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Monthly Archives: January 2013

NOM Marches On! NOM Marriage News

January 31, 2013 – 5:25 pm

NOM National Newsletter

Dear Marriage Supporter,

They expected you and me to fold after the election — you know that, right?

But let me promise you something: when the going gets tough, NOM gets going!

NOM is on the march for marriage!

The Supreme Court is holding oral arguments on March 26-27. The future of marriage hangs in the balance.

With DOMA, the Supreme Court will decide whether or not Congress has the power to define marriage for the federal government, or whether a minority of states can force all U.S. taxpayers to treat gay unions as marriages.

With the Prop 8 case, the judges are being asked to decide whether the people of this great nation have the right to define marriage as one man and one woman — or whether our right to vote is going to be stripped away, the guarantees of democracy made meaningless, gay marriage inserted into our Constitution and a distorted view of marriage imposed on this great nation.

Now is the time to step up to fight for marriage!

Earlier this week, we announced a rally we're planning in our nation's capital on March 26th, 2013: www.MarriageMarch.org.

And already you've responded!

On the March for Marriage page on Facebook, pro-marriage supporters around the country are sharing their plans to attend.

One person said: "Marriage March is on a TUESDAY. How PRO-marriage are you? Are you willing to rearrange your schedule to attend this event? Would you choose to drive or fly? Would you spend the night or pop in, pop out? I attended Glenn Beck's 'Restore Honor' Rally a few years ago, my first time to ever visit our nation's capital. It was an experience I'll never forget. Married 36 years in July, perhaps we'll take an early anniversary trip to DC!"

A second said: "Lord willing count [us] in. We can definitely do that."

A third: "Looking at the calendar here and going to re-arrange to BE THERE!!"

A fourth: "This is Holy Week, still Lent. I don't like to travel, but I'm willing to do this as part of my Lenten Sacrifice, if I can find others to go with me. I'll start looking right away."

A fifth: "COUNT ME IN!"

Count me in, too!

MarriageADA Defending Marriage in Law & Society

NOM's Marriage Anti-Defamation League filed a brief asking the Supreme Court to uphold the rights of you and me to work to defend what we hold dear in the democratic arena our forefathers gave us. I'll send along that brief for you to read as soon as it's posted on the SCOTUS's website.

Also this week, MADA released a video from Canada, explaining why we fight so hard and refuse to give up: our own rights are at stake, as this Canadian father, Dr. Steve Tourloukis, found out.

The biggest of the big lies in the marriage debate is that this will not affect you, your children, or your grandchildren! MADA will continue to expose that lie — with your help! Please share this important video with your family and friends.

Marriage Fights Continue Around The Nation

NOM is on the march, including deep in the bluest of blue states, to be your voice for our shared values.

We have tough fights going on right now, and once again we are not backing down, we are not giving up!

In Rhode Island, the battle shifts to the Senate, where the fate of marriage sits on a knife's edge. Even the Providence Journal ran the headline, "Senate Appears Divided on Same-Sex Marriage Bill." Eleven senators have co-signed a bill to redefine marriage, while eleven others have signed a resolution to send the question to the people.

Click here to fight back in Rhode Island.

In Illinois, just three weeks ago, your phone calls and emails shook the political world, blocking what many considered an "inevitable" bill from passing same-sex marriage in the lame duck session.

It was a tremendous victory, but our work is far from over...

When the newly elected legislature took office on January 10th, Democrats increased their majorities in both houses, and immediately introduced a new same-sex marriage bill.

Click here to fight back in Illinois!

In Indiana, gay marriage lobbyists and their allies in the media are once again ramping up their campaigns of disinformation by attempting to persuade House and Senate leadership to postpone a vote for a state marriage amendment.

The amendment stands a very good chance of passing if brought to a vote, but legislators like Senate President Pro Tem David Long (R-Fort Wayne) aren't being clear about whether they will bring the issue up for a vote.

Click here to let your Indiana legislators know: you want the right to vote for marriage!

And in Wyoming, you already helped win an amazing victory for marriage!

THANK YOU to our supporters in Wyoming who took action last week and thereby helped defeat a bill to redefine marriage by a close 5-4 vote in committee.

The media has been attempting to divert attention away from this victory for marriage supporters and instead focus on a domestic partnership bill in the Wyoming House.

But guess what? This morning we learned they failed. The House voted 35-24 against the domestic partnership bill.

NOM is on the march for marriage!

