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Subscribe to RSSThe blogosphere is abuzz with the story that broke last night, when the Human Rights Campaign released internal memos from the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), the nation's largest and most visible anti-same sex-marriage group, calling for the use of a racial wedge strategy to fight campaigns for marriage equality.
“The strategic goal of this project is to drive a wedge between gays and blacks -- two key Democratic constituencies,” one of the NOM memos says.
“The documents, marked “confidential,” were unsealed yesterday afternoon in Maine by court order, as part of that state’s ongoing ethics investigation into NOM’s campaign finances.
The memo spells out specific steps to enact, including:
Find, equip, energize and connect African American spokespeople for marriage, develop a media campaign around their objections to gay marriage as a civil right; provoke the gay marriage base into responding by denouncing these spokesmen and women as bigots…”
Here is an excerpt on NOM’s Hispanic strategy:
"The Latino vote in America is a key swing vote, and will be so even more so in the future, both because of demographic growth and inherent uncertainty: Will the process of assimilation to the dominant Anglo culture lead Hispanics to abandon traditional family values? We must interrupt this process of assimilation by making support for marriage a key badge of Latino identity - a symbol of resistance to inappropriate assimilation."
NOM also spells out its plans for the 2012 presidential election:
"From a political angle," the NOM document says, "this strategy will require electing a pro-marriage President in 2012." Strategies for defeating, ("sideswiping," as the document calls it) President Obama include "expose Obama as a social radical," and "raise such issues as pornography, protection of children, and the need to oppose all efforts to weaken religious liberty at the federal level."
NOM is a 501(c)3 and cannot endorse presidential candidates, but the former chairwoman of NOM’s board, Maggie Gallagher, endorsed Santorum in January.
Public opinion has moved considerably in the three years since the memos were drafted. The most recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll (conducted Feb. 29 through March 3) shows a plurality favors same-sex marriage -- 49 percent say so versus 40 percent who oppose. That's a reversal from 41-49 percent in October 2009.
Among African Americans, a majority (50 percent) said they were in favor (41 were opposed). That's a big change from October 2009, when just a third (32 percent) were in favor and a majority (53 percent) were opposed. Among Hispanics, in the most recent poll, 55 percent said they were in favor, 30 percent said they were against. That's also a change from October 2009, when the margin was tighter (45-40 favor to oppose).
Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign -- which supports efforts to legalize same-sex marriage -- criticized NOM. “Nothing beats hearing from the horse’s mouth exactly how callous and extremist this group really is,” Solmonese said in a statement.
NOM posted a statement on its website today, saying it is "proud of [its] strong record on minority partnerships."
It added: “Gay marriage advocates have attempted to portray same-sex marriage as a civil right, but the voices of these and many other leaders have provided powerful witness that this claim is patently false. Gay marriage is not a civil right, and we will continue to point this out in written materials such as those released in Maine. We proudly bring together people of different races, creeds and colors to fight for our most fundamental institution: marriage.”
NBC's Domenico Montanaro contributed to this report.
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I'm curious as to how many members of this "cute" & "wholesome" organization are on ther 2nd or 3rd marriage??
Can't say....but one of the founders was an unwed mother...
NOM is simply another branch of the American Taliban; nothing more, nothing less.
NOM is such a disgusting Hate Group.you NOM area bunch of stupid losers.
This doesn't surprise me in the least.
I've been exposed to religion since my earliest memories. I've read the old Scriptures about man lying with man and the abomination and death of the sin. What I have learned from Christ's teachings, we as Christians are to love everyone as we love ourselves and that we are all made in the image of our Lord. We are taught to see same sex as a sin, but not a death penalty. We are to witness our beliefs, not to Judge. Were we to practice what our Lord taught there would be no groups like NOM. Though I believe this is a sin, it can be forgiven by our Lord, besides, I can't live each day without sinning, so who am I to Judge. I just hope and pray that when my Judgement Day comes I won't be cast into a lake of fire. I will say that I don't oppose same sex marriage, though I believe same sex is a sin, I can't deny any two people who love and care for one another the same privilege I have.
