NOM Blog ...

NOM BLOG

New Essay: Families We Choose? Visions of a World Without Blood Ties

August 13, 2011 at 8:00 am

The abstract of a new article by George W. Dent, Jr. at Case Western Reserve University School of Law:

The traditional family comprising a married woman and man and their biological children has been so common across the globe and throughout history that it can reasonably be called the “natural family.” The privileged legal and social status of the natural family is under attack by a movement that favors “families we choose.” The family would be defined as any group of people that at the moment chooses to be treated as a family. Under the mandate of “equality,” government would be neutral about family structure. Blood ties would be irrelevant.

Since no society has ever adopted this program, we cannot determine empirically what it would look like. However, there are many works in literature in which the natural family is dethroned or eliminated, including Plato’s Republic, Heather Has Two Mommies, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, and Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale. These works still leave gaps in our picture of a world without blood ties, so I offer several stories to fill out the portrait. The article ends with a discussion of the ramifications of “families we choose” as informed by this literature.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Children, Culture, Parenting, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (17)

Iowa Press: No Clear Front-Runner Emerges for Straw Poll

August 13, 2011 at 8:00 am

Local WCFCourier on today's presidential straw poll in Ames, Iowa:

With only days to go before the Republican Party of Iowa's Straw Poll, analysts say perhaps 10 percent to 20 percent of the people who plan to go to Ames haven't made up their minds whom they're going to support.

... Social and evangelical conservatives within Iowa's Republican Party have not anointed a clear standard-bearer heading into Saturday's poll, clouding the picture even more.

... Bob Vander Plaats, who played a lead role in Mike Huckabee's 2007 Iowa campaign, said this year's straw poll is shaping up to be a contest between Minnesotans Michele Bachmann and Tim Pawlenty with U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas also threatening a finish among the top two.

However, he said former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum "is really catching fire of late" by campaigning in less-traveled areas.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Iowa, Marriage Election Watch, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

Iowa Press: Social Issues Still Front and Center

August 13, 2011 at 7:00 am

The Daily Nonpareil (of Council Bluffs, Iowa):

Americans may be focused on the economy at the moment, but conservative social issues will play a role in the Iowa GOP straw poll Saturday and beyond, according to state and national supporters of those issues.

“These issues haven’t gone away,” said former Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave. “They will have an impact on the straw poll.”

“(Traditional) marriage is a winning issue,” added Christopher Plante, Rhode Island director of the National Organization for Marriage. “The majority of Americans believe in that.”

Musgrave and Plante were part of a statewide bus tour promoting these and other conservative issues that stopped at Council Bluffs’ Bayliss Park Thursday afternoon. The bus tour will end Saturday in Ames, the site of the Iowa Republican Party’s straw poll that’s gaining in national attention as nearly all of the major GOP presidential candidates plan to attend.

“Iowa has an opportunity to send a message to the nation,” Musgrave said.

... But, it wasn’t just the Saturday straw poll these conservative were talking about. There’s a state election next year in which one man in particular must be defeated, they said.

“It’s important that (Council Bluffs) Sen. Mike Gronstal is removed,” said Jenifer Bowen, Iowa Right to Life director, who criticized Gronstal, the Senate majority leader, for not allowing a Senate vote to ban late-term abortions.

Gronstal has refused to take action to start the process of giving Iowans a say on whether they support gay marriages, Plante said.

“Let the people vote,” he said.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Iowa, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

Rick Santorum to GOP: Embrace Lincoln, Not Douglas, on Marriage

August 12, 2011 at 6:00 pm

Rick Santorum proves himself one of our most principled and intellectually interesting political figures today:

From its inception the Republican Party has been the party of the family and great moral causes.

This is only one of many reasons why it is so disturbing that some prominent Republicans have seemingly washed their hands of the value and importance of marriage.

...By taking refuge behind “states’ rights” as it relates to moral wrongs, the definition of marriage then becomes subject to fifty different interpretations and versions. What’s even worse is for one to say you fundamentally disagree with homosexual marriage but then claim you don’t have the right or will to fight it.

... These positions are deeply troubling for the Republican Party and the country. Consigning these moral issues strictly to local decision-making runs contrary to the positioning of our party’s founding and to Abraham Lincoln’s philosophy that there is no moral right to enact a major social and moral wrong.

