02/01/2012
Tonight: Washington Senate will hopefully make history #WA4m (UPDATE: IT PASSED!!)
There's a super important vote going down tonight in the Washington state Senate. If the marriage bill overcomes the legislative hurdle in that chamber, it's expected to pass the House. So this is really the big vote to determine if the bill finds its way to pro-equality Gov. Gregoire's desk.
Watch live here; follow along live here:
**ALSO: Slog has ongoing coverage.
*UPDATE: WE DID IT!!!!!! 28-21 -- bill passes!!!!!!!!!!
------------------
------------------
02/01/2012
NOM EXPOSED: NOM lies about Navy letter; replaces 'can' with 'must'
In a new action alert that actually has more to do with military protocol than it does with their cause of marriage, NOM chooses to tell one whopper of a lie. The writer (credited as Brian Brown) says:
KEEP READING: NOM lies about Navy letter; replaces 'can' with 'must' [NOM Exposed]
Amazon kindles gay goodwill
Google, Starbucks, Microsoft, Nike. Now this:
Amazon Supports Gay Marriage! [J.M.G.]
Oh, and insider tip from an already-married gay: They do wedding registries!
Austin Nimocks like a kid at Xmas; sadly, it's NH rights he wants to unwrap
That they continue to "culture war" against us is bad enough. But it never ceases to shock or amaze me to learn of just how excited our organized opponents get when thinking about robbing us of rights:
"Republicans in New Hampshire have super majorities in both houses there, and the last I've heard, they have the votes to be able to repeal same-sex marriage and to undo that mistake and restore marriage and make sure that we're not promoting motherless and fatherless families" …"That's going to be exciting, so keep your eye on what's going to happen in New Hampshire."
-Alliance Defense Fund's Austin Nimocks, barely containing his excitement when speaking to AFA's Bryan Fischer
Undoing a mistake? Exciting? Mmm hmmm, right.
But you know who's probably going to be less excited in this NH scenario? The gay teen who thought things were getting better in his state but who will now be forced to remember how many of his neighbors are still actively working to make his journey into adulthood that much tougher. Or the married New Hampshire couple whose wedding album will now come with an uncomfortable addendum about how they were able to climb through a short-term window. Or the lifelong Republican who thought her party was finally moving on from this hurtful, divisive battle and onto actual ills. Or the everyday New Hampshire taxpayer who doesn't care to live in a tiered world where civil freedoms can be stifled simply because certain groups have organized their personally-held religious ideals into a political movement.
But okay, sure -- you go ahead and keep working the lie this somehow betters us, Mr. Nimocks. I'll keep working to remove the superfluous "c" in your "discrimination is exciting" bumper stickers.
Video: 'There's some sickness going on': The 'loving' voice of Maryland 'marriage protection'
Charles Lollar from something called the New Day Maryland PAC, speaking at Monday's anti-equality rally in Annapolis:
I can honestly say I've never stood up and cheered for my neighbor to have a tougher shake at life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness. I'd rather lose twenty more Prop 8-like contests than say that I have or will.
Video: MD priest calls us radical, reckless
Ya know, because standing in a crowd stirring up faith-based animus against a minority population's civil rights is so grounded, tolerant, and careful:
Reinstating Minnesota For Marriage's forcibly stripped context
About fifty seconds into the latest "Marriage Minute" video, Minnesota For Marriage's Kalley Yanta proudly declares that the U.S. Supreme Court has found marriage to be "fundamental to the very existence and survival of the [human] race:
So since Minnesota For Marriage continues to use this canard of a case, I will again point out the flaws. Let's get started.
NOM's war on public disclosure: Minnesota For Marriage edition
This just in, via HRC:
HRC Urges Minnesota Election Board to Investigate Anti-Gay Group
On heels of Maine decision, MN campaign filings released today show National Organization for Marriage boldly ignoring state law by hiding individual donors
WASHINGTON – The Human Rights Campaign today released an analysis of campaign disclosure reports - made public today in Minnesota - that reveal the National Organization for Marriage has launched an unprecedented effort to avoid disclosing individual donors as required by law. Such secrecy once again revealsNOM is not a grassroots organization but serves the interest of a handful of wealthy anti-gay donors. HRC urges the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Disclosure Board to investigate NOM’s financial activity around the Minnesota ballot measure.
Reports filed with the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Disclosure Board reveal that marriage equality opponents received only seven individual donations and one donation from a family estate. However, they have raised more than $1.2 million from just three entities: $750,000 contributed by the Minnesota Catholic Conference, $250,000 by the National Organization for Marriage and $226,000 by the Minnesota Family Council.
By contrast, Minnesotans United for All Families, the coalition working to defeat the ballot measure, openly reported contributions from over 5,000 individual donors, 75% of which were from Minnesota.
“NOM has deliberately evaded Minnesota’s public disclosure laws,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese. “We’ve seen this movie before in plenty of other states. This is part of NOM’s systematic attempt across the country to oppose public disclosure and hide its donors. In Minnesota, they have taken it to a whole new level. We believe that NOM and others may be secretly telling people to contribute to them instead of directly to the campaign so that they can avoid public disclosure. The contrast between seven individuals opposing marriage equality and thousands of pro-equality supporters is quite revealing.”
For months, lawyers for NOM have battled the state over its public disclosure laws. The Minnesota Campaign Finance and Disclosure Board has repeatedly told NOM and its allies that they must provide underlying disclosure by revealing, among other things, individual donors who are solicited to contribute to the ballot measure. Such public disclosure is widely accepted around the country to ensure transparency and accountability, and Minnesota campaign disclosure laws were written to allow voters to track specific funders of ballot campaigns.
Today’s disclosure reports come on the heels of a major court decision yesterday rejecting NOM’s arguments that it should not have to reveal donors solicited for the Maine marriage referendum in 2009. Yesterday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit upheld Maine’s campaign finance disclosure laws from attack by NOM. In 2009, NOM solicited contributions for Amendment 1 but refused to register and report as a ballot question committee as required by Maine law. The Maine Attorney General is currently investigating NOM for violating state law.
The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.
###
To be such a house of cards, NOM sure goes to great lengths to hide its hand. And that's why we must care. Because as with all charades, the key is to listen more to what isn't said than to what is publicly revealed.
*SEE ALSO: The pertinent document:
