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"Legal Chaos" Ensues After Rogue Pennsylvania County Ignores Law, Issues Marriage Licenses

August 15, 2013 at 3:44 pm

The inevitable outcome after state officials take it upon themselves to break their own laws:

“There is no limit to the administrative and legal chaos that is likely to flow from the clerk’s unlawful practice of issuing marriage licenses to those who are not permitted under Pennsylvania law to marry,” the [Pennsylvania Department of Health's legal] brief reads. “One consequence of the clerk’s illegal conduct in issuing invalid marriage licenses is likely to be this: Same-sex couples who falsely believe (or merely contend erroneously) that they are married will apply for claim benefits or other treatment (both public and private) that is reserved for those who are lawfully married under Pennsylvania law.”

The state has repeatedly contended that Register of Wills and Clerk of the Orphan’s Court D. Bruce Hanes violates the state marriage law every time he issues a marriage license to a same-sex couple.

“By his own acknowledgement, the clerk is repeatedly, continuously and notoriously acting in clear derogation of the marriage law inasmuch as he is issuing marriage licenses to applicants of the same gender,” the brief states. “The clerk’s actions are in direct defiance of the express policy of the commonwealth, that ‘marriage is between one man and one woman.’” -Daily Local News

By NOM Staff | Posted in Ethics, Law, Marriage, Pennsylvania, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

Not All Children Raised by Gay Parents Support Same-Sex Marriage

August 15, 2013 at 3:00 pm

In a 2012 landmark study on same-sex parenting (and its long-term effects on children), sociologist Mark Regnerus' identified 248 adults who were raised by couples in same-sex romantic relationships and gave reports unfavorable to the same-sex marriage agenda.

Robert Oscar Lopez

Robert Oscar Lopez bravely shares his own personal story on what it was like to be raised by two women, and what he missed out on:

Quite simply, growing up with gay parents was very difficult, and not because of prejudice from neighbors. People in our community didn’t really know what was going on in the house. To most outside observers, I was a well-raised, high-achieving child, finishing high school with straight A’s.

Inside, however, I was confused. When your home life is so drastically different from everyone around you, in a fundamental way striking at basic physical relations, you grow up weird. I have no mental health disorders or biological conditions. I just grew up in a house so unusual that I was destined to exist as a social outcast.

My peers learned all the unwritten rules of decorum and body language in their homes; they understood what was appropriate to say in certain settings and what wasn’t; they learned both traditionally masculine and traditionally feminine social mechanisms.

Even if my peers’ parents were divorced, and many of them were, they still grew up seeing male and female social models. They learned, typically, how to be bold and unflinching from male figures and how to write thank-you cards and be sensitive from female figures. These are stereotypes, of course, but stereotypes come in handy when you inevitably leave the safety of your lesbian mom’s trailer and have to work and survive in a world where everybody thinks in stereotypical terms, even gays.

I had no male figure at all to follow, and my mother and her partner were both unlike traditional fathers or traditional mothers. As a result, I had very few recognizable social cues to offer potential male or female friends, since I was neither confident nor sensitive to others. Thus I befriended people rarely and alienated others easily. Gay people who grew up in straight parents’ households may have struggled with their sexual orientation; but when it came to the vast social universe of adaptations not dealing with sexuality—how to act, how to speak, how to behave—they had the advantage of learning at home. Many gays don’t realize what a blessing it was to be reared in a traditional home. -LifeSiteNews

Mothers and fathers both play unique roles in a child's life. Take a look at the findings from Dr. Regnerus' study at www.familystructurestudies.com.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Children, Marriage, Parenting, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

National Organization for Marriage Denounces California Supreme Court Decision Not to Consider Viability of Proposition 8

August 15, 2013 at 2:51 pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 15, 2013
Contact: Elizabeth Ray or Jen Campbell (703-683-5004)

"Same-sex marriage in California is illegitimate, imposed by judicial activists in opposition to the expressed will of the people. The nation, and the rule of law, are worse for it." — Brian Brown, NOM president —

National Organization for Marriage

Washington, D.C. — The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) today denounced the California Supreme Court's refusal to consider whether a single federal judge can invalidate a statewide vote enacting Proposition 8, which was adopted by over 7 million Californians.