Once the definition of marriage is discarded, there will be no rational or legitimate legal or moral argument left to prevent the acceptance of any other kind of definition of marriage, including other moral wrongs like polygamous marriages. Would those same candidates say that New York State has the right to allow for polygamous marriage — and then leave it at that?

In Lincoln’s time the political debate was over the foundationally immoral institution of slavery. Lincoln rightly criticized Stephen Douglas’ “don’t care” attitude about that great moral issue this way: “When Judge Douglas says that whoever or whatever community wants slaves, they have a right to have them, he is perfectly logical, if there is nothing wrong in the institution; but if you admit that it is wrong, he cannot logically say that anybody has a right to do wrong.”

Using Douglas’ rationale today, we subject the definition of marriage to 50 different versions and that leads to settling of the conflict by the U.S. Supreme Court. This is precisely the same road that led to the downgrading of human life with abortion laws...

We simply cannot allow this to happen to marriage too. --RickSantorum.com

By NOM Staff | Posted in Culture, Election Watch 2012, Law, Marriage Election Watch, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

Photos: Tim Pawlenty and Rick Santorum Join the Values Bus Tour

August 12, 2011 at 4:23 pm

Tim Pawlenty speaks at one of the early stops of the NOM Values Bus Tour:

Rick Santorum speaks at one of the more recent stops this week:

There's still a chance to see the Values Bus at the Straw Poll in Ames, Iowa tomorrow!

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Iowa, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch | Comments Off

Sticky: Bachmann, Pawlenty, Romney & Santorum Sign NOM Marriage Pledge

August 12, 2011 at 3:56 pm

We're continuing to draw attention to the four announced GOP presidential candidates who have signed our NOM Marriage Pledge:

Michele Bachmann, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum in the first wave, and Tim Pawlenty soon after.

We will extend an invitation to Gov. Rick Perry to sign the NOM Marriage Pledge when he enters the race.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Marriage Election Watch, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (4)

Cayuga County Clerk Refuses to Sign NY Gay Marriage Licenses

August 12, 2011 at 3:00 pm

AuburnPub.com reports:

A town clerk in Cayuga County has informed her town board that because of her religious beliefs, she does not believe she can sign marriage licenses for same-sex couples, according to a member of the board.

Ledyard Town Clerk Rose Marie Belforti submitted a letter to the Ledyard Town Board saying that her religious beliefs prevented her from signing marriage licenses for same-sex couples and the board discussed Belforti’s letter at Monday’s meeting, according to John Binns, a member of the town board.

... Belforti’s decision was criticized by supporters of same-sex marriage.

Cathy Marino-Thomas, board president of Marriage Equality New York, said Belforti isn’t practicing “good leadership” by trying to pass the responsibilities off to a deputy clerk.

“The law says that everyone has a right to marry in New York state,” she said by phone. “If [Belforti] doesn’t want to obey the law, she needs to get another job.

On the other hand:

New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, a group opposing same-sex marriage, launched the “Courage Fund” as a way to help clerks who feel their religious beliefs prevent them from signing same-sex marriage licenses.

On the NYFCF website, there is a memo from the Alliance Defense Fund outlining how clerks can request an exemption to accommodate their religious beliefs.

The memo cites a state law which requires employers to “accommodate an employee’s religious observance or practice.”

For clerks, according to the ADF memo, this should allow them to delegate the signing of marriage licenses to a deputy clerk.

Rev. Jason McGuire, executive director of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, said about a dozen clerks have reached out to him to see what their options are now that same-sex marriage is legal.

By NOM Staff | Posted in New York, Religious Liberty, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (15)

Maggie Gallagher Scores the Iowa Debate on Social Issues

August 12, 2011 at 2:52 pm

First published as part of a National Review Online symposium this morning, reacting to last night's GOP Presidential debate in Iowa:

Others are going to focus on the core economic issues (Newt Gingrich did have a great night). Here’s the Maggie awards from a socially conservative perspective. Note: All quotes below are approximations.

... Co-winners of the Marriage Debate: Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum.

Mitt Romney looked as he always looks — polished, confident, and intelligent — in explaining why he is not fine with gay marriage in New York.