I do have another issue to deal with. All religions want to govern. Maybe it's because they think that GOD intended for them to teach people to live by His Laws or maybe they think they can force morality on the masses. I've heard many a pastor claim that God told them to do certain things or to preach on certain sins, I'm curious to know why they think they are the only ones God speaks to??? What if I said God told me these people are full of crap??? who's to say that he didn't speak to me. God never intended for religion to govern people, He gives us the option of believing or not. Our founders never intended for a religion to govern us. No where does Christ tell us to rebel against our government only men seeking power use God and morality as a means of having power over the people. Pray therefore when they stand in Judgement that they have all the fire protection they can find. Amen and God Bless.
Gene-340754, Thank you. That was one of the most refreshing reads I've had on one of these political blogs. I usually am slamming religious fundamentalism when I see the insanity that gets posted, but you chose to point out that Christ didn't teach hatred and bigotry. I use to say all the time, "When rules become the religion then God is forgotten". I love to see when folks start to see that they are incapable of not sinning and if they are busy monitoring everyone else they stop seeing their own errors. You sound like you practice your religion they way its Teacher intended. I don't think you need to worry about that lake of fire, the True Divine Being of All does not murder and torture. God Is Love...literally.
Many thanks
NOM is a disgusting, despicable pack of Godless hate-mongers hiding behind a mask of self-righteousness. They are toxic puke and I will relish the day of their demise.
On the one hand it doesn't matter. 10 - 20 years from now it will be legal across the country anyway simply due to younger, more open-minded generations coming in to their right to vote. It's funny to me that laws prohibiting gay marriage are consistenly stricken by the States' respective courts (state level, federal level, etc). Then NOM comes in complaining that the people voted and it's their will for these laws to exist and judicial activists are destroying the system. My question is what will NOM do in the future when the up and coming generations have the right to vote and probably will block anti-gay marriage laws? NOM is fighting a losing battle. It's sad to me that today's gay population will have to wait so long to get married in most States.
Memo to NOM: Gays are a minority. Still proud?
Grumpy--Now you're asking NOM to think and act rationally. Is that fair?
NOM's statement should have more appropriately read "We proudly bring together people of different races, creeds and colors to foster hate and to discriminate against gay men and women everywhere."
Marriage is not our nation's most fundamental institution. Our most fundamental institution is democracy. A democracy that mandates "liberty and justice for all!" This includes, but is not limited to, basic civil rights, such as the right of two people to marry. The constitution is not gender specific when it comes to civil or basic human rights. To deny any group of people the right to marry is anathema those of us who cherish personal freedom, liberty, and dignity. The gay marriage issue may be disgusting to right'wing conservatives, evangelical bigots, and political naysayers. But, we who wish to remain at least idealogically in tune with the tenets of our Constitution, do not want to deny our gay brothers and sisters the right to marry. And thus trample all over their civil liberty and human right to legally spend the remainder of their adult lives with the person he or she truly loves.
Gay "marriage" is wrong. Civil unions? Okay, go ahead. I don't care who you live with, but leave the union of a man and a woman alone. It is straight from the Bible. That definition can't be changed because it is written in nature and in stone. It is a sacred bond between man and woman and always will be. A deviant behavior that goes against the laws of nature and God will never really exist as a marriage. Can't be done.
I'm Hindu. Please explain to me why I have to follow the teachings of your faith.
self- where exactly is it written in nature? Homosexuality has been recording in over a thousand species, in about the same ratio as it is in the human species. Seems pretty natural to me. Where is it written in stone? More importantly, in our secular nation, where is written in the Constitution? You are free to believe what you wish and follow the laws of your relgion. You have no right, however to impose the law of your religion upon other free citizens of the United States.
