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Breaking News: Minnesota for Marriage Reports 10,000 Volunteers, $830,000 Raised!

January 31, 2012 at 3:30 pm

Excellent news from the Minnesota for Marriage coalition which is pushing for the marriage amendment this November:

Today, Minnesota for Marriage (MFM,) a broad-based coalition of groups working to pass the Minnesota Marriage Protection Amendment in November, disclosed it raised $830,000 in cash donations. Additionally, the MFM coalition today reported they have recruited over 10,000 volunteers in 2011.

“We are very pleased with our fundraising and recruiting efforts to date,” said John Helmberger, Minnesota for Marriage Chairman. “We have demonstrated substantial and broad-based support for preserving marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Not only have we generated a great deal of financial support for the campaign, we have generated incredible, broad-based citizen support by recruiting over 10,000 volunteers for our campaign. We’re off to a great start.”

... “We have always expected to be outspent by our opponents,” Helmberger said. “This has been the case in most of the recent state marriage campaigns including in California and Maine. Our objective is to make sure we raise enough money to communicate our messages, and we’re certainly on track to do that. We’re in a good position going forward and have built a solid foundation of financial and organizational support.”

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

Video: Chris Christie Lashes Out at Legislator Who Accused Him of Racism

January 31, 2012 at 3:00 pm

DailyCaller with the story (warning: off-color language):

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie lashed out at a fellow Garden State politician Monday, calling an openly gay state legislator a “numbnuts” in response to the lawmaker labeling him a racist last week.

A visibly perturbed Christie made the comment during a news conference on Monday, reported the New Jersey Star-Ledger.

It all started last week when Christie called for a voter referendum on gay marriage.

“I think people would have been happy to have a referendum on civil rights rather than fighting and dying in the streets in the South,” Christie said.

Those comments upset Democratic assemblyman Reed Gusciora, who responded last week by saying, “Govs. Lester Maddox and George Wallace would have found allies in Chris Christie over efforts by the Justice Department to end segregation in the South.”

On Monday, Christie called Gusciora’s words “transparently political.”

“You have numbnuts like Reed Gusciora, who put out a statement, you know, comparing me George Wallace and Lester Maddox.”

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in New Jersey, Politics | Comments (29)

Don't Let Same-Sex Marriage Special Interests Control Iowa Politics!

January 31, 2012 at 2:43 pm

Don't Let Same-Sex Marriage Special Interests Control Iowa Politics!

Dear Marriage Supporter,

As you know, the National Organization for Marriage fights to protect marriage in all 50 states.

But Iowa is one of the states on the front lines and of critical importance—more so than most others.

When a panel of 7 judges imposed same-sex marriage on the Hawkeye state on April 3, 2009, same-sex marriage activists immediately focused on your state, pouring millions of dollars into the state to protect gay marriage in Iowa. And their most devastating weapon? Convincing ordinary people like your neighbors and coworkers that the fight is over and there's no going back.

But you and I know better.

Iowa is a key part of NOM's 2012 strategic battle plan to protect marriage—and that's why I am writing you today. This November, we have an opportunity to break through the logjam Senate President Mike Gronstal has single-handedly created, refusing to even allow a vote on the constitutional amendment to protect marriage.

Will you make one urgent gift to NOM right now to ensure we have the funds necessary to restore marriage in Iowa and to protect it across the country?

Donate Now

2012 is shaping up to be a make or break year for marriage.

The race for the White House is well underway, Congress is up for grabs, we're waging a legislative battle in Washington to stop DOMA from being repealed, and we have legal cases going all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

And beyond working to change the same-sex marriage regime in Iowa (and repealing the laws in New Hampshire and New York), we're also fighting in a dozen other states, protecting marriage in states where it is under fire (Rhode Island, Washington, New Jersey, Maryland, etc.) and proactively pushing pro-marriage legislation that will ensure what happened in Iowa isn't repeated in states like Minnesota.

Anything you can afford to donate is important, because with so many fights all over America, our resources will be stretched thin all year.

In the past few weeks, threats to marriage and religious liberty have also popped up in Virginia and Illinois, and we may need additional funds to fight in those large states as well.

Donate Now

The bottom line: 2012 will either be the year when traditional marriage makes a comeback...

...or it will be the year when the same-sex marriage lobbyists knock the doors down and begin their assault on marriage in all 50 states.

As always, the success of our campaign depends on you, marriage supporter.

Together we shocked the world in 2010, ousting three Supreme Court justices who forced their own personal views on the people of Iowa. And we can do it again!

Begin making plans now to join us at the LUV (Let Us Vote!) Iowa rally in Des Moines on March 20th at the Capitol.

And to protect marriage in Iowa and all across America throughout 2012, make one urgent financial gift today.