Finally, a France update: As you know, the French people turned out in a massive rally of protest just two weeks ago. The police's early estimates were 340,000 — but the photos clearly show the actual turnout was closer to a million.

Meanwhile the pro-gay marriage forces in France held their own rally on Sunday. The police said just 125,000 turned out. Just one-third the size, even by the police's account, of the huge pro-marriage rallies, as Agence France Presse honestly reported (and American media just ignored):

"Police estimated that about 125,000 people had turned out for Sunday's rally, while organisers put the figure at 400,000. The turnout was higher than at previous marches but still lower than the number of people who protested against same-sex marriage on January 13."

Something is stirring in the hearts of brave men and women all over the world.

Thank you for being a part of a great movement for the rights of children, for common sense, and for the courage to stand against the winds of fashion.

I'm so proud to know you and to stand with you for God's truth about marriage.

National Organization for Marriage Reacts to President Obama’s Immigration Proposal

January 31, 2013 – 3:35 pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 31, 2013

Contact: Elizabeth Ray or Jen Campbell (703-683-5004)

National Organization for Marriage

Washington, D.C. — Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), released the following statement in regards to President Obama’s immigration proposal:

"This is yet another example of the President playing politics rather than enforcing our nation’s laws and offering a true, workable solution. First, his Administration threw in the towel and refused to defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). Then, he came out of the closet on gay marriage. Now, he is apparently proposing a direct violation of DOMA, currying added favor with gay activists, many of whom have lavished contributions on his reelection campaign. Our nation has a lot of serious issues to resolve concerning immigration policy, but providing a safe haven for gays and lesbians from foreign countries in violation of American law is not one of them. Responsible immigration reform includes protecting America’s borders, providing access to needed workers, keeping terrorists out of our country and determining what to do with the millions of people already here illegally. This proposal from President Obama concerning homosexual immigration is not serious immigration reform."

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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 Jen Campbell (x145), [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 President Obama, Press Releases | Comments (17)

ProJo: RI Senate Vote on Marriage "Too Close to Call"

January 31, 2013 – 3:00 pm

A Providence Journal article explains why it's so important for all of us to take action -- marriage sits on a knife's edge in Rhode Island!

As the debate over same-sex marriage moves to the state Senate, one thing appears almost certain: the vote, if there is one, will be close.

Right now, it's too close to call.

Eleven members in the 38-member chamber have signed on to a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage. Eleven others have signed on to a bill that would put a constitutional amendment before voters that defines marriage as "the lawful union of one man and one woman."

Assuming that support holds, the breakdown among the remaining senators includes at least four leaning in favor of same-sex marriage and four who oppose it. There are also some who say they need to look at the legislation, while others are undecided.

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

Legal Center: Illinois Legislators Warned About Same-Sex Marriage Act

January 31, 2013 – 2:00 pm

Before the Illinois legislature concluded business for the lame duck session they were sent a letter by the Thomas More Society which is still relevant as gay marriage advocates continue to push for a redefinition of marriage:

Today the state legislators of Illinois were warned about the documented consequences of legalizing same-sex marriage. The Thomas More Society, a public interest law firm focused on protecting constitutional rights, sent letters to each member of the Illinois General Assembly, encouraging them to oppose the "Illinois Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act."

The missive, signed by Thomas Brejcha, President and Chief Counsel of the Thomas More Society, and Peter Breen, Executive Director and Legal Counsel, advised the lawmakers that voting "yes" to the proposed same-sex marriage bill will harm, rather than support, constituents. If passed, explains the letter, the discriminatory act will declare Illinoisans who support traditional marriage to be bigoted and prejudicial. As in other states that have passed this type of legislation, public children as young as kindergarten may be taught about same-sex sexual activity, and parents who disapprove will have no right to opt their children out.

...The only documented benefit to Illinois' same-sex couples, assert Brejcha and Breen, would be a change in wording from "civil union license" to "marriage license," a vanity not worth the disenfranchisement of large segments of the state's population. The current law already provides same-sex couples the rights of married couples.

They contend that the proposed act will do great harm to the religious liberty all Americans are guaranteed under the Constitution of the United States. Rather than promote civic tolerance, the "Illinois Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act" will legalize intolerance. (Christian News Wire)

Please continue to take action here.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Illinois, Law, Marriage, Religious Liberty, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (2)

Protect Marriage and Stop "The Great Persecution"!

January 31, 2013 – 1:25 pm

Dear Marriage Supporter,

Gay marriage activists have introduced a new civil unions bill in Colorado, one that includes no protections for faith-based adoption agencies whatsoever!