P.S. "Marriage" is a secular legal term. Holy Matrimony is religious. Although I have no problem with gay Holy Matrimony, either.
self: lol, it used to be that marriage was defined as man and woman of the same race. lol. Guess that was written on, oh, sand instead of stone. :)
"laws of nature"? are these written somewhere? I'd like to read them. are they for sale on amazon? :)
Devout Christians/right wing nut jobs think they live in a theocracy and only listen to fox news and their preacher!
selfemployed: Says here in my Bible, "And thou shalt spew thy hatred onto brethren who take other brethren to be as husbands. Thou shalt become yourself as God, proclaiming them as less holy than thyself who hast sacred nuptial bonds under God, and causing them to suffer the pains of being separate from His holy reconciliation. For they have sinned and they deserve no quarter from the righteous among thee. For God has ordained thee to be a judge upon this earth, to walk among sinners and cluck thy tongue and post comments in electronic forums to point out the so-called deviance in others. Because thou art good and thou art wise and thou art holy. But when thou comest at last into Heaven, please keep thy trap shut, because thou art such a pain in the ass."
Since when do you own the word "marriage"?
WRONG. Civil marriage predates organized religion by thousands of years, and religion did not get involved in marriage until around the mid-1500s.
Really? Then how do you explain the approximately 1,500 species of animals in which homosexuality has been documented?
My husband and I did not marry in a church, and after 30 years together, I can tell you that our marriage is just as "sacred" as that of anyone who did.
Then I guess it's a good thing that God doesn't make the laws in this country; we are a secular nation, and legal marriage here is strictly a civil contract.
selfemployed-1951031
Based on your stone cold beliefs and not the truth. Beliefs that are in a book that was put together by humans that weren't even around when Jesus was living. A book that is full of things like how slavery is OK. So Slavery is in the old testament so it doesn't go against the laws of nature and is OK? Pick and choose, pick and choose. Gotta love fundamentalists. Gives em a reason to hate and be right.
There is no such thing as being "anti-gay marriage" because same-sex marriage cannot exist. The proper term is "pro-marriage". Only a union between opposite-sex couples can ever be called a marriage.
Secondly, the incorrect word is "gay" to describe people who engage in same-sex relationships. The correct term is homosexual.
Thirdly, all people are born with heterosexual equipment. So to choose to act out one's homosexual desires can only be labeled as aberrant.
Only gays would know if what you're saying is true because only they could know if they made a conscious decision to be gay. For you to imply anything else would be a lie as you could not possibly know.
The term anti-gay marriage is correct because if it were pro-marriage we'd be encouraging people to get married, not legally stopping them from doing so. I find it funny how we tell gays they're too different but when they say they want to get married we say that that's too much like the rest of us.
Further, as has been put forth about a billion times, if we are so "pro-marriage" then why do we allow divorce?
Lonesome-
Actually, it does in several states and our nation's capitol. As for people being born with "heterosexual equiptment" what would homosexual equiptment look like? Would it be like both sets of "equiptment"? Or some of each? People are born like that all the time, but they're not all homosexual. Perhaps we should riot against them for going against nature.
Jon-
Love. It.
lonesome is a legend in his own mind since he believes that if HE doesn't believe in something, it can't exist. lol.
and I love people who think that THEY determine correct word usage. lol again. clue for the clueless: word usage changes over time, and there is nothing you can do about it. :)
Lonesome: You really believe that stuff, huh? I like the "heterosexual equipment" part. How does that apply to masturbation? If I have sex with my right hand does that mean it's a homosexual part? My left hand loses interest quickly, so maybe it's straight.
Because YOU say so, LR? YOU don't own the word "marriage".
All people are born with the opposite sex equipment? That's basically what you're saying.
Furthermore, all people may be born with "equipment," but not necessarily the attraction or orientation to those with the opposite "equipment". And the medical and scientific communities don't find that aberrant, just a variant of our normal and naturally-occurring orientations.
I think I'll take the experts' word on this over the word of a bigot like you, LR. You are as misinformed as you are bigoted.
Bigots trying to call others bigots, to promote their own bigotry!
This pales in comparison to the Republican "southern strategy" adopted during the Nixon campaign and still alive today.