Thank you in advance and God bless you.

Brian Brown
By Brian Brown | Posted in Iowa, Politics, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (17)

WA House Committee Approves SSM Bill On Party Line Vote

January 31, 2012 at 2:00 pm

The Associated Press:

A measure to legalize same-sex marriage in Washington state was approved Monday by a House committee, and the Senate is expected to vote on its companion bill within days.

Sen. Ed Murray, a Seattle Democrat who is sponsoring one of the bills, said Monday that he expects a floor vote on gay marriage in the Senate on Wednesday. A Senate committee voted to approve Murray's bill Friday.

The House Judiciary committee approved its companion gay marriage bill on Monday on a 7-6 party line vote.

Three Republican amendments were rejected, including on one that would have added private businesses and individuals, such as bakers and photographers, to the religious exemption in the bill that doesn't require religious organizations or churches to perform marriages, and doesn't subject them to penalties if they don't marry gay or lesbian couples.

Opponents of same-sex marriage have already promised a referendum battle at the ballot if the Legislature passes the bill and it's signed into law.

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

115 French Legislators: Children Have "Fundamental Right" to be Raised by Mother and Father

January 31, 2012 at 1:00 pm

LifeSiteNews:

The number of French parliamentarians that have added their names to a list of those opposing homosexual “marriage” and adoption has now reached 115, according to the French magazine Liberation.

The petition was begun in response to a new initiative by French socialists, who are promising voters to institute homosexual “marriage” if they are chosen in the upcoming presidential elections.

The parliamentarians in opposition come from the three political parties that make up the coalition supporting President Nicolas Sarkozy: the Union for a Popular Movement, the New Center, and the Movement for France.

The declaration favors “the defense of the fundamental right of a child the be cared for and to develop within a family composed of a father and a mother.”

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in Adoption, Children, Europe, Law, Parenting | Comments (17)

AP on SSM: "So Far [NOM's Side] Has Been Winning"

January 31, 2012 at 12:00 pm

The Associated Press:

Gay rights advocates in New Jersey have been pushing for a decade to get state courts or lawmakers to recognize same-sex marriage. But last week, they demurred when Gov. Christie called for a public vote to settle the topic.

Their main reason is based on principle: It's not fair, they say, to let voters decide a civil rights issue.

But there's another consideration: It would be a costly and divisive fight, and the advocates know the odds are against them, even if recent polls have shown the majority of New Jersey voters support allowing gay marriage.

...Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, said his organization and others would put millions of dollars into a campaign against allowing gay marriage.

"The other side has put forward a number of lies," Brown said. "Our job is to expose them."

So far, his side has been winning.

Thirty-one times states have had votes on constitutional amendments to define marriage as being between a man and a woman. The referendums have been approved 30 times. In the one exception, in Arizona, voters two years later passed a similar amendment.

This year, marriage amendments could be on the ballots of about a half-dozen states. Only two are being pushed by groups that want gay couples to be allowed to marry. Those are in Maine and California, where there are efforts to overturn constitutional bans.

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, New Jersey, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (14)

ADF Attorney: WA Same-Sex Marriage a Threat to Churches

January 31, 2012 at 11:00 am

Erik Stanley, senior legal counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, writes about the Washington State marriage redefinition bill:

...What this bill says is that if a church rents out its facilities for non-members to use for weddings, then it will be forced to allow a same-sex couple to use its facilities for a same-sex “marriage” ceremony. Many, if not most churches, will rent their facilities to members of the public who want to use the church building to get married. Most churches will generally ensure that the people who are using the facilities are not going to use them in a way that is inconsistent with the church’s religious faith and mission. But the State of Washington is considering forcing churches to open their sanctuaries to same-sex “wedding” ceremonies.

... All of this might sound surprising and troubling – and it is. But for those who understand the inherent and unavoidable conflict between the radical homosexual agenda and religious freedom, the Washington Legislature’s bill and the New Jersey church case are simply sad reminders that we face a culture and a society increasingly willing to trample religious freedom in the name of sexual liberty.

... It’s not too late to stop this radical attack on religious freedom. As one court put it, the freedom of religion contained in the First Amendment is our “first freedom.” The Washington State Legislators in favor of SB 6239 need to be reminded of this fact by a vocal populace that is tired of having sexual liberty foisted on society at the expense of religious freedom. Speak Up now before it is too late. And stand with ADF as we fight these battles in New Jersey and elsewhere.

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, Same Sex Marriage, Washington | Comments (34)

Washington State Family Policy Activist: SSM Far From a Done Deal

January 31, 2012 at 10:30 am

OneNewsNow:

Proponents of legislation are claiming they have enough votes for passage in the Senate, although Joseph Backholm of the Family Policy Institute of Washington says no date has been set for consideration.

