Thursday, October 20, 2011

NOM exploited the Civil Rights Movement in California case loss

More details are emerging from today's court case in California in which the National Organization for Marriage and the other organizations forming the group ProtectMarriage.com lost the bid to keep its donor identities secret.

And there is one detail which stands out. In its attempt to keep its donor list secret, ProtectMarriage.com compared itself to the NAACP during the height of the Civil Rights Movement.

According to The Sacramento Bee:

Joe La Rue, a lawyer for the group (Protect Marriage.com), said in oral arguments today that those donors would remain exposed to harassment "so long as these names are perpetually kept on the state's website."

. . . California law requires the disclosure of the identity of anyone who contributes $100 or more to a campaign. ProtectMarriage.com said the $100 limit was too low, and it claimed it qualified for an exception to disclosure laws once granted by the U.S. Supreme Court to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Socialist Workers Party.

The article goes on to say that the judge presiding over the case, U.S. District Judge Morris England, Jr. was very skeptical about this:

The Socialist Workers Party involved relatively few people, he said, and belonging to the NAACP in the early 1950s "could cause you to be killed." In contrast, he said, Proposition 8 proponents not only enjoyed the support of millions of people, but prevailed in the election.

England's skepticism probably had to do with the evidence which was given to him as "proof" of harassment:

The judge read from a batch of declarations in which people claimed yard signs were stolen, that they received harassing phone calls, or, in one case, that people protested outside someone's business. "That's the extent of what happened," he said.

The article goes on to say even in the face of England's skepticism, ProtectMarriage.com's lawyer continued to push the comparison, even bringing up segregation and "Jim Crow" laws.

So in the world of NOM, someone protesting your business or stealing your yard sign is the equivalent of getting shot to death in your front yard (Medgar Evers) or being beaten half bloody (Fannie Lou Hamer).

The irony of NOM's defense is stark when one takes into account how in New York, Maryland, and North Carolina, the organization used black pastors to claim the gay community is trying to "piggyback" on the struggles of African-Americans during the Civil Rights Movement.

It definitely proves that in this fight over marriage equality, there is exploitation of the Civil Rights Movement and the African-American community in general.

But it's not coming from the gay community.




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NOM loses in court for the 2nd time this week - this time in California

The following just came in:

Supporters of the 2008 ballot measure that outlawed same-sex marriage in California have lost a lawsuit that sought to block their past and future campaign finance records from public view.

A federal judge in Sacramento on Thursday ruled against ProtectMarriage.com and the National Organization for Marriage, saying the two groups failed to prove they should be exempted from the state's campaign disclosure laws.

Mollie Lee, a lawyer in the San Francisco City Attorney's office, says U.S. District Judge Morrison England Jr. ruled from the bench after a brief hearing and plans to issue a written opinion later.

The two groups, which sponsored and helped finance the gay marriage ban known as Proposition 8, filed the lawsuit in January 2009, claiming their donors were harassed after their names appeared on the Secretary of State's web site.

This loss come days after NOM lost a court case in Washington State. In that particular case, NOM sought not to disclose the names of 137,500 people who two years ago signed Referendum 71 petitions to bring the state’s domestic-partnership law to a vote.

NOM may try to push the idea that people who support their efforts are being harassed but according to the courts, that theory is bupkis.

Why is NOM fighting so hard not to disclose its backers?

I wish someone would put the question to Brian Brown or the rest of that bunch.

Thank you Blabbeando for the tip.


UPDATE -  NOM exploited the Civil Rights Movement in California case loss


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Hey religious right! No one CARES about your opinion of Spirit Day!

The religious right have been very measured about Spirit Day. Other than the following stupid comment from Brian Raum of the Alliance Defense Fund, they have been silent:

"We should not turn a blind eye to the physical and mental harms that people engaged in homosexual conduct bring upon themselves by chalking those harms up to 'stigma, discrimination, and victimization'—demanding more health studies and changes to the medical system—rather than dare ask people to reconsider the path they are traveling down. Instead, we tell them 'it gets better' when, in fact, it does not."

I'm not linking to this loser. Instead, I think I am gong to link to the White House and what they have say about Spirit Day:

If you visit Facebook today, or Twitter, or Tumblr, there's a good chance you'll be seeing purple.
October 20th is Spirit Day -- a celebration begun one year ago by a teenager named Brittany McMillan to honor the memory of young people who have taken their lives after being bullied.

It has become a day when people all over the world wear purple to show support for LGBT people and speak out against the bullying of LGBT teens.

In 2010, millions participated.

This year, the White House is going purple on Facebook, as well. You can also join the celebration by making your social networking icon purple, or just adding a statement of support.

And October 20th is also a day to remember that it does get better.

And of course, the page contains a message from President Obama, Vice President Biden, and the White House staff. It's an old message but VERY appropriate:












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'Fox News declaring war of misinformation on transgender child ' and other Thursday midday news briefs

Fox News, Keith Ablow Misinform About Transgender Child - It's like I've been saying. Sooner or later Fox News will turn its guns of misinformation fully on the gay community. Can you picture a future where the network conducts a one-sided interview with Peter Sprig on his junk science studies or pushing the phony idea that Paul Cameron is a "victim" of the gay community? This is merely cocktail canape right now.

‘Morning Joe’ Slams Herman Cain For Claiming That Being Gay Is A ‘Choice’ - Herman Cain is the perfect religious right candidate. He asks for proof that would refute his claims and when he receives the proof, he claims that he didn't hear it.

PFOX caught in yet another spinjob; also, grass still green - When I first saw this, I was about to go into ORBIT! Thank you Jeremy Hooper for showing PFOX's claim to be a lie. Giving FRC's Peter Sprigg "special thanks" for serving on a school board is like giving a wolf an award for quickly killing a lamb before eating it.

Gay vandalism claim likely a hoax - Was Porno Pete's claim of a vandalism a hoax or not? Box Turtle Bulletin weighs in.

Once Upon A Time, Barber Called For The "Repeal Of All State And Federal Hate-Crimes Laws" - And speaking of said claim, Matt Barber isn't wasting any time milking it by calling for it to be prosecuted under laws that he didn't necessarily agree with a while back.

UPDATE: Tenn. School Will Permit Pro-GSA T-Shirts After Principal Reportedly Harassed Student - A bit of good news for Spirit Day.



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To my beautiful gay children . . .

Today is Spirit Day where over a million Americans will be wearing purple to show support to our lgbt children and also speak out against bullying.

I want to do something extra by way of video montages.

I want our lgbt children to remember something important.

You are not alone. And while millions will show their support to you today, just keep in mind where you come from.

You come from a long line of kings and queens, world builders and civilization savers.

While some will stoop to their lowest level to take away things from you, remember that they can never take your dignity or self-worth

And especially your potential to do great things:









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