Humanity will never prosper, simply because some people can not live without finding a common enemy.
Wether that be gay, poor, sick, or immigrants.
I am convinced that people still fall into the Neanderthal belief system that, if someone is different they are to be feared. and ignorance is the root of all fear.
the biblical fact is that gayness is equally a "sin" as eating shrimp. and far less of a sin than missing sabbath.
how many Christians actually do that one anymore? it IS the longest of the 10 commandments. And still just as mortal a sin as the rest.
We are much to savage a species to be the descendants of ANY god.
LOVEPeaceCoexists?Tolerence?
Any you don't think ACORN had similar memos? None of what those memos said is bad. They sounded very political, but not racist. Targeting specific messages at specific demographics is totally acceptable. That's how advertising works. Leveraging the values of a group to spread your message is the norm, so I don't even understand why this is even news other than MSNBC is a far left "news" organization that likes to paint anyone who is conservative as a racist, bigot, meany @!$%#.
Sounds like NOM thinks black & Latino voters are really dumb and gullible, and easily manipulated.
It's a classic tactic to pit one minority group against another, and quite despicable.
In sharp contrast to a hate group like NOM, ACORN was trying to help minority groups.
ACORN is about empowering minorities...not pitting them against each other to achieve some other, nefarious goal. But if you have any ACORN memos you want to share (and you aren't just...you know...making @!$%# up....) feel free.
Not bad? So you think it's ok to manipulate minorities, spread lies and hate, actively work to divide citizen against citizen....just to garner support for bigotry? I'm sorry...but your judgment is terrible.
No one said this was about racism.
Generally that means targeting the people who will benefit from a program or agenda....not trying to pit one group against another.
So....if Tide said their product was just for whites...you'd buy it?
It's news because this organization, that purports to be about "family values" has been outed as a hate-mongering boil on the butt of society. They aren't selling a product. They aren't campaigning for office. Their entire reason for existence is simply spreading hate. And they are trying to manipulate minorities into doing their work for them. They are disgusting. It's news because they can never again try to claim any moral high ground...they have shown themselves to be low-life scum.
Of course...most of us knew that already...but it's always nice to have it in writing.
A marriage license is a service that is provided due to the taxes that are paid by state residence. If you pay into the service, then you are entitled to use the service equally. If the service cannot be provided equally among all participates, then service should be suspended for all.
It is just that simple.
...nothing screams "I am really in the closet" like extreme homophobia, folks. It's like a major "d'uh".... I always get a laugh when these groups get their ugly going for the rest of the world to see.
i would have to agree.
i am convinced that some day Santorum will sneeze during a speech and a butt plug will fly out and bounce across the stage.
boing boing boing..
Homophobia is best defined as fear of the familiar.
omg freethinker, im rotflmfao so hard my sides are hurting. hahahahahahahaha
Why try to drive a wedge? Blacks know just how vicious and malevolent that the Gays are. I can understand Black opposition as the gays try to set their mission as Civil Rights, which anybody with half a brain knows that it isn't.
vicious and malevolent? lol, how so?
feel free to prove that their issue isn't "civil rights"..since clearly you have half a brain, you should be set. :) Good thing that gays aren't discriminated against by some parts of society (the homophobes), physically injured and sometimes killed, denied rights that others have, etc...or your post might look kinda stupid. :)
Dan be sure to let us know when you actually meet a black and/or gay person.
Im sure it will be scary at first, but you'll get through it.
"You can safely assume that you have created god in your own image when it turns out that god hates all the same people you do." - Anne Lamott
This article is a goofy pro-homosexual marriage bit of nonsence.
All political entities with even a basic level of sophistication make their campaign plans on how various groups should be addressed. This includes racial and ethnic groups. The Democratic Party does it. The Republican Party does it. All manner of interest groups do it. If you are going to charactize this as a "racial wedge" strategy then each and every political group of any level of sophistication in the country has a "racial wedge" strategy.
NBC's Barbara Raab is a pro-homosexual marriage advocate. She doesn't even make an effort to hide her bias.