“I believe the issue of marriage should be resolved at the federal level. Why? People move from state to state . . . marriage is a status [not just something that takes place within a state] . . . I support a federal marriage amendment as a man and a woman because the ideal place to raise a child is in a home with a mom and dad.”

Weirdest answer came from Governor Huntsman. Asked why he is right and voters are wrong on civil unions, he incoherently declined to explain. “Everyone can come to this with their personal beliefs,” he said. “We haven’t done enough for equality, that’s just my personal belief, I’m personally in favor of civil unions.”

Rick Santorum went into this debate with nothing to lose, and on the social issues, he distinguished himself from the pack. He can explain why marriage, as a status, being different in all 50 states really won’t work, and how the “pick off a state” strategy on marriage will lead, as it did on abortion, to an engraved invitation to the courts to impose gay marriage — as the court did in Iowa.

Rick Santorum also scored big points when he said he was the only candidate on the stage last night who came to Iowa and helped un-elect those activist judges who imposed gay marriage on Iowans.

On marriage in this debate, Bachmann was far weaker — not only weaker than Santorum but weaker than Romney as well. She stated her position clearly but did not make an argument for it: “I support the federal marriage amendment; as president, I will not nominate activist judges who legislate from the bench. In Minnesota, I was the chief author of the constitutional amendment. I have an unblemished record when it comes to this issue of man-woman marriage.”

Unblemished, maybe, but also unexplained. [Continue reading...]

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Iowa, Marriage Election Watch, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (2)

Video: The Iowa Presidential Marriage Debate

August 12, 2011 at 2:32 pm

A lively debate took place on marriage last night: Mitt Romney, Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum vs. Jon Huntsman and Ron Paul.

Watch it and tell us what you think! Who was the greatest marriage champion on the stage last night?

Here's more on the poll they refer to showing tjat 58% of Iowans believe support of same-sex civil unions is a "deal-killer" when it comes to their support.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Iowa, Marriage Election Watch, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (30)

Iowa Poll: Support for Civil Unions Biggest Deal-Breaker for GOP Caucus Voters

August 12, 2011 at 1:53 pm

The results of this recent poll conducted by the Des Moines Register surveying 400 likely Iowa Republican caucus-goers was brought up in last night's GOP debate.

As you can see, support for civil unions is the biggest deal-breaker of any single issue (click here for full-size version):

Two more interesting facts from the poll: respondents say their two top picks are Mitt Romney (23%) and Michele Bachmann (22%) -- both candidates have signed the NOM Marriage Pledge -- and 21% of respondents say this year will be their first time participating in the Iowa caucus.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Civil Unions, Election Watch 2012, Iowa, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch | Comments (14)

Gay Activists Threaten to Boycott Shoemaker New Balance over Romney Signing NOM Marriage Pledge

August 12, 2011 at 10:00 am

ABC News reports on gay activists' ricochet strategy of boycotting any business that supports someone who promises to protect marriage:

It’s not easy being a Super PAC donor.

Especially if you’re giving to the pro-Mitt Romney Super PAC – “Restore Our Future” – which in just one week has seen two donors receive flack for their contributions.

... this week, the president of the popular shoe company New Balance issued a statement distancing the brand from a $500,000 donation made to the PAC by the company’s chairman, Jim Davis, after threats of boycotts emerged.

The statement from Rob DeMartini came after customers unhappy with Romney’s recent support of a marriage pledge opposing gay marriage threatened to boycott New Balance.

Scott Rose, a gay marriage activist, penned an open-letter to New Balance, which concludes:

I have no idea whether you are going to choose to do the right thing, Jim and [his wife] Anne, but I can promise you that if you don’t, I together with LGBT rights activists around the world will do everything we can to see New Balance boycotted.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Culture, Free Speech, Marriage Election Watch, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (27)

Gov. Cuomo Pursues Constitutional Amendment ... to Allow More Casinos

August 12, 2011 at 9:00 am

So marriage doesn't deserve a vote of the people but casinos do?

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has directed his staff to examine the idea of allowing privately owned Las Vegas-style casinos in the state.

Options to permit more casinos are being weighed, Cuomo said Tuesday when asked by the Times Union to state his position on a constitutional amendment to legalize casino gambling in the state. --Albany Times Union

By NOM Staff | Posted in New York, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (4)

Marriage Champions Stepping up on Iowa Bus Tour -- NOM Marriage News, August 11, 2011

August 11, 2011 at 6:30 pm

NOM National Newsletter

Dear Marriage Supporter,

The fight for your values is heating up in Iowa—and NOM is there to make sure your voice is heard!

