Brian Brown (of NOM) – these are your people.
This is what you’ve helped whip up.
Brian Brown is already a sore loser over marriage equality
“I think we’re going to win these cases. But say the worst happens and we lose in a broad way – that means that the Court somehow does a Roe, a Roe v. Wade, on marriage and says that all these state constitutional amendments are overturned, gay marriage is now a constitutional right – well, we’re going to press forward on a Federal Marriage Amendment. We’ve always supported a Federal Marriage Amendment, and there’s a lot of misconceptions about it. Some people try and argue, ‘Well, this is against federalism.’ No, our founders gave us a system where we can amend the Constitution.
“We shouldn’t have to do this, we shouldn’t have to worry about activist judges, you know, making up out of thin air a constitutional right that obviously none of our founders found there and no one found there until quite recently. But if we do, for us, the Federal Marriage Amendment is a way that people can stand up and say, ‘Enough is enough.’ We need a solution in this country, we cannot be, as Lincoln said, half slave, half free. We can’t have a country on key moral questions where we’re just, where we don’t have a solution. And if the Court forces a solution, the way we’ll amend that is through the Federal Marriage Amendment.” – Hate group leader Brian Brown via Right Wing Watch
Since 1789, there have been over 11,000 attempts to amend the US Constitution. While these may be approached by “national convention,” none of those attempts have succeeded.
Only 27 amendments have been added to the Constitution. The first ten are known as the Bill of Rights. The last amendment was added in 1992.
There are two steps to passing an amendment: Proposal and Ratification.
The amendment must first be proposed a 2/3 vote of Congress.
Ratification occurs with a 3/4 vote of the state legislatures or a 3/4 vote of state conventions made up of delegates (not necessarily legislators) elected by the people. That would mean 38 states would have to ratify the amendment.
Not gonna happen with marriage equality, Brian…
The Lee Boys drop out of NOM event in Washington DC upon learning anti-gay agenda
The Lee Boys, one of two musical acts scheduled to perform at NOM’s upcoming March for Marriage in Washington D.C. around the time of the Supreme Court hearings, has dropped out after discovering the agenda of the event.
From Good As You:
I informed the team of what they may not know about the NOM agenda, why this booking is sure to garner a lot of unfavorable attention, and how they might be able to make a better choice.
I’m happy to now report that “better choice.”
A band member has confirmed for me that the group is PULLING OUT OF THE GIG. They were not aware of what NOM was all about and they want no part.
The only statement this band member wanted to give beyond simple confirmation is to say that “music is about love” and the band “would never want to offend.”
NOM’s Brian Brown: Prop 8 challenge “biggest strategic mistake” for gay rights
SiriusXM’s Michelangelo Signorile interviews Brian Brown of the anti-gay hate group National Organization for Marriage:
From the 7:30 mark: “We are going to win at the Supreme Court,” he said. “It will be shown to be the biggest strategic mistake the supporters of same-sex marriage ever have made [to challenge Prop 8]. And the reality is that all of them knew this. All of the major [gay] groups knew this. They knew this was the wrong time. We’re going to find that out. Justice Kennedy is not going to launch another culture war like Roe. He’s not going to have Supreme Court interject and short circuit the Democratic process.”
Mind you, Brown was speaking here before the news broke that John Eastman, NOM’s national board chair, said that Supreme Court Justice John Roberts had chosen the “second best option” by adopting children. Not exactly how to win friends and influence people, I’d say.
Also, after Brown’s statements GOP Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio reversed his position and came out for marriage equality.
All that said, I’m not sure how unified all these GOP “standard bearers” are in their positions on the issue.
Anti-gay speakers gather tens of listeners at CPAC
Via Chris Geidner’s Instagram comes this photo of the CPAC panel featuring National Organization for Marriage’s Brian Brown, anti-gay activist Cleta Mitchell, and Breitbart editor Ben Shapiro.
I know, I know. It’s hard to see them over all the EMPTY chairs….
Sad, isn’t it?
(Actually – it’s not. It’s quite rapturous that no one is interested in their hate-mongering).
(via JMG)
Brian Brown: I’m so mad at Richard Hanna, I hope a Democrat wins next election
Brian Brown, NOM hate-group leader says he would rather see a Democrat win in the next election than see GOP congressman Richard Hanna reelected due to his support for the overturn of Prop 8 in an amicus brief signed by many prominent GOP politicians. Say Brown:
“There’s absolutely no doubt that we are going be involved in the next election for Richard Hanna’s seat,” said Brown. “What folks don’t understand is that we have Republicans and Democrats who support us, but if a Republican betrays the party platform, betrays his constituents, and does what Richard Hanna does, you can bet we’re going to primary him. And if a Democrat wins in the end, so be it.”