"At the same time, even if it were to pass there's a very high probability that it will ultimately go to a vote," explains Backholm. "Either the legislature will refer it to the public or we will just collect enough signatures on our side to put it on the ballot in November -- so it's far from a done deal legislatively or otherwise."

More importantly, the institute's spokesman says the strategy now is to generate a strong grassroots support to kill the bill.

"We're fond of saying around here that they really don't care what you think until they know that you can take their job away," he says. "Basically we need people who understand why this is not good for us to communicate to their legislators, to let them know that they're paying attention and this is an issue that matters to them."

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, Same Sex Marriage, Washington | Comments (11)

Maryland Resident: No Shortage of Reasons to Oppose SSM

January 31, 2012 at 10:00 am

David writes to the Baltimore Sun:

... It will bog down the legislative agenda unnecessarily when we have serious issues to address in our state.

We can't afford it. Marriage "fairness" is nothing more than agitating for benefits that the institution of marriage encourages.

Same-sex marriage has been defeated by the people in every state where the issue has gone to the ballot box, and passing the bill will undoubtedly awaken a sleeping giant — the people of Maryland.

The only reason New York allowed same sex marriage is because a few elected officials were turned with money. In Iowa, where liberal judges overturned the people's will to grant same sex marriage, they were promptly voted out of office.

The Maryland Court of Appeals ruled against redefining marriage in 2004, and Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller has come out opposing the issue in a year when the governor, the leader of his political party, says it is his signature issue.

Redefining marriage would create untold consequences to hundreds of other laws that depend on marriage status.

Legislators might have more success advocating benefits for civil unions instead. Societies everywhere reject same sex marriage. How are we so smart to overrule what people everywhere else know?

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, Maryland, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (11)

Mike Dennehy: New Hampshire Legislators Should Listen to GOP Base on Marriage

January 31, 2012 at 9:30 am

The Nashua Telegraph:

...Mike Dennehy, the New Hampshire lobbyist for the National Organization for Marriage, delivered an anti-same-sex-marriage treatise to Republican State Chairman Wayne MacDonald last week.

Dennehy is a senior GOP strategist who helped build John McCain’s New Hampshire presidential primary victories in 2000 and 2008.

“The 2012 elections provide plenty of opportunities but many pitfalls, as well,’’ Dennehy said in a memo obtained by The Sunday Telegraph.

“In the 20 years I’ve been running campaigns at every level, I can tell you that this year, more than any other, will hinge on the party who best motivates their base and gets them to the polls on Election Day.

“We have one issue this year that will motivate social and cultural conservatives to go to the polls for Republican candidates – traditional marriage.’’
Kellyanne Conway, of The Polling Co., did a survey late last fall that found 71 percent of Republicans oppose same-sex marriage laws.

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in Marriage, New Hampshire, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (8)

Gov. Christie Promises Harris Will Recuse Himself on SSM

January 31, 2012 at 9:00 am

The Republic:

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie found himself on the defense Monday over his two Supreme Court picks just a week after announcing that he was moving to diversify the state's all-white Supreme Court by nominating two firsts: an openly gay black man and an immigrant.

Christie said Bruce Harris, who is gay, told the governor he would recuse himself from hearing any gay marriage cases because the nominee, a former Chatum Borough mayor, has advocated for the issue.

Years ago Harris, 61, wrote to several state senators asking for their support of a same-sex marriage bill being heard by the Senate in late 2009. Christie, a Republican who supports civil unions but opposes calling it marriage, said Harris volunteered the information about his writing.

"He told me he favored same-sex marriage, had advocated for it in his political capacity and as a result, if he were confirmed to the court, would recuse himself from that matter because he did not want there to be the appearance of bias," the governor recalled.

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in Law, Marriage, New Jersey, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (18)

Paul Mulshine: Chris Christie Judicial Nominee Wrote in Support of SSM

January 31, 2012 at 8:00 am

Paul Mulshine in the New Jersey Star-Ledger broke the story:

Christie said of Harris and his other nominee, Phillip Kwon of Bergen County, “I did not ask them about specific cases.” He pointed to two other cases of concern to conservatives, the Abbott school-funding decisions and the Mount Laurel decisions on affordable housing, and said “to the extent that they’ve taken positions on those issues, they’re going to have to let us know that.”

It turns out Harris has already done so, at least when it comes to same-sex marriage. Back in 2009, he sent an e-mail to the Republicans then representing Chatham in the Legislature urging all three to vote in favor of same-sex marriage.

“You have met me and my partner of nearly 30 years, Marc, on more than one occasion at various political gatherings” he wrote. “The New Jersey Supreme Court has already determined that our relationship is entitled to the equal protection guarantees of the State Constitution.”