"The ruling is very disappointing but not unexpected. Unfortunately, a million Californians, redefining marriage in direct contravention of the expressed will of the people. Same-sex marriage in California is illegitimate, imposed by judicial activists in direct opposition to the expressed will of the people. California, the nation, and the rule of law are worse for it," declared Brian Brown, NOM's president.

Proposition 8, amending California's State Constitution to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman, was passed in 2008 with over 7 million votes. It marked the second time Californians had voted to preserve the true definition of marriage. (In 2000, voters enacted Proposition 22, a statute.) Despite this, a homosexual federal judge engaged in a long-term gay relationship declared that the measure was unconstitutional. Because the state officials responsible for defending Proposition 8 abandoned their oath of office and refused to do so, it fell to the proponents of the measure to defend the initiative through the federal court system. However, the US Supreme Court decided that the proponents did not have legal standing to appeal the trail court ruling invalidating Prop 8. Yesterday the state Supreme Court declined to consider whether state law allows a single trail judge to invalidate the measure.

"The way that activist judges have dealt with Proposition 8 is a travesty of justice and undermines the rule of law and the democratic process itself," Brown said. "The legitimate votes of 7 million Californians, and their fair-minded, reasonable position that marriage should be defined as the union of one man and one woman, have been trampled underfoot by derelict politicians and activist judges. However, this is not the end of the debate. No judge or politician can redefine what God has created. NOM and our allies will work to make sure the people of California, and other states where marriage has been redefined have a voice speaking for true marriage. So-called same-sex 'marriage' is a political creation; it doesn't exist in reality. Eventually it will fall, and we will restore natural marriage in California."

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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 California, Featured, Press Releases, Prop 8, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

Utah Attorneys Say State Has ‘Sovereign’ Right to Protect Marriage

August 14, 2013 at 4:48 pm

The Salt Lake City Tribune:

Utah has a "sovereign right" to define and regulate marriage and a constitutional amendment that bars recognition of same-sex marriage enshrines that right, state attorneys say in a brief filed in U.S. District Court.

The state’s 13-page answer filed in federal court Monday says marriage between a man and a woman is a "constitutionally protected fundamental right and/or liberty interest." While it is true that "unmarried couples or groups of any kind — heterosexual, homosexual, polygamous, etc." are denied certain rights available to married couples, their access to those rights is not protected under the U.S. Constitution, the state says.

Regulating marriage is a legitimate governmental interest, the filing states, noting that the state’s law does not prevent gays or lesbians from marrying — it simply does not afford their unions any recognition. In addition, the restriction is not gender-based since it applies equally to both males and females, state attorneys argue.

Utah voters approved Amendment 3 in 2004 and it took effect on Jan. 1, 2005. It was approved by 66 percent of the voters who participated in the election.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Law, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage, Utah | Comments Off

Arkansas Attorney General Rejects Same-Sex Marriage Proposal

August 14, 2013 at 4:33 pm

Arkansas voters passed the Arkansas Marriage Amendment, which protects marriage as the union of one man and one woman, by a margin of 75% to 25% in 2004. Now, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel has again rejected ballot language for a proposed initiative that would REPEAL the amendment:

Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel has again rejected a pro-gay marriage group's proposed ballot measure that if approved would repeal the state's marriage amendment.

McDaniel decided Monday that Arkansans for Equality's proposed measure to repeal Amendment 83 was problematic over the ballot initiative's language.

"That rejection was due to misleading tendencies in the proposed ballot title and the ballot title's failure to include any mention of the proposal's effect on current law," wrote McDaniel.

..."A pro-homosexual group here in Arkansas conducted a poll about six weeks ago and in their poll, it indicated that the Arkansas Marriage Amendment would still pass," said [director of the Arkansas Family Council, Jerry] Cox.

"Nobody knows what the vote would actually be, because you don't know who's going to actually turn out and vote, but even by their own admission the Arkansas Marriage Amendment would still pass today if it were on the ballot." -Christian Post

By NOM Staff | Posted in Arkansas, Law, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

Millennials Will Save Marriage

August 14, 2013 at 3:57 pm

Here's a fantastic piece from Chris Marlink over at Marriage Generation. Millennials, he argues, the same generation poised to throw it all away, will ultimately be the ones to redeem and restore marriage:

Millennials, those approximately 18 to about 31, are the generation most supportive of redefining marriage. They’re increasingly likely to delay or forgo marriage altogether (just 26% of adults aged 20 to 29 were married in 2008, compared to nearly 70% in 1960), and they’re the most convinced that marriage is becoming obsolete.