But how many try to drive wedges between minority groups, rather than simply try to enlist their support?
No surprise at all that a hate group like NOM would use a divisive strategy to make one minority group hate another. Very similar to what the KKK did historically to make the Scots-Irish hate blacks and other immigrants.
If these had been ACORN memos, you would have been all over it....but because you happen to agree with the hate-mongering...you disapprove of anyone calling them out on it. I see.
How is this a "political entity"? This is a hate group. They hate gays. That's the entire reason for their existence. Like the KKK. They have no other agenda or purpose.
Addressing various groups isn't the same thing at all as trying to manipulate certain groups to turn against each other by spreading lies and hate. It's certainly not an unheard of tactic (10 minutes of rush or fox will prove that) but they are one step removed from their masters and I'll give them the benefit of a great many doubts and assume they actually have some sort of agenda...aside from just spreading hate.
You honestly can't see the difference between campaigning for the support of various groups...and actively trying to sow hatred and anger among them...in order to achieve your only objective...which is to spread hate and intolerance towards another minority? Sad.
That's not bias. Being for equality...is being unbiased. Being against it...that's a bias against a certain group that you don't want to have equality. See the difference? You are biased against gays....she isn't.
What's the big deal? President Obama has actively campaigned to black groups and Hispanic groups. The President has used race as a tool to pander the voters for his reelection. The President has used race as a tool to get what he wants.
Why is it okay for the President but not okay for anyone else?
Can you see the difference between campaigning for a group's support....and lying to that group in order to get them to hate another group?
I realize that after the last 10 -20 years of republican campaigns that it's hard to tell the difference between campaigning and hate-mongering....because they have learned that by inflaming and pandering to the hatreds their base already has is an effective way to garner votes...but trust me, this is even worse than what they do.
I applaud NOM. Nothing wrong with exposing Obama as a radical...the main stream media won't do it.
Wow....the article had nothing to do with Obama....it showed how NOM was being radical...trying to incite hate and fear.
Pretty amazing how you can read an indictment of Obama in that...
Wouldn't mind knowing about just what "radical" things Obama has done that the mainstream media has failed to report on. Unlike fox....which is pure biased commentary....actual news programs (what you call the mainstream media) only report the news...they don't tell us how they feel about it or how they think we should feel about it. So you might not recognize it as news.
I guess, kind of like the Sanford, Florida circus...no bias, no emotion, just facts...lol
Please read the article again. It states their strategy for exposing Obama. Oh, Ed Schultz is probably on so you might have missed it. No bias from that factual "journalist"
The strategy was to "sideline Obama" by appealing to the homophobia of bigoted blacks.
It's a rather pathetic and vile strategy to try to pit one minority group against another, but no surprise at all that a hate group like NOM would stoop to that level. It's exactly what the KKK used to do.
I wouldn't know. I don't go to circuses...clowns are creepy.
And you somehow translate that into Obama being radical? They didn't plan to "expose" Obama...they planned to "sideswipe" him. Big difference.
I haven't a clue who you're talking about. I haven't watched TV for 14 years....aside from 18 minutes of fox I was forced to watch in a restaurant a few months ago while waiting for them to prepare my order....to go. The longest and most painful 18 minutes of my life.
I agree skrekk....I don't see any difference between NOM and the KKK...both are just rabid hate groups trying to marginalize and harm their fellow citizens...just for being different. Real "patriots". Both a disgusting festering boil on our history of freedom and equality.
Robert George, founder of NOM, just was appointed to the US Commission for International Religious Freedom. NOM’s talking points, arguments and strategies come from this man, who calls for the arrest and imprisonment and promoting bigotry of LGBT people. If you believe NOM’s tactics are reprehensible, please take the time to fill out this petition on the White House’s webpage condemning the appointment of Robert George. Pass the word along and post where you it is appropriate.
Amazing. Hard to stamp out hate when Republicans keep promoting it. Apparently it was John Boehner who appointed Robert George.