Gov. Tim Pawlenty helped kick off our "Votes Have Consequences" Values Voters Bus Tour across 22 towns and cities in Iowa leading up to the Ames Straw Poll, the traditional kickoff for the GOP presidential campaigns.

The tour is jointly sponsored by NOM, the Susan B. Anthony List, and the Family Research Council. If you are in Iowa, come say hi! Let the candidates know that your values matter, and your votes have consequences! Go to www.NationForMarriage.org/BusTour for more information.

Thanks to each of you who reached out to make sure Gov. Pawlenty understands the importance of fighting for marriage. Gov. Pawlenty has long been a fighter for marriage in Minnesota, and after taking a few extra days in a busy campaign to think it over, he easily and enthusiastically signed on to NOM's Marriage Pledge, and he has joined the Values Voters tour.

NOM's Chris Plante was there when Gov. Pawlenty spoke:

We launched the Values Votes 'Votes Have Consequences' Bus tour at the foot of the state house, on Tuesday. A beautiful Iowa morning, a cool breeze, a crowd of media and major Iowa political figures, including the polished and attractive Lt. Gov Kim Reynolds.

Gov. Rick Perry, who has not yet announced his candidacy, made an appearance in the form of 12 or 15 college kids wearing bright orange t-shirts—the color of the University of Texas!

Gov. Pawlenty was up front, clear and confident in making the case for the importance of life and marriage to our nation.

As the Des Moines Register reported: "Pawlenty highlighted his record as a state lawmaker and governor on restricting abortion, defining marriage as a bond between a man and a woman and appointing judges who demonstrated 'restraint and humility.'"

Here's some local coverage of Gov. Pawlenty's speech on life and marriage from KCCI.com:

Sen. Rick Santorum, one of our greatest marriage champions, spoke this week at the Cedar Rapids Values Bus stop, on the importance of marriage and life to our nation.

The Sioux City Journal reports:

Santorum stressed the importance of family and moral foundations to the strength of the nation. The recent debt ceiling crisis was the result of a number of moral failings, including financial institutions taking advantage of risky housing markets, he said.

Foundational rights, such as the right to life and traditional marriage, "have been eroded by judges ... unelected and unaccountable," Santorum said.

He warned that as those foundational rights are usurped by the federal government Americans will enjoy less freedom.

"When you control the rights, when everyone does, you can grow a strong, healthy society, and that's what happened here," he said.

The Eastern Iowa Government headlined their story, "Santorum Talks Marriage During Bus Tour."  A blogger videotaped Sen. Rick Santorum's off-the-cuff remarks on marriage in one of his many Iowa stops.

Watch Rick stand tall for marriage here:

Watch the mainstream media try to beat up on him, too, for standing strong for marriage! They have gotten the marriage story wrong at every turn and misunderstand how the issue is playing out nationally in this election season.

All the major GOP announced candidates have now signed NOM's Marriage Pledge (and we predict that Gov. Rick Perry, if he throws his hat in, will too). What does that mean? It means 2012 will be unlike 2008—marriage will be an issue. The GOP's major candidates for 2012 have now all done what Sen. John McCain refused to do: endorse a Federal Marriage Amendment, and commit to concrete actions to protect marriage.

Meanwhile President Obama's famous attempt to muddy the water in 2008 by claiming to Rev. Rick Warren that he supports traditional marriage will no longer work in 2012.

We're in a whole new strategic terrain in 2012. With a very big and clear public difference between whoever is the GOP nominee and the Democrats' champion Pres. Barack Obama, marriage voters can help tip the balance in key battleground states.

Someday soon the mainstream media will notice it! Meanwhile, thank you for making the Marriage Pledge and all NOM's important work possible!

I'm excited as well by some great news that just crossed my desk: Our friends over at the American Principles Project have secured a vitally important Presidential Debate in South Carolina on Sept. 5—and NOM's own founding Chairman, Prof. Robby George, will be the moderator along with Sen. Jim DeMint and Iowa's Rep. Steve King.

This means that for the first time, we can count on the concerns of social conservatives being taken seriously. All the candidates will have to voice their values on marriage, life, and religious liberty—and you will have a chance to discover whether their values are your values too.

