A few came, a few saw -- but it's NOM's influence that's being conquered

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07/16/2010

by Jeremy Hooper

Now even the anti-LGBT conservatives at the Christian Civic League of Maine are admitting that the turnout at NOM's Augusta marriage rally was light, at best. Plus they also give us more insight into yet another silly protest sign:

Only a handful of pro-family supporters showed up to object to the same sex marriage rally, one of them Elaine Graham, a remarkable woman who also protested the display of public indecency in Farmington. Elaine was wise enough to bring the one thing needed by the marchers in Farmington -- a blanket. This time Elaine -- shown below on the right -- brought a sign which went to the heart of the matter. [SOURCE]

And again, this "only a handful" reality comes amid a flurry of press for this tour, on both a national and local level, as well as considerable online outreach on NOM's part. Honestly, anything less than 200+ people is a FAIL, even on a weekday afternoon.

There will surely be more people at this weekend's rallies (Albany on Saturday, Providence on Sunday), being that people have the day off and that the Catholic Church in Rhode Island is promoting Sunday's function (which is to include speakers from the Diocese of Providence). So that means we need more presence from our side. We need more photos of these ridiculous protest signs. More audio and video from these empty speeches. We need to document this thing with every tool in our rhetorical arsenal. This whole thing is turning into the worst PR NOM has ever known (which is saying something after the "Gathering Storm" debacle).

**UPDATE: And don't forget Freedom To Marry's counter-initiative:

July 16th - Providence, RI
10am
Press Conference led by Marriage Equality Rhode Island
State House, North Steps

July 17th - Albany, NY
11.30am-1:30pm
Picnic for couples and families who support the freedom to marry
Reflecting Pools at Albany Plaza

July 23 - Columbus, OH
12noon-1:00pm
Press Conference with elected officials representing all levels of government
Location: TBD

Additional events are planned through mid-August. Stay tuned - and visit Summer for Marriage for more details as they become available.
Freedom to Marry and partners launch "Summer for Marriage" [Open Left]