The e-mail went on to urge the legislators to go to the site of Garden State Equality, a gay rights group, to view two videos “that provide sad examples of the failures of the civil union law.”

One of the recipients of the e-mail was state Sen. Joe Pennacchio. When I phoned him, he said he recalled having a brief talk with Harris after receiving the e-mail.

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in Law, Marriage, New Jersey, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (5)

Prof. Patrick Lee: Same-Sex Marriage "Unjust and Incoherent"

January 30, 2012 at 6:00 pm

Patrick Lee is the John N. and Jamie D. McAller Professor of Bioethics at Franciscan University of Stuebenville. He writes in Public Discourse that "the conjugal conception of marriage is just and coherent; the same-sex marriage proponents' unjust and incoherent":

The “marriage equality movement”: that’s the name chosen for themselves by same-sex “marriage” supporters. The implicit argument is that the state’s granting marriage licenses only to opposite-sex couples is undue discrimination. The claim has an initial plausibility: the state grants a marriage license to John and Mary but not to Jim and Steve. Isn’t that unequal treatment? But this charge, I will show, rests on a profound confusion about both marriage and equality. A state’s recognition that marriage is only between a man and a woman is not unjust. What’s more, a state’s endorsement of same-sex “marriage” does create an arbitrary and invidious discrimination.

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in Culture, Marriage, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (49)

Is This the Kind of Judge a President Christie Would Nominate?

January 30, 2012 at 4:00 pm

Maggie Gallagher on NRO's The Corner blog:

There’s a brouhaha brewing in New Jersey over Gov. Chris Christie’s nomination to the New Jersey Supreme Court of Bruce Harris. Turns out Harris wrote a letter in 2009 supporting gay marriage — and equating support for our marriage tradition with slavery.

Bruce Harris wrote this in a 2009 e-mail to State Senator Joe Pennacchio:

When I hear someone say that they believe marriage is only between a man and a woman because that’s the way it’s always been, I think of the many “traditions” that deprived people of their civil rights for centuries: prohibitions on interracial marriage, slavery, (which is even provided for in the Bible), segregation, the subservience of women, to name just a few of these “traditions.”

I hope that you consider my request that you re-evaluate your position and, if after viewing the videos, reading Governor Whitman’s letter and thinking again about this issue of civil rights you still oppose same-sex marriage on grounds other than religion I would appreciate it if you you’d explain your position to me. And, if the basis of your opposition is religious, then I suggest that you do what the US Constitution mandates — and that is to maintain a separation between the state and religion.

When the assemblyman charged with vetting judicial nominees was sent a copy of this intemperate email, he responded: “Yikes.”

This is a potentially huge red flag for those who see Christie as the future of the conservative movement. Can he be trusted to care enough to appoint judicial conservatives? Will Governor Christie stand by this kind of judicial appointment, or will he admit that mistakes were made in the vetting process and withdraw the nomination?

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in Law, Marriage, New Jersey, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (14)

National Organization for Marriage to Starbucks: "Stay Out of Marriage Fights"

January 30, 2012 at 3:11 pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 30, 2012

Contact: Elizabeth Ray or Anath Hartmann at (703-683-5004)

"Americans should be able to drink a peaceful cup of coffee without worrying that a portion of the company's profits is going to be used to push gay marriage without a vote from the people."
—Brian Brown, NOM's President—

Olympia, WA—Today, Brian Brown, the president of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), sharply criticized Starbucks' decision to wade into the gay marriage fight in Washington State. That decision comes on top of an earlier decision by Starbucks to ask the Supreme Court to strike down the federal definition of marriage as one man and one woman as well.

"Americans should be able to drink a peaceful cup of coffee without worrying that a portion of the company's profits is going to be used to push gay marriage without a vote from the people," said Brown. "This is a gratuitous leap into a hot button culture war issue; respect for diversity touted by Starbucks ought to include respecting the diverse views of all its customers and employees."

NOM pledged an intensive public relations effort to ask Starbucks customers who favor retaining marriage as the union of husband and wife to complain to company headquarters.

Jonathan Baker, head of NOM's Corporate Fairness Project, called on Starbucks to make it clear they will not discriminate against customers, vendors or employees who oppose same-sex marriage. "Increasingly, gay marriage extremists are arguing that people known to oppose same-sex marriage should not be hired, or even, should be fired. Diversity and tolerance are a two-way street. Having waded into a social issue where Starbucks has no special competence, the company has an obligation to reassure its customers, vendors and employees that it will respect the most important diversity—diversity of opinion," noted Baker.

To schedule an interview with Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Elizabeth Ray, [email protected], (x130) or Anath Hartmann, [email protected], (x105) at 703-683-5004.

###

NOM
By NOM Staff | Posted in Press Releases, Washington | Comments (49)
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