But here’s my counterintuitive thesis: Millennials, that same generation poised to throw it all away, will save marriage. They’ll do it the way sailors have made progress in strong headwinds for thousands of years. They’ll tack.

...using the word “marriage” to solemnize same-sex relationships wouldn’t be a redefinition so much as a natural conclusion. In the public mind, marriage has already been redefined—that is, separated from its true and full meaning. Consider this paragraph from Molly Ball at the Atlantic, writing on the fallout of the Prop 8 electoral victory:

In survey after survey, researchers would ask people what marriage meant to them -- not gay marriage, but the concept of marriage itself. And the answers were always the same: Marriage meant love and commitment. Even people who'd been divorced three times would say the same thing. Then the researchers would ask, "Why do you think gay people want to get married?" and the answers would change: They want rights and benefits. They're trying to make a political point. They don't understand what marriage is really about. Most commonly, respondents said they simply didn't know. [emphasis mine]

Millennials who hold orthodox convictions on marriage are not in a race to stop marriage from being redefined. Supposing most Americans understand marriage as “love and commitment,” then let us acknowledge that this exclusively personal understanding of marriage, sundered from any of the societal implications of the union, already represents a redefinition. Same-sex “marriage” is a near unassailable eventuality if marriage means solely “love and commitment.” Our task then, is not to stop a redefinition of marriage: it is to correct a redefinition. It is to redeem and restore marriage in the hearts and minds of our neighbors. If we do that, the law will follow.

The truth about marriage can't be changed, and the millennial generation will be the ones to recognize that truth! Finish reading Chris Marlink's article here and let us know your thoughts below.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Culture, Debating Marriage, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage, Youth | Comments Off

Don't Let Iowa be the Next California

August 13, 2013 at 2:10 pm

Dear Marriage Supporter,

Last Friday I told you about the witch hunt in Iowa initiated by a homosexual activist whose sole goal is to silence NOM and people like yourself from standing up in public for the truth of God's design for marriage. If you have not been able to give an emergency donation to help us fight this frivolous complaint, please do so today because the story is even more outrageous than even we realized.

Get this: Megan Tooker, Chief Executive and General Counsel for the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board — the very person charged with conducting a fair and impartial investigation into the complaint — worked for Supreme Court Justice Michael Streit, one of the judges we helped remove from office during the 2010 judicial retention campaign! Talk about an apparent conflict of interest. It's no wonder that Ms. Tooker has in effect already publicly "convicted" NOM in absentia through the press. Instead of giving the good people of Iowa ethical and impartial service, Ms. Tooker has revealed her deep bias and animosity by declaring, without seeing any evidence in the case, that NOM is "absolutely false" and "absolutely wrong" in its position. Worse, she has blatantly lied to the public and media by misrepresenting our views on what must be disclosed under Iowa campaign finance laws. Her impertinent behavior is an attempt to poison the well of public opinion against NOM before anyone reviews the actual evidence.

We are not going to accept such outrageous and unprofessional behavior. Yesterday we demanded that Ms. Tooker be removed from any involvement with NOM's case. The people of Iowa are entitled to the highest standards of ethical conduct and independence from the state's top ethics officer, not conflicts of interest and misleading comments.

Sadly, we've seen this type of thing before. Ms. Tooker's behavior is frighteningly reminiscent to Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco, who outrageously declared Proposition 8 to be unconstitutional, thus invalidating the votes of over 7 million Californians. Walker refused to disclose that he is homosexual and engaged in a long-term gay relationship despite rules that require federal judges to make such disclosure if a reasonable person would believe him to have a conflict of interest. Just as Walker could never be expected to rule fairly on homosexual marriage, how can Megan Tooker be counted on to fairly handle a complaint that involves a campaign that helped remove her former boss from office?

