The Blaze reports the Bed & Breakfast owner's attorney, Jim Hochberg, saying that "[t]he public needs to be aware of this decision because it has far-reaching consequences," and because it ignores the owner's First Amendment rights.

Of course, while lawsuits such as this are becoming ever more frequent, yet still same-sex marriage activists claim redefining marriage will have no impact on anyone's religious freedom or basic rights.

But they know as well as we do that cases such as this one are only more frequent and harder to fight against where marriage is redefined.

Dear Marriage Supporter,

Third grade classrooms having pretend same-sex weddings… textbooks featuring pictures of cross-dressing carpenters… children being taught that there are "six genders."

"If same-sex marriage is passed in your state, your children—your grandchildren—will be exposed to the same kind of instruction."

That's what educator and marriage supporter Phil Lees says in our latest Marriage ADA interview.

He worked for years in the public education system in Ontario, Canada, and saw first-hand—only one year after same-sex marriage was legalized in 2005—18 school boards in Ontario instituting school curricula that affirmed and promoted LGBT "values," including same-sex marriage.

Click here to watch Phil's incredible first-hand report of what he witnessed as a public school educator in Canada.

Phil's story needs to be spread far and wide. In every place where NOM has fought the legalization of same-sex marriage here in the United States, our opponents have falsely promised that it will not affect the innocence of children.

But in every place marriage has been redefined, we have seen a powerful movement begin to use the schools to teach children about same-sex unions, intentionally confusing them about the unique and complimentary role of mothers and fathers.

Supporter, as this educator points out, one of the problems is that people of faith sometimes withdraw from the system and cede control to activists bent on promoting values that we know to be harmful to children and to society.

We cannot let this happen to our kids in America!

Together, we can create a better future for our kids.

You and I know that when people of faith stand up and fight to protect marriage, becoming more actively involved in the education of our children, we can fight back against the threats posed by those who would promote same-sex marriage and other harmful "values" in our schools.

Please watch this new video right away and then forward this email to family and friends to help us reach as many people as possible with this urgent and critically important message.

PS: If you haven't done so yet, please take a moment to join the thousands of Americans who have signed the Marriage Petition to the Justices of the Supreme Court: www.MarriagePledge.com. And share it with your friends!

Dear Marriage Supporter,

As you know, President Obama is doing everything in his power to undermine the Defense of Marriage Act by pushing an aggressive, pro-gay marriage agenda in the military.

It should therefore come as no surprise that the individuals most directly and severely affected by the President's actions are heroic military chaplains.

Click here to watch a powerful new Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance video where military chaplains speak out about how they are coming under fire from their own Commander in Chief.

Again we clearly see how redefining marriage puts the First Amendment rights of pro-marriage individuals and institutions in jeopardy.

Supporter, with the United States Supreme Court about to hear two historic cases this month—cases that could determine the very future of marriage in America—it is critical that we get the word out about how far-reaching and damaging the consequences are when marriage is undermined and redefined.

Be sure to watch this incredible new video right now about the threats facing our military chaplains, and share it with your family and friends. This message must be spread far and wide.

And please, if you are able, make a donation today of $35, $50, $100, or even $500 to help the National Organization for Marriage bring to light the real-life consequences of redefining marriage for everyday, faithful Americans like you and me.

Please also don't forget to share this video so that more Americans can see what the stakes are for marriage at this critical time in our nation's history. Use the buttons below to promote this video through Facebook, Twitter, or by emailing it to your friends:

Thank you so much for standing up for marriage and helping us get the word out about the threats we face.

Christian registrars will not be able to opt out of performing marriages for gay couples because registrars are deemed to be public officials, the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has said.

Giving evidence this week to a committee of MPs that are studying the (Marriage Same Sex Couples) Bill for England and Wales, the EHRC declared that although religious institutions are likely to face no legal sanctions for refusing to marry gay couples, public registrars, who perform civil partnerships and marriages on behalf of the state will be expected to comply fully with the new legislation.

From the segment voiceover:

What Aaron and his wife want to make clear is that he don't hate homosexuals, in fact, quite the opposite: "I have no problem with them I have customers who come in almost on a weekly basis who are homosexual. I have no problem, they can buy my stuff I sell stuff I talk with them I mean it's fine." What's not fine, according to Aaron, is a marriage between people of the same sex. He says he'll always stand by that conviction. "I'd rather have my kids see their dad stand up for what he believed in then to see him bow down because one person complained."

