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12/18/2009

by Jeremy Hooper

It's that time of year again. Time for the anti-gay groups to highlight all of the "victories" they've had over the past year, in hopes that you will $end them $ome $weet $omething$.

Like take the Liberty Counsel (please). Here are their supposed "traditional family" victories of the year:

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*Source: Liberty Counsel Year End Report [LC.org]

Only problem? There's barely one free and clear "win" in this whole lot!

They lost in their case against the Florida Bar. So yes, they did argue. But so did my young nephews when one of them wanted to watch "iCarly" and the other wanted "Phineas and Ferb." One's ability to argue doesn't make said argument a pointed one.

California: The Liberty Counselors, representing the extremely far-right Campaign for California Families, were denied in their request to intervene in the Prop 8 suit. So yea, again -- they did argue for intervention. But merit intervened.

The Miller/Jenkins case is one with no winner (least of all the child). But as of now Lisa Miller (the evangelical "ex-lesbian") has been ordered to relinquish custody of daughter Isabella to Jenkins by the start of 2010. Miller could go to prison if she does not comply. And the courts have cited the case, as well as Miller's related bad-mouthing of Jenkins, as being what's truly threatening the child.

We have hate crimes law. So their petitions only served to waste trees and reputations.

In Maine? Yes, their side narrowly "won." But this site followed that fight with the finest of fine-toothed combs, and was on site during that election. Guess what? Nobody, on either side, considered LC to be a player. At all.

Iowa: We're marrying there. The court, stacked with GOP appointees, ruled in our favor. Unanimously. So if LC filed an amicus brief there, then let us be the first to say thank you!!

In Florida, we have had major wins. The adoption matter is ultimately going to be decided by the state Supreme Court. But in multiple lower court decisions (now on appeal), LC has been unsuccessful in stopping the march of time.

The Alabama case is similar to the Miller/Jenkins one, and still ongoing. So the most they can say is that they filed a brief. The same kind of things that countless lawyers do everyday, without using their rote work as a reason to solicit funds.

A whole bunch of non-starters if you ask us. Plus, you have to factor in all of the damage that their wacky stunts ("proud to be a right-wing extremist" cards, "adopt a liberal" programs, "lesbians will raise violent kids" quotes) did to the larger "pro-family" movement. Hell, the reliably hyperbolic Matt Barber alone is like a one-man credibility-stripper! And that (now-cancelled) show that Barber hosted with Mat Staver put a daily dose of dynamite under the idea that our opposition is the nice, loving, truthful side.

So yea: We may be admittedly biased against LC's nonstop attempt to stop, strip, and "change" us. But even through an objective lens where organization like LC are nothing more than political groups with viewpoints, we'd be hard pressed to put anything even resembling a banner on their year!

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