Whether or not our demand of the Ethics Board that Ms. Tooker be removed from being involved in the complaint against NOM is granted or denied, we still have to defend ourselves from the blatantly false accusations that have been leveled by the homosexual activist who filed the complaint. This defense will cost money, time, and manpower, and distracts us from the critical job of fighting to preserve marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

We prayerfully ask you to stand with us against these forces of animosity and prejudice by making a sacrificial donation today. NOM will not be cowed or intimidated by bullies in the gay marriage movement, and we know the good people of Iowa will stand with us for the truth. Please join us today through an emergency gift so the truth can prevail and NOM can continue to work in Iowa and many other states to restore the true and blessed definition of marriage there.

Public officials and judges with conflicts of interest, frivolous complaints, and misrepresentations and lies to the public and media are all tools of our opponents to silence NOM and people like you who stand for God's truth and design for marriage. Don't let them win! Stand with us today with your generous donation.

Faithfully,

Brian S. Brown

By Brian Brown | Posted in Alerts, Iowa, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

Schubert: There is No Such Thing as “Gender Identity”

August 13, 2013 at 2:01 pm

"One of the biggest problems I have with the movement to redefine marriage is the series of falsehoods we’re required to accept that fly in the face of the established natural order. Consider the contention that men and women are identical – not just equal but actually the same. If this is accepted as true, then having a gender basis for marriage no longer makes sense. But it’s not true; a man is not a woman, and a woman is not a man." — Frank Schubert

A must-read from our National Political Director Frank Schubert on RedState today:

You might look at my Caucasian features and wonder why I am claiming to be an African American. I may not be a natural descendent of African American lineage, but I feel black and have thus decided to identify as African American. Since I identify as African American, I am African American, and you must accept me as such. Because I claim my identity as an African American, I demand that the law recognize me as such and afford me all the rights and obligations of that ethnicity.

You may think that my decision to claim an African American identity is ridiculous. You would be right. Ethnicity is determined by ancestry and genetic lineage, not by someone’s identified perceptions and “feelings.” But it’s no more ridiculous than the latest craze from the left concerning something they call “gender identity.”

Under this theory, a person’s “gender identity” can be different than his or her gender at birth and identity can change depending on the circumstances. A child could identify as a boy at home, the gender he was born with, and a girl at school. It may be, the argument goes, that he’s not comfortable enough at home with his identity as a girl, but is comfortable enough at school to identify as a girl. So society must treat him as a girl at school even if he’s a boy at home.

Read and share Frank's full article here.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Culture, Debating Marriage, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

After Being Fired for His Beliefs, Frank Turek Helps Other Marriage Supporters in Similar Positions

August 13, 2013 at 12:39 pm

Remember Dr. Frank Turek? Dr. Turek is an award-winning author and leadership consultant who was abruptly fired from both Bank of America and Cisco Systems in 2011 after someone Googled his name and discovered that he had written a book entitled Correct, Not Politically Correct: How Same-Sex Marriage Hurts Everyone.

Keep in mind, Dr. Turek's political and religious views were never expressed or even mentioned during his work with either company! (Hear more of Dr. Turek's story in his own words on our Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance website.)

Now, he's helping to equip others who may find themselves in the same position:

Frank Turek is equipping Christians to look at moral issues confronting America and how to respond successfully from a Christian worldview at the 2013 20th Annual National Conference on Christian Apologetics, “Reasons for the Hope,” presented by Southern Evangelical Seminary and Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. The conference is set for Oct. 11-12 at First Baptist Church Indian Trail near Charlotte, N.C.

In light of all that has taken place on the marriage front this summer, Turek’s story is of interest to many. How he handled himself in this setting, as you will see, is a perfect example of Christian apologetics in action.

Turek went about his job as a leadership consultant at Cisco Systems with commitment and passion. In fact, he got such high marks for a yearlong program he conducted in 2008 that he was asked back in 2010.

Another 10 sessions of leadership and team-building programming were scheduled, and Turek and his students were through the seventh session when a manager for Cisco who was enrolled in the class issued a complaint against Turek. And because of that complaint, the relationship between Cisco and Turek was terminated.

The student phoning in the complaint had never read the book but Googled Turek after class. In his complaint, the manager said that although Turek never discussed his views in class, his beliefs were inconsistent with Cisco’s tolerance policies and couldn’t be ... tolerated.