Moments ago, the bill passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on a party line vote, fast-tracking the measure for consideration by the full Senate.

"If this law passes, there is going to be a great persecution of the faithful," said Msgr. Thomas Fryar of the Catholic Archdiocese of Denver. "We cannot allow that."

We completely agree, and so do the people of Colorado, who voted in 2006 to reject same-sex domestic partnerships by six points and voted to affirm marriage between one man and one woman by a margin of 55% to 44%!

Now gay marriage activists are attempting to undermine the clear will of Colorado voters and threaten religious freedom. This civil unions bill is nearly identical to the sort of bill that courts in California and Connecticut used to demonstrate that the state no longer had any justification for marriage — concluding that civil unions were an unconstitutional and discriminatory "separate but equal" status which these activist judges used as an excuse to redefine marriage!

Your legislators need to hear from you right away — click here to oppose S.B. 11!

This bill is a huge threat to religious freedom and pro-marriage individuals like you.

If anyone should have a say on marriage, it should be the people of Colorado who have already so clearly spoken out on this issue when given the chance to vote on it — marriage should not be decided by activist judges or legislators that can be bribed and bullied by powerful interest groups funded by gay millionaires and billionaires.

Marriage belongs to the people because when marriage is redefined it affects everyone.

Just last summer a Christian bakery owner in Lakewood, CO was subjected to thousands of emails and threats from gay marriage activists after they refused to provide a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. The owner said at the time: "We would close down that bakery before we closed our beliefs".

And last week over 200 marriage supporters like you rallied at the state capital against this civil unions bill pointing out that this new legislation includes no legal protections for child placement agencies like Catholic Charities and other groups that only place children with married couples, i.e., with a mom AND dad, where kids do best!

Your legislators need to hear from you right away so they know you oppose S.B. 11!

I need you to do two things immediately:

Contact your state senator and representative today! Use this link to send an email to your elected officials, or better still, click here to look up their phone numbers and make a personal phone call to let your senator and representative know: Oppose S.B. 11!Please take action right now. It only takes a minute to send your lawmakers a message, and it is vitally important that they hear your voice today.
Forward this email to friends and family throughout the state, or use the buttons below to share on Facebook and Twitter. It's going to take thousands of Coloradans working together to protect marriage and freedom in Colorado. Help spread the word today!

I know I can count on your help. Thank you!

By Brian Brown | Posted in Alerts, Colorado, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (3)

Former Rep. Joe Walsh Calls on GOP Chair Brady to Step Down for SSM Comments

January 31, 2013 – 1:00 pm

The Illinois Review:

Former Congressman Joe Walsh sent us the following statement:

"Two weeks ago, in Illinois Review, I publicly called on Pat Brady to step down as Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party. Pat is a good guy, but as he has still not retracted his public statements on same sex marriage, again, I call on him to step down. He can't, in his position as Chairman of the Party, publicly refute a major piece of our Party's Platform. It was a slap at all Republicans who believe in traditional marriage.

The Republican Party is a big tent and welcomes all viewpoints. Pat can have his own individual positions, but the Chairman of the Party must publicly support the Platform and be one of its most ardent spokespersons. Pat Brady is no longer in a position to be that spokesperson. For the good of the Party, he should step down."

Please continue to take action here.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Illinois, Marriage, Politics, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

UK Gay Marriage Bill Also Would Redefine Adultery and Sex

January 31, 2013 – 12:00 pm

As these provisions make clear, redefining marriage redefines other core values our legal tradition has traditionally inscribed in marriage law:

Under a long-awaited bill allowing same-sex couples to marry, only infidelity between people of opposite genders would count as adultery in divorce cases.

It means that people in a same-sex marriages who discover that their spouse is unfaithful to them would not be able to divorce for adultery – unless it was with someone of the opposite sex.

Equally, it makes clear that straight people cannot accuse their partner of adultery if they discover they had a secret lover of the same sex.

It comes after Government legal experts failed to agree what constitutes “sex” between same-sex couples.

The bill also makes clear that gay couples would not be able to have their marriage annulled on grounds of non-consummation for the same reason.

Lawyers and MPs said the distinction over adultery created inequality between heterosexual and homosexual couples in the divorce courts and would lead to confusion.

