Gay 'Marriage' Advocates Back to Using Courts to Impose Genderless Marriage
Dear Marriage Supporter,
Even while they claim to the media that 'the wind of public opinion is at their back' after the election last November, the actions of homosexual marriage advocates show they don’t really believe that voters support redefining marriage.
As gay marriage advocates lose faith in the democratic process, they are turning to courts to impose genderless marriage in more and more states — just yesterday the ACLU and Lambda Legal filed a federal class action lawsuit seeking to overturn Virginia's marriage amendment. In nearly 15 states, lawsuits have been filed to overturn state laws and amendments protecting marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
Gay Marriage Began Yesterday in Minnesota and Rhode Island, Two States Where Legislators Redefined Marriage
In Minnesota, many voters are shocked and saddened, as even the mainstream media reports.
Yesterday, NPR reported,
"But many people in the state are still shocked by the whole idea. When a gay marriage ban was on the ballot last fall, only a dozen among Minnesota's 87 counties opposed it."
"Away from the cities, you're going to see a lot of legislators voted out," says Dean Walters, a teacher in Owatonna."
Heading into a hardware store in Crosslake, David Johnson says that same-sex marriage not only violates "the biblical definition of marriage," but may be part of a long line of societal trends such as divorce and out-of-wedlock births that have undermined family life.
"I have great concerns when you tamper with the institution that has been the fundamental building block of societies for hundreds if not thousands of years," Johnson says. "I see consequences already from how we've damaged the institution of marriage."
Gene Ohman, a custom furniture builder camping along Cross Lake, says the "building blocks of our culture" are falling apart.
"The gays can do what they want — I'm not going to judge them — but our kids are confused enough," he says. "People are trying to find the happy ever after, but they won't find it without God."
"To me, the moral compass is disintegrating," said Mary Schommer of Mendota Heights. "Not just changing — disintegrating."
Similarly, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports,
"Many in the group" reports the Star Tribune, "said they are angry with legislators who voted same-sex marriage into law. But they feel utterly betrayed by those politicians who, during the run-up to the November election, downplayed the proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage as redundant because of the existing state law against such unions.
"I thought it was so dishonest the way it was promoted," said Keith Stanton of Mendota Heights. "They said this will change nothing. They said they wouldn't [change the law.]"
They lied, in other words, to get what they wanted. They treated the people of Minnesota with disrespect. And many are not just going to take it!
What hurts them most about seeing society change around them? Being called bigots, they said. Feeling forced to accept something they believe is wrong.
"I have to accept that there are crosses in life," Cherucheril said. "After all, you are following someone who died on a cross, who carried a cross. What do you expect in life? You will carry a cross at times. Yet we are people of hope."
NOM has announced we will help state groups seeking to hold politicians accountable to their own constituents:
"This is a sad day in Minnesota and Rhode Island as politicians have allowed a mockery to be made of the institution of marriage, which throughout our history has been our only social institution to bring men and women together for the benefit of any children born of their union,"
I told the press. "Today Minnesota and Rhode Island embark on a new path that jettisons the interests of children from their state marriage law, and puts people of faith in harm's way for being punished for their beliefs. We will work tirelessly to hold the politicians accountable for this travesty."
Virtually no politician in Minnesota or Rhode Island ran on a platform that openly pledged that he or she would redefine marriage if elected to office. Yet, when given the opportunity, they did so, behind the people's back. NOM has pledged to spend up to $500,000 in Minnesota and $100,000 in Rhode Island informing voters about the issues.
But the good people of Minnesota are not giving up: Yesterday Minnesota for Marriage announced the launch of the Marriage Majority Initiative, which will work to restore a pro-marriage majority in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
My good friend John Helmberger, Chairman of Minnesota for Marriage and CEO of Minnesota Family Council reported,
"Minnesotans around the state have been asking ‘what's next?' after a group of legislators forced same-sex ‘marriage' on the state. The Marriage Majority Initiative will help them answer that question by restoring a pro-Marriage majority in their state government. We are blessed to live in a country where The People can choose their representation. And, when their chosen representation fails them, the People have the opportunity to choose new leaders."
He said his group will focus on three things:
- Provide critical legal information to pastors and churches, religious organizations, business owners, employers and more about the threats to their religious liberty and the steps they can take to maximize their legal protection while upholding God's design for marriage
- Help constituents whose legislators betrayed their confidence by supporting same-sex 'marriage' to hold those legislators accountable and choose leaders who will better represent their values in next year's election.
- In partnership with our network of 1,400 churches, develop and implement marriage strengthening ministries and outreach, applying ourselves to the long-term priority of changing hearts and minds to restore a culture of marriage and family, rooted in a biblical worldview.
Meanwhile kudos to all you Pennsylvanians who responded to our call to let Gov. Corbett know you want him to defend marriage and the rule of law.
Recently Pennsylvania attorney general Kathleen Kane announced she would not defend Pennsylvania's marriage laws, and Montgomery County decided to "pull a San Francisco" and just start issuing gay marriage licenses, in defiance of state law. However, with your encouragement and the work of allies, Gov. Corbett has agreed to defend the state marriage law in the courts, and the Pennsylvania Department of Health has sued Montgomery County official Bruce Hanes, to prevent him from taking the law into his own hands.