The manager then contacted an experienced human resources professional at Cisco who had Turek fired that day without ever speaking to him. The HR professional also commended the manager for “outing” Turek.

Do you have similar story? If you've been threatened, harassed, or made to feel afraid because you believe marriage is the union of husband and wife, you're not alone. And the Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance is here to help. Share your story.

(All communications with MarriageADA will be kept strictly confidential. You may share your story anonymously. Help us create an America in which no decent, loving, law-abiding citizen feels afraid to speak up for marriage!)

By NOM Staff | Posted in Corporate Ethics, Ethics, Marriage, MarriageADA, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

Local Bishops Urge Nigerians to Protect Marriage and Family

August 13, 2013 at 12:15 pm

Catholic Culture:

The bishops of the ecclesiastical province of Ibadan, which is located in southwestern Nigeria, warned against attempts to legalize same-sex marriage.

“We confirm that a family consists of a man, a woman and children,” the bishops said in a statement, as reported by the Fides news agency. “We empathize with people who live with homosexual and gay tendencies and call on society not to discriminate against them.”

“We however firmly reject all attempts to enshrine these tendencies in the Nigerian constitution, and we appeal to every Nigerian to protect the traditional values of marriage and the family as a way of fostering a cohesive society,” they added.

The bishops also lamented the violence afflicting northern Nigeria, rued the reinstitution of capital punishment, and said that the Year of Faith “has witnessed a new zeal and energy and zeal in the laity’s outreach in evangelization.”

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

The Burden of Proof is on Same-Sex Marriage Advocates

August 13, 2013 at 12:06 pm

Family Action Council of Tennessee President David Fowler explains why those pushing to redefine marriage need to meet their burden of proof. And if they can't, the “marriage equality” argument has no foundation to stand on.

The issue is not whether homosexual conduct is good or bad. It is not whether those who engage in homosexual relations can be productive members of society. And it is not about benefits. That is what same-sex marriage advocates want people to think. But those are not the issue.

The issue is whether our society should continue to embrace natural marriage – the union of a man and woman — or embrace other forms of relationships as marriages.

However, the burden of proving that this change will improve our common good is on same-sex marriage advocates, not on those who support the long-standing meaning and value of natural marriage.

Those who support change just can’t be the “party of no” because they are against natural marriage. They need to tell Tennesseans what they are for so that Tennesseans can see how it “stacks up” in comparison to natural marriage.

And if same-sex marriage advocates want equality, then the burden is on them to prove that a same-sex union is essentially the same as a heterosexual union in all regards. Otherwise, everyone knows that there is nothing “unequal” or “unfair” about treating two different things two different ways.

If they can’t meet their burden of proof, then the whole “marriage equality” argument falls to the ground.

Read David Fowler's full commentary over on Citizen Link.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Civil Unions, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage, Tennessee | Comments Off

"I Hope You Rot in Hell": Vicious Attacks from Human Rights Commissioner Exposed

August 13, 2013 at 11:16 am

Even after 49-year old Scott Raasch was found to have sent a series of explosive, threatening emails to Rev. Cary Gordon over Gordon's support of natural marriage, he still thinks he should keep his role on the Human Rights Commission, claiming he can act impartially.

Does this sound 'impartial' to you?

In angry emails, Raasch wrote, “You will get what’s coming to you sooner or later. I hope you rot in hell," adding, “I think there are many people that deserve to burn in hell … including you and your entire family.”

Raasch also wrote, “Now be a good little bigot and go break some more laws.”

Raasch has since apologized to Gordon and insists he would hold no bias against people of faith in his role at the Human Rights Commission.

Gordon, of Cornerstone World Outreach Church, has accepted the apology but still thinks Raasch should step down from his role on the Commission.