They said it made it likely that adultery would simply be abolished as a grounds for divorce – either through Parliament or the courts. (UK Telegraph)

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

UK Catholic Church Distributes 1 Million Pro-Marriage Postcards at Sunday Masses

January 31, 2013 – 11:00 am

The UK Catholic Herald:

The Archbishop of Southwark, the Most Rev Peter Smith, spoke of a desire to “mobilise” opposition in the Church.

He urged them to capitalize on the decision by all three main party leaders to allow free votes on the matter and increase pressure on their local MPs to halt such a “fundamental change in the law”.

A million postcards, designed for Catholics to complete and send to their MP asking them to vote against the Government’s plan, were distributed at masses over the weekend.

The issue to due to come up for a vote in the Commons as early as February 5.

... In a letter on behalf of bishops, Archbishop Smith, the second most senior active Catholic cleric in England and Wales, told priests: “The time to act is now.”

By NOM Staff | Posted in Catholic Church, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage, United Kingdom | Comments Off

NOM Chairman John Eastman Publishes Heritage Legal Memorandum on DOMA, Prop 8

January 31, 2013 – 9:00 am

In a new Heritage Legal Memorandum, Chapman University Law School professor and NOM Chairman John Eastman writes on the constitutional issues at stake in the DOMA and Prop 8 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. Here is the Abstract:

In United States v. Windsor and Hollingsworth v. Perry, the Supreme Court will consider the constitutionality of government policies that reflect traditional marriage—that is, marriage as a union between one man and one woman. If the Court does not dismiss these cases on jurisdictional grounds, it should act to uphold traditional marriage. Nothing in the Court’s jurisprudence suggests that the right of same-sex couples to have their relationships recognized as marriages is so fundamental as to be protected by the Constitution’s Due Process Clause. Nor does the Equal Protection Clause require that result, given the societal purpose and value of marriage as furthering procreation and child-rearing. Because the Constitution does not speak to this question, it is one that is left to ordinary political processes, not to judicial fiat.

You can read the rest here.

By NOM Staff | Posted in DOMA, Law, Marriage, Prop 8, Same Sex Marriage, Supreme Court | Comments Off

NEW VIDEO: Why We Must Not Lose at the Supreme Court

January 30, 2013 – 3:45 pm

Dear Marriage Supporter,

Last week, I sent you a note about NOM's newly redesigned website, www.Prop8Case.com.

Today I want to share with you a video reminding us how important it is that we remain active and engaged to demonstrate America's support for marriage leading up to the Supreme Court's consideration of this pivotal case. This new Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance video interview shows what the consequences of losing this battle could be.

Dr. Steve Tourloukis was forced to sue the government of Canada for his right as a parent to determine how to best educate his own children!

Click here to watch this incredible new video today!

We have seen, time and time again, that wherever marriage is redefined, the rights of religious individuals and institutions are put in jeopardy by government fiat. There is no middle ground — either our rights are respected, or they are threatened and eradicated.

When marriage is redefined, people like you and me who believe that it takes a man and a woman to make a marriage are treated under the law as the functional equivalent of racists and bigots.

Marriage Supporter, these are the stakes of the battle that has now made its way to the Supreme Court.

Please watch this video right now and seriously consider making a confidential, tax-deductible donation of $25, $50, $100 or even $500 to the NOM Education Fund today, so that together we can fight back against the dangerous imposition of the radical same-sex marriage agenda.

We can win this fight, but only if we have the means to give marriage the defense it both needs and deserves.

By Brian Brown | Posted in MarriageADA, Prop 8, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (2)

The Path to Victory

January 30, 2013 – 3:37 pm

Dear Marriage Champion,

Last week, the House of Representatives took the unprecedented step of voting to redefine marriage. The homosexual activists behind House Bill 5015 do not believe that children are entitled to both a mother and a father.

But we know that marriage is about more than the wants and desires of adults; the government regulates marriage for the good of children.

Recently, a landmark study showed that children raised in a household where at least one parent engaged in a homosexual relationship fared worse on 25 out of 40 measured outcomes, and did better on virtually none. You can see the study for yourself at www.familystructurestudies.com.

Now the battle shifts to the Senate, where the fate of marriage sits on a knife's edge. Even today the Providence Journal ran the headline, "Senate Appears Divided on Same-Sex Marriage Bill." Eleven senators have co-signed a bill to redefine marriage, while eleven others have signed a resolution to send the question to the people.

Which path will the Senate choose — radically redefining marriage, or letting the citizens have their say in the matter? For us, the path is clear... and that path starts with you.