Remember, values imply actions, not just words. What we are not willing to act to protect, we do not really value.

For the first time, social conservatives have a forum in the presidential process where their concerns are going to be heard, alongside (not instead of!) the other core concerns of what we might call "constitutional conservatives"—those committed to the principles of America's Founding. Visit www.americanprinciplesproject.com for more.

While you are there, you will notice that APP has launched a new internet TV show called "The Maggie Report." It's aimed at covering the latest developments on social issues for Tea Party and other conservatives. Go to www.MaggieReport.com and click on the little TV screen to see NOM's Chairman Maggie Gallagher in action.

One person who hasn't missed the immense strategic significant of NOM's Marriage Pledge is the Human Rights Campaign's Joe Solmonese—who is trying to use it to raise money to help support Pres. Obama:

"In just the last few weeks, four of the major GOP presidential candidates have pledged to support a constitutional amendment to ban marriage equality.

"The right wing is lashing out at our recent victory in New York by trying to turn marriage equality back into a national wedge issue—the same political play that helped keep George W. Bush in the White House for eight disastrous years.

"The election may still be months away, but the radical right's single-minded attempt to undermine progress is well underway. And this new marriage pledge is just a stark, ugly reminder of how critical our fight for equality is."

One thing Joe "you are a hater" Solmonese and I agree on: It's time to rev up our engines and fight for what's right. NOM will be there with you every step of the way to make sure your voices and your values will be heard!

God bless you!

Brian Brown

Brian S Brown

Brian S. Brown
President
National Organization for Marriage

P.S. You can ensure that your voice is heard! Whether you can give $20 or $200, you can make a difference and stand up for marriage.

By Brian Brown | Posted in Iowa | Comments (1)

Photo: Values Bus in Sioux City!

August 11, 2011 at 1:59 pm

We've been following along with the NOM Values Bus tour via its Twitter account. They tweeted this photo a little while ago during their stop in Sioux City:

"These Iowans [are] ready to send a prolife & marriage message at Straw Poll."

You still have time to visit the Values Bus on the road - check the website to find out where it's heading next!

Round-up: Local Press Covers NOM Values Bus Across Iowa

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Iowa, Marriage Election Watch, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

Round-Up: Local Press Covers NOM Values Bus Across Iowa

August 11, 2011 at 1:55 pm

The Values Bus is covering 1,305 miles this week in four days with events in 22 cities, passing along the way through 47 of Iowa's 99 counties. Here's a round-up some of the earned local media coverage:

Associated Press (Des Moines):
During the statewide bus tour, activists will also promote other conservative social causes, such as opposing same-sex marriages. The effort is timed to Saturday's Republican presidential straw poll in Ames, which is drawing national attention to Iowa this week.

Radio Iowa (Des Moines/Cedar Rapis):
Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty joined the “Values Voter Bus Tour” stop in Des Moines this morning. Another candidate — Rick Santorum — will join the tour’s stop in Cedar Rapids on Wednesday morning.

Globe Gazette (Mason City):
Representatives from several national and state conservative organizations touring the state by bus stopped in Mason City on Wednesday to encourage voters to support GOP presidential candidates who are pro-life and support traditional marriage.

Quad-City Times (Davenport):
With just days before Iowa's Republican straw poll, representatives of the Faith Family Freedom Fund, the National Organization for Marriage and the Susan B. Anthony List rolled into Davenport on Tuesday with their Values Voter Bus Tour. "Marriage and pro-life are winning issues," [NOM-RI's Christopher] Plante said. "We're starting at the grassroots level," he said. "The people of Iowa will start the process of voting for a pro-marriage, pro-life president."

Eastern Iowa Government (Coralville):
Speakers on the Value Voters Bus Tour, which, for a few stops, included former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, touted an anti-abortion message to Iowans in six cities Tuesday.

Telegraph Herald (Dubuque):
On Wednesday, Aug. 10, the Susan B. Anthony List, along with FRC Action's Faith Family Freedom Fund and the National Organization for Marriage will stop in Dubuque as part of the "Values Voter Bus Tour" that will cover 1,305 miles in four days with events in 22 cities. The tour stops in Dubuque from 10:30 to 11 a.m. at Washington Square.