“As a commissioner, you are expected to defend me against anti-religious discrimination,” Gordon said. “Why not do the honorable thing,” he added, “and tender your resignation to the council so that no one in our community has to worry about whether or not you are out to get them with power?” -Charisma News

By NOM Staff | Posted in Civility, Iowa, Marriage, Religious Liberty, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

The IRS Must Be Held Accountable

August 12, 2013 at 5:20 pm

National Organization for Marriage

Tell the Ways and Means Committee to Use Its Subpoena Power to get to the bottom of the IRS Scandal

The National Organization of Marriage has been the victim of a felony in that someone within the IRS leaked NOM's confidential tax return in 2012 to our political opponents. This criminal provided our tax documents, with the names of several donors, to the Human Rights Campaign and the Huffington Post. It is a felony to have provided this information and to have revealed the confidential names of NOM's donors.
Since learning about this, NOM has filed numerous "Freedom of Information Requests" and demanded that the IRS take action against the perpetrator. To this point NOM has received no satisfactory answer from the IRS as to the status of the investigation or even if one is under way.

The scandal made national news when it was also revealed that the IRS inappropriately targeted conservative organizations for particular scrutiny in their applications for tax-exempt status. However, what happened to NOM goes beyond targeting to a felony crime.
Here are several talking points about the scandal; followed by action items NOM has demanded the Ways and Means Committee take to resolve this issue.

Talking points:

In March, 2012, someone at the IRS leaked the National Organization for Marriage's confidential tax return — a felony — to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), which posted the document on its website. HRC is NOM's principal opponent in the marriage battle and has waged a war of intimidation and harassment against NOM and those active in the effort to preserve marriage. In early 2012, HRC president, Joseph Solmonese, was appointed a national co-chair of the Obama reelection campaign. A few months later, the publication of NOM's tax return occurred.
NOM's published Form 990 Schedule B from 2008 contained the identity of dozens of major NOM donors. NOM knows the document was from internal IRS because under a mask that was applied to the document to hide the origin, which computer programs were able to remove, revealed the internal IRS stamp on the document, on every single page in the same location.
In early April 2012 after the publication of their tax returns, NOM asked both the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) for investigations. NOM knows TIGTA conducted an investigation, but they never identified the perpetrator of this crime. If charges are brought, federal law requires that the taxpayer be advised.
Beginning last August 2012, NOM began filing a series of FOIA and Privacy Act requests with TIGTA and the IRS to try to ascertain the status of the investigation, the identity of the perpetrator, and any information relating to where the decision was made to commit this felony against NOM for obvious political purposes. Those requests have been stonewalled, with the latest non-response response, dated May 3, 2013, claiming that the very same statute that was violated by disclosing our returns shields the identity of the perpetrator as the "subject" of an IRS investigation.
The IRS, the DOJ, and TIGTA have not brought charges against the individuals who committed these felonies in over a year, and they are using a convoluted interpretation of the statute prohibiting disclosure to shield the identity of those same individuals from NOM.

Action Items to Demand of Your Congressman:

Insist that the House Ways and Means Committee subpoena Joseph Solmonese, and other HRC staff, to determine exactly by what means HRC obtained NOM's confidential donor information
Pursue full disclosure from former Acting IRS Commission Steven Miller. Mr. Miller was unable to provide satisfactory answers to the Committee on May 17th. The Committee should pursue the unresolved matters with Mr. Miller.

By Brian Brown | Posted in Alerts, Congress, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

National Organization for Marriage Calls on Ethics Board to Remove Executive Director/General Counsel From Investigation Due to Bias and Conflict

August 12, 2013 at 4:41 pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 12, 2013
Contact: Elizabeth Ray or Jen Campbell (703-683-5004)

National Organization for Marriage

Washington, D.C. — The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) has formally demanded that the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board remove Megan Tooker, Executive Director and General Counsel of the Board, from any involvement in handling a complaint filed against NOM concerning the 2010 and 2012 campaigns to unseat Iowa's Supreme Court Justices. The group pointed to Tooker's employment with one of the justices who was removed from office in 2010 and her comments in the media following a recent Board hearing as evidence of her bias and partiality.

"The people of Iowa are entitled to the highest standards of ethical conduct and independence from the state's top ethics officer, but Megan Tooker has shown herself to be biased and incredibly unprofessional in her handling of the complaint against NOM," said Brian Brown, NOM's president. "Ms. Tooker worked for one of the justices we helped remove from office in 2010 and which is the subject of the complaint she is evaluating. At a minimum this presents the appearance of a conflict of interest. Furthermore, her comments to the media reveal deep-seated animosity toward our position and are grossly inaccurate, prejudicial and inappropriate. We demand that she be removed from having any role in evaluating the complaint filed against us."