NOM to protest SCOTUS Prop 8 hearings
The National Organization for Marriage announced today that they’ll rally in Washington DC on March 26th, the day the Supreme Court begins hearing arguments in the Proposition 8 marrage equality case.
From their press release, via JMG:
When the Supreme Court convenes to hear oral arguments in what could be the Roe v. Wade of marriage, we’ll be there — and we hope you’ll be there with us!
…[We] hope that you can show up in person to stand with us on March 26th for what we pray will be an unprecedented outpouring of support for society’s most fundamental and sacred institution: marriage between a man and a woman.
Together, we’ll stand before the Supreme Court and make sure our voices are heard that we will not allow the dismantling of marriage by Judicial fiat to happen on our watch!
JMG reminds us that at NOM’s recent hate rally in the Bronx, thousands of attendees heard one preacher declare that homosexuals “are worthy of death.”
Rhode Island: NOM runs full page anti-gay marriage newspaper ad
Well, it wouldn’t be the same fight for equality without the National Organization for Marriage twisting facts into lies, would it?
Rhode Islanders United For Marriage ticks off the lies:
Claim: Faith organizations, such as the Knights of Columbus, will be forced to host same-sex weddings in their facilities against their will.
Fact: A Vermont inn refused to host a same-sex wedding and was penalized. However, the legal repercussions were not due to Vermont’s marriage equality law, but rather a state anti-discrimination law. The inn owners cited “personal feelings” to justify their decision not to host the wedding of a lesbian couple. But Vermont’s Fair Housing and Public Accommodations Act prohibits public accommodations, such as inns, restaurants and schools that serve the public, “from denying goods and services based on customers’ sexual orientation.” Rhode Island law currently prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and HB5015 will not
change affect that protection.Claim: Small businesses that oppose marriage equality will face lawsuits.
Fact: A Seattle Times investigation “failed to turn up any evidence that same-sex marriage had produced a rash of suits involving businesspeople.” The Times “also checked with human rights commissions in four of the six states where marriage is legal; the commissions said there was not an increase in discrimination findings or suits involving same sex marriage.”
Claim: People have been fired from their job for opposing marriage equality.
Fact: NOM claims Canadian sportscaster Damian Goddard was fired from his position with Rogers Sportnet after tweeting his opposition to marriage equality. Sportsnet denied that assertion, noting “well documented” reasons for his termination, saying it ”had already made the decision to terminate Mr. Goddard for cause.”
JoeMyGod has it right: “The debunking goes on for several more paragraphs, but really, none of this is news to us here. NOM is a lying group of compulsive lying liars for whom no lie is too petty or even too outrageous if they believe it furthers the goals of the Vatican.”
NOM chair Jon Eastman has the sadz that National Cathedral will allow same-sex marriages
NOM Chair John Eastman calls the Episcopal Church “cavalier” for allowing same-sex marriages at the National Cathedral.
Says Eastman: “The step that [the National Cathedral] has taken… is directly in violation of international Anglican law and the Book of Common Prayer. So they can do this if they want but redefining marriage to be something it was never understood to be is going to have dramatic consequences both in this country and in their church… They should realize that their own doctrine says this is not proper.”
NOM’s Brian Brown loses his sh*t over Illinois GOP leader backing marriage equality
“Brady has betrayed us, betrayed his party, misrepresented “key Republican values,” and insulted conservative voters in Illinois and across America who deserve leaders who refuse to sell out on such a fundamental and crucial issue like the defense of marriage, children and family. The future of marriage in Illinois demands that Brady be replaced immediately with a brave pro-marriage individual who will fight back against the out-of-state liberal activists now attempting to impose gay marriage on the Land of Lincoln without the will or consent of the we the people. Tell the Illinois GOP today that Pat Brady must go, and that it is time for the party to reinforce real ‘key Republican values’ — marriage and family, the well-being of children, the rule of law, and the rights of voters like you and me.” – National Organization for Marriage leader Brian Brown
What I find rich in Brian’s statement is HE represents “out-of-state” conservative activists who spend thousands of dollars trying to impose THEIR will on local politics.
Brian – conservatives scream that marriage is a “states rights” issue. How about you stay in YOUR state and advocate there?