You can make the difference in preserving the vital roles of mothers and fathers, and leaving future generations of kids the best chance of being loved and cared for by both their mom and dad.

Tell the Senate to REJECT the redefinition of marriage and instead "Let the People Vote!"

Act immediately and urge the Senate to REJECT House Bill 5015 and to support Senate Resolution 96 to let the people vote on marriage.

Here are three easy steps to make a difference today:

Call your State Senator right now and urge him or her to REJECT House Bill 5015 and to SUPPORT Senate Resolution 96. Click here for a telephone list of the Senators.
Email each member of the Senate Judiciary Committee urging them to REJECT HB 5015 and support Senate Resolution 96. Click here to send your message right now.
Ask you family and friends to join you by forwarding this email to five people.

There is a path to preserving marriage in the Ocean State, but that path starts with you taking action right now! Together, let's take this path today — to victory!

By Christopher Plante | Posted in Alerts, Marriage Election Watch, Rhode Island, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

Brian Brown on Obama, Divider-in-Chief on Marriage

January 30, 2013 – 3:00 pm

Brian Brown's op-ed on the President's choice to use his inaugural address to push for a redefinition of marriage has been published in CNS News:

"... Marriage as it has been defined throughout history - as the union of one man and one woman - is a great cause of unity for any culture, including our own. We know all too well what happens to society when marriage breaks down and government interferes with the rights of men and women to come together and form healthy, lifelong marriages. The President's obsession with redefining marriage has prevented him in his first term from doing anything of substance to support and advance the institution of marriage for the vast majority of Americans. That is where his emphasis should be.

Americans remain united in support of the commonsense definition of marriage. A poll taken after the most recent elections showed that 60% of Americans agree that marriage is between one man and one woman. Twenty percent of Americans in that same poll said marriage was one of their top three issues. The vast majority of states define marriage as the union of husband and wife and the vast majority of Americans who have been given a chance to vote on the question have supported that definition as well.

... We eagerly await the Supreme Court's decision on the question of whether Americans have a right to protect marriage in law.

In the meantime, Americans should unite in support of the commonsense definition of marriage. The longer our leaders insist on throwing their words and weight behind the movement to redefine marriage the more they will continue to divide our beloved nation."

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

NOM Chairman John Eastman on Obama's Gay Couples Immigration Destraction

January 30, 2013 – 2:30 pm

Our Chairman Prof. John Eastman was interviewed briefly by NBC Latino yesterday:

"...DOMA proponents see the president’s decision to roll in a provision for bi-national same-sex couples as misguided.

“If the president is putting immigration as his highest priority, why would he muddy the waters with a proposal that violates current federal law?” says John Eastman, president of the National Organization for Marriage. “I guarantee there’ll be a fight if he’s trying to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. I think it demonstrates he’s not serious about immigration reform.”

Am immigration reform blueprint released by the “Gang of Eight,” as the group of Republican and Democratic senators have come to be known, detailed major shifts on immigration but did not refer to measures for same-sex couples."

By NOM Staff | Posted in Law, Marriage, Politics, President Obama, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

Matthew Franck: The Boy Scouts and Neuhaus’ Law

January 30, 2013 – 1:30 pm

Matthew Franck at First Things recalls an observation of the later Fr. Richard Neuhaus which he finds applicable to the recent attempt by the Boy Scouts of America to placate their gay activist critics:

"...Already one of the pressure-group leaders who has brought the Scouts to the brink of this change is warning that it does not go far enough:“It’s a step in the right direction, and good to see that B.S.A. is softening its position,” [Zach Wahls] said. “But under the policy change, it will still be possible for some units to discriminate.”

This is a perfect occasion for a reminder of Neuhaus’ Law, named for First Thingsfounding editor Richard John Neuhaus, who coined it in a “Public Square” entry in the January 1997 issue titled “The Unhappy Fate of Optional Orthodoxy.” Here is the Law as Fr. Neuhaus himself stated it: “Where orthodoxy is optional, orthodoxy will sooner or later be proscribed.”

As Neuhaus went on to explain, with his usual trenchant insight:

With the older orthodoxy it is possible to disagree, as in having an argument. Evidence, reason, and logic count, in principle at least. Not so with the new orthodoxy. Here disagreement is an intolerable personal affront. It is construed as a denial of others, of their experience of who they are. It is a blasphemous assault on that most high god, “My Identity.” Truth-as-identity is not appealable beyond the assertion of identity. In this game, identity is trumps.

Just so."