A homosexual marriage activist has filed a complaint against NOM alleging that they failed to disclose donors during the 2010 and 2012 judicial retention campaigns. NOM vigorously denies the allegations. Tooker was a law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Michael Streit, who was removed from office in 2010 following his vote to redefine marriage in the state. As Executive Director and General Counsel of the Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board, Tooker recommended that the Board open an official inquiry, which the Board did at a hearing last week. Following the hearing and prior to receiving any evidence in the case, Ms. Tooker granted media interviews blatantly misrepresenting NOM's position regarding several critical elements of the complaint, falsely alleging that NOM believes it does not have to report contributions designated for the judicial retention campaign or funds raised by email or telephone solicitation. "She told the media that NOM's position is "absolutely wrong" and "absolutely false."

"By blatantly misrepresenting our position in the media, Ms. Tooker has in effect convicted us in absentia, without conducting any investigation or receiving any evidence," Brown said. "She's prejudiced our case by lying to the media about our position on critical matters, and then declaring us to be ‘absolutely wrong' and ‘absolutely false' in our defense of the complaint. Clearly, this is not the kind of ethical behavior one would expect from the state's top ethics officer, someone charged with conducting a fair and impartial investigation into the facts, and then carefully applying the facts to the law. Rather, it shows the deep bias she holds toward us for having helped unseat her former employer."

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By NOM Staff | Posted in Featured, Press Releases, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

REALLY?! Abraham Lincoln would approve of 'marriage equality'?! NOM Marriage News

August 12, 2013 at 4:00 pm

NOM National Newsletter

Dear Marriage Supporter,

The wedding industry attracts a number of devout Christians. It's natural perhaps, given the Bible describes the act of joining a man and woman in marriage, as mirroring God's presence in a special way.

Many of these Christians are now being asked, cruelly, to choose between their faith and their families' livelihoods. The latest case to emerge is in Grimes, Iowa. The Odgaards, husband and wife owners of Gortz Haus, were too honest to lie when a gay male couple showed up and tried to book their venue for their wedding ceremony. Mr. Odgaard asked if they were looking for a place for a gay wedding. When told "Yes" he said, "I can't take your money and I don't do things for free."

"It's not from an angry place," Mrs. Odgaard told the press. It's just that she is a Mennonite and she does not think it is right to personally facilitate a gay wedding. "That decision is based on our religious beliefs. We want to honor that. We want people to know that is our stand that comes from our faith, our convictions. I think we should just stand by that no matter what," said Odgaard.

Lee Stafford, one half of the same-sex couple, is having none of that religious liberty talk: "The fact is he discriminated against us based on our sexual orientation. Iowa code says if you have a public accommodation, you can't discriminate based on sexual orientation," Lee told the press. Notice how he changed the subject from "What is marriage?" to homosexuality. But in fact, it was because Mr. Stafford and his partner wanted a "wedding" that the Odgaards turned him down.

When the story broke, the social media trolls ran with the story and the haters went after the Odgaards in a big way, sending them "hateful, hurtful and threatening" emails, Mrs. Odgaard reported.

That's not the way people usually treat each other in Grimes. It's not the way anyone should be treated.

So why this torrent of hatred at someone like Mrs. Betty Odgaard?

Because the haters know that their tactics work: they are engaged in a deliberate attempt to intimidate and repress good people like Mrs. Odgaard and her husband, and to scare people like you and me from raising our voices in public. This personal hate is backed up by the iron hand of the law that is likely to punish the Odgaards for what is now in the government's eyes a crime: failing to assist in a gay wedding when asked, even if it violates your deeply held religious beliefs. In the state's view, you must accommodate gay 'weddings' if you do weddings at all.

But the stakes are so cruelly different: for the homosexual couple, it's "find another wedding venue." But for the Osgaards it's "obey the government or lose your livelihood."

This is no philosophical debate. You'll recall the Vermont couple who faced a similar situation when a homosexual couple wanted to host a wedding at their Inn. They were sued when they explained their Christian views, and were forced to pay a stiff fine and exit the wedding business altogether.

It's imperative that we let people in Iowa and around the nation know what's going on.