Dear Marriage Supporter,

Last week, I sent you a note about NOM's newly redesigned website, www.Prop8Case.com.

Today I want to share with you a video reminding us how important it is that we remain active and engaged to demonstrate America's support for marriage leading up to the Supreme Court's consideration of this pivotal case. This new Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance video interview shows what the consequences of losing this battle could be.

Dr. Steve Tourloukis was forced to sue the government of Canada for his right as a parent to determine how to best educate his own children!

Click here to watch this incredible new video today!

We have seen, time and time again, that wherever marriage is redefined, the rights of religious individuals and institutions are put in jeopardy by government fiat. There is no middle ground — either our rights are respected, or they are threatened and eradicated.

When marriage is redefined, people like you and me who believe that it takes a man and a woman to make a marriage are treated under the law as the functional equivalent of racists and bigots.

Marriage Supporter, these are the stakes of the battle that has now made its way to the Supreme Court.

Please watch this video right now and seriously consider making a confidential, tax-deductible donation of $25, $50, $100 or even $500 to the NOM Education Fund today, so that together we can fight back against the dangerous imposition of the radical same-sex marriage agenda.

We can win this fight, but only if we have the means to give marriage the defense it both needs and deserves.

Andrea Williams of the Christian Legal Centre says at one point: "... in the case of Lillian Ladele, [there was never] any refusal of a service to any homosexual couple. So I think here we have to really get a sense of perspective on what is happening, what have the English courts said? They've said this: your freedom to manifest your faith is your freedom to resign. Well of course that's no freedom at all."

"...cases [heard by the European Court of Human Rights] involved nurse Shirley Chaplin, 57, whose employer also stopped her wearing necklaces with a cross, Gary McFarlane, 51, a marriage counsellor sacked after saying he might object to giving sex therapy advice to gay couples, and registrar Lillian Ladele who was disciplined after she refused to conduct same-sex civil partnership ceremonies."

... Ms Ladele was disciplined by Islington Council, in north London, after saying she did not want to conduct same-sex civil partnership ceremonies. Her lawyers said the service could have been performed by other employees who were prepared to carry them out.

ECHR judges said the council's action was legitimate as it was obliged to consider the rights of same-sex couples.

Mike Judge, of the Christian Institute, which backed Ms Ladele's case, said: "What this case shows is that Christians with traditional beliefs about marriage are at risk of being left out in the cold." (BBC)

Gallaudet University has reinstated its chief diversity officer after a 3-month paid suspension for signing a petition circulated by opponents of gay marriage in Maryland.
University President T. Alan Hurwitz announced the reinstatement of Angela McCaskill in an email to the campus community on Monday. The statement doesn't elaborate on the reasons for the reinstatement, and university officials declined further comment.

Gallaudet is the nation's leading university for the deaf and hard of hearing, and the Washington campus has a prominent gay community. McCaskill was placed on leave in October after administrators became aware that she had signed the petition. The petition drive led to a referendum on gay marriage in Maryland, where McCaskill lives. Voters upheld the law, and same-sex couples began marrying in the state this month.

“I am not anti-gay. I never have been and I never will be,” says McCaskill. (AP)

"A homosexual couple has sued a Christian preschool in New Mexico after the school had accepted the three-year-old boy the two men are raising as their son, only to reject the child later. In their complaint the two men, Joseph Romero and John Keelin, allege that officials at Hope Christian School in Albuquerque first accepted their three-year-old son, then sent them a denial letter when the school realized the boy's parents were homosexual.

In the lawsuit, the two men claim that they “were even told that a new student packet has been prepared for him and that the school was expecting to get acceptance letters out the following week.” But shortly after that notification, the two “received a denial letter on April 16, 2010,” the complaint continues. “Upon further inquiry, the school sent a letter dated June 13, 2012 to plaintiffs' attorney. The letter indicated that the school denied admission to plaintiffs' son because plaintiffs were a same gender couple and that, as a result, their home was inconsistent with the school's beliefs.” (The New American)

An Annapolis company whose old-fashioned trolleys are iconic in the city