a domestic partnership, says, "It's hurtful to know that many people think I dislike gays and lesbians and wish them harm."
He spoke during an interview here in Maryland's capital, where he was making last-minute tweaks to television ads and meeting with local organizers in what seems likely to be a close race.
Mr. Schubert expects to spend some $12.5 million over all, with one-third of the total provided by the National Organization for Marriage, the largest private group financing campaigns against same-sex marriage.
Of course, brilliant as Frank is and as indisputably valuable as his expertise has been in winning victory after victory for marriage in blue state after blue state, no one man is our guide.
God is the author of marriage, not man.
But God grants us talented men and women to do his work in every era, and we're very grateful that he's given us Frank Schubert!
Biden "Sold Out to the System"
Charlie Spiering of the Washington Examiner reports on a new video released in anticipation of tonight's Vice Presidential debate. I'm sure you won't want to miss this!
Grassroots organization Let Freedom Ring releases a new ad criticizing Vice President Joe Biden for failing to live up to his Catholic faith by supporting same-sex marriage.
The ad features Democrat Jo Ann Nardelli, the first Vice President of the Pennsylvania State Federation of Democratic Women.Nardelli explains that although she supported Biden in 2008, she signals disappointment that he led the charge to support same-sex marriage.
"When I heard Vice President Biden speak about same-sex marriage and I knew the platform for President Obama was same-sex marriage. I know definitely that Mama Biden would not go with," she explains. "I as a devout Catholic could no longer uphold and stand for that platform. I had to stand up for my faith."
She adds, "Vice President Biden, I think he sold out to the system."
Here's the new ad:
And just a reminder, don't forget to follow election news like this at our new website, http://www.MarriageElection.com!
Don't Miss a Great Opportunity with NOM's "Million Dollar Match for Marriage"
Will you stand this week for God's vision for marriage by giving whatever you can to NOM's Million Dollar Match for Marriage?
A generous donor has agreed to triple whatever you give in the urgent next few weeks before the election! Can you give $1? It will become $3 for marriage. Give $10? You will have given marriage $30 for this fight. Has God given you the means to donate $100 or more? Imagine your $100 becoming $300, or your $500 becoming $1500!
Now is the time to take your stand for marriage, because you are the difference between victory and defeat. You can make victory happen, with God's grace!
Thanks to all of you who have responded to this key challenge. As I write, I can report some great news: we've already raised about $150,000 for marriage, toward our million-dollar goal. Because of you and your sacrificial giving, the marriage fight now has nearly half-a-million dollars more to win with!
We can't stop there. Will you pass this email on to a friend and ask if they have $10 for marriage this week?
Look at the face of Dr. Angela McCaskill and all those Christians (and others of good faith) who have sacrificed so much standing for marriage—and please give what you can right now.
And I ask you again please to pray for marriage, for Frank Schubert, for Dr. McCaskill—and for God's continued blessings on our beloved country.
I will never stop fighting for you and for our shared values. And I will never stop being grateful to you for all you've made possible.
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