We need $3,755 to send a camera crew out to cover this story and other breaking stories as they develop. Can you help us make sure the faces of the victims like the Odgaards don't get buried by the mainstream media? Standing for their faith, the Odgaards are heroes who deserve our support. NOM and our Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance want to help the Odgaards tell their story. Help us make it happen.

Jennifer Thieme, the finance director at NOM's Ruth Institute, is another brave woman, one of the next generation's heroines, who is not simply going to sit back and surrender her right to speak freely about gay marriage.

A few weeks ago in "the Wonk Room," Jennifer took the "Log Cabin Republicans" to task for claiming that support for gay marriage is consistent with the principles of Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party.
But one Log Cabin Republican named Angelo objected claiming, "Contrary to Ms. Thieme's assertions, marriage equality is very much consistent with the conservative values of individuality and limited government." He concludes by claiming "equality" as a conservative principle, not only consistent with, but at the core of limited government.

You are going to hear a lot claims like this by the now well-funded "turn the GOP pro-gay marriage lobby." My!, What the kids these days don't know.

But one thing I know about Jennifer is she doesn't back down from a fight!

"The Log Cabin Republicans did not address the central point I made, which is how same sex marriage changes the status between parents and their children," Jennifer Thieme shot back, "The claims for "marriage equality" pale in comparison to the vast transfer of authority from natural families to the state."

She goes on, "Mr. Angelo criticizes my preference for biological parenthood. He doesn't offer an alternative, but the only alternative is unacceptable: to have the state assign parenthood in all cases. That's what "parent 1 and parent 2" means — the biological reality of mother and father is disregarded in favor of subjective definitions."

You don't have to agree with every single word to appreciate the larger truth: gay marriage is a radical — to the root — transformation of our fundamental principles of family law, family life, and the relationship between government and family, and between people of faith and our new government order.

Limited government is based on the idea that government does not get to redefine our reality or our rights. Remember, under the American system we recognize that rights come from the Creator, not government. Respect for marriage and the natural family as a limiting principle of government power is being replaced by a massive new intrusion of government to enforce "equality" laws.

You know who else has noticed how radical Anthony Kennedy's new America is? The polyamory lobby.

Anita Wagner Illig, a long-time polyamory spokeswoman, told Newsweek that the Supreme Court's DOMA decision was opening new doors: "A favorable outcome for marriage equality is a favorable outcome for multi-partner marriage, because the opposition cannot argue lack of precedent for legalizing marriage for other forms of non-traditional relationships."

True to form, exactly as we predicted, the polygamist movement is following the script laid down by the gay marriage activists.

Step one: Control the media image: only happy stories about happy polyamorists please.
Step two: Make oversized claims for the virtues of this way of life based on personal narratives backed by weak or shoddy scientific evidence. This February, the very first annual International Academic Polyamory Conference took place in Berkeley, California.
Step Three: Use the tragedy of family breakdown to justify breaking down some new family norms: "When I think about the number of kids with an absent parent, I think it's pretty great that my daughter has three adults in her life to give her time and attention and care. And with all the varieties of loving, blended families in the world, I fail to see why mine should be considered any differently."
Finally, put words in your child's mouth. When my daughter talks about same-sex marriage or polyamorous relationships, she always looks perplexed and says, "I don't understand why anyone is angry about people being in love and not hurting anyone." Make your child into the defender of your lifestyle and protector of your sexual minority rights. Children love their parents to death, they will be happy to repress their ambivalence and defend you.

Ah, those polyamorous "pioneers." Forging Brave New Families. Breaking down stereotypes and cultural norms. Those norms that teach us to cleave unto one wife only and give our children the stability of knowing they come from a family which respects the laws of nature and of nature's God. The norms that provide our children love and stability that come from being conceived in marriage between the mother and father who made you, welcomed you, loved you, and built a family for you.

But don't worry, the Log Cabin Republicans want you to know: Abraham Lincoln would approve of "marriage equality" as a conservative idea.

Abraham Lincoln the American hero who founded the GOP to battle what he called the twin "barbarisms" of slavery and polygamy. Wonder if young Angelo even has a clue about why the Republican Party came into existence.

The postmodern lies multiply on top of each other.

Thank you for being one of the People of truth. Together, with courage and with love, we will not abandon what God has joined.

Faithfully,

Brian S. Brown