If you haven't yet thanked Gov. Corbett for his defense of marriage, you can do so today!
Another governor not backing down is Indiana's Mike Pence, who told an audience that he will defend marriage and supports the expected Indiana Marriage Amendment. He pointed out many of the states that define marriage in their state constitutions as one man and one woman are among the nation's fastest growing economies,
"I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I do support efforts to allow the people of Indiana to make that decision whether we include the traditional definition of marriage in our state constitution and I think that's appropriate," Pence said.
Thank Gov. Mike Pence for standing tall for marriage!
What happens if we don't fight for what's right, for marriage and for our rights?
San Antonio politicians laid out the next step in the agenda of our opponents: prevent anyone who doesn't believe in gay marriage from working for the government — and next, like night follows day, bar them from doing business with the government.
The San Antonio City Council is considering a proposal that not only adds sexual orientation and gender identity to anti-discrimination ordinances, but indicates that anyone who has ever spoken out in public against same-sex marriage or homosexuality could be subject to the sanctions of this ordinance. The San Antonio gay rights community calls the ordinance the "bare minimum," hinting at broader sanctions to come.
Thanks to the hundreds of you who wrote to Gov. Rick Perry to let him know: we need heroes for marriage and asked him to intervene to stop the madness in San Antonio.
If you haven't yet thanked our heroes, including Gov. Perry, do so right now. It just takes a few minutes. And then share this email with as many family and friends as possible.
The Young and Daring in a Brave New World
World magazine covered the "It Takes a Family" conference in San Diego, which is hosted each year by NOM's Ruth Institute in order to bring together next generation leaders, the heart of the daring new counterculture for marriage
World called its coverage of new young heroes "Roaring Lambs".
Mechi Richards, 20, came from Buenos Aires, to learn how to defend and sustain marriage in a post-gay marriage culture. Richards said classmates mock her and commenters leave nasty comments on her blog, but she also has friends her age who are starting to get jaded by the sexual revolution and searching for something else." She also came with a warning:She said many Argentineans didn't think the new law would affect them, but passage has led to a completely redesigned sexual education that teaches gender equality and minimizes the traditional family. Teachers of religious backgrounds are having a difficult time keeping their jobs because pro-gay language is often required in every class, including math where word problems now contain homosexual examples."
Daring to Go Counterculture: Alana Newman speaking at the ITAF conference.
Alana Newman, 26, became interested in family issues through her own experience as a donor-conceived individual. "Society doesn't recognize the sadness we feel not knowing our parents," Newman told the conference. The stories on the Anonymous Us website reveal concerns about abandonment, betrayal, and identity, accidental incest, and lack of knowledge of medical history.
And World reported on our own beloved Thomas Peters, 27, "who arrived at the conference fresh from victory in Illinois." (Thanks for all of you who've sent prayers, words of comfort, and practical support to Thomas as he and his young bride deal with the aftermath of a serious neck injury from a swimming accident.)
"Peters said he did not plan to get involved with such a divisive issue, knowing "it would brand me," but he decided instead of staying silent he'd rather fight for a world where his values could exist."
Thank you for all you've helped us do to prevent the creation of a brave new world where none dare stand up for God's vision of marriage.
These young heroes need your support. We need your prayers, your willingness to act by signing petitions and writing letters, and if God has given you the means, your financial sacrifices to keep God's vision of marriage alive, and to support the people brave enough to stand up for what's right in a lawless and corrupt environment.
Is God calling you to be that person?
Pray and let us know.
It's an honor to serve you, our beloved country, and this great cause.
Faithfully,
Brian S. Brown
A slim majority of likely Michigan voters would oppose legislation or a ballot measure seeking to allow same-sex marriage in the state, according to results of a new statewide poll that seem to contradict other recent surveys.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' $2.5 million pledge to defend Washington's gay-marriage law marks by far his biggest entry into politics and thrusts him into the national debate over the rights of same-sex couples.
When pressed by the media at a recent National Governors Association meeting on the topic of gay marriage, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said a change to the state’s constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman would not come easily:
State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Butler, has said Kane's actions merit impeachment, because they spread “lawlessness.”
Lawyers for New Jersey are expected to defend the state's civil unions for same-sex couples as opposed to gay marriage.
“The majority of Minnesotans support marriage between one man and one woman, and they deserve a majority of representatives in their government who do as well. The Marriage Majority Initiative will serve as a resource to Minnesotans who want to see a pro-Marriage majority restored in the Minnesota House,” said John Helmberger, Chairman of Minnesota for Marriage and CEO of Minnesota Family Council.
Governor Pence was in town to introduce a new state based initiative office at the Evansville Rotary. He says that many of the 32 states that define traditional marriage in their charters have some of the fastest growing economies, including Indiana, drawing a correlation between a ban on same-sex marriage and economic development. Pence says the federal government has outlined it's role in marriage equality and now wants the people of Indiana to have a say on how it is recognized in the state. "As someone who believes in traditional marriage, I believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I do support efforts to allow the people of Indiana to make that decision whether we include the traditional definition of marriage in our state constitution and I think that's appropriate," Pence said.
He told the Essex Chronicle that he will take legal action because “I am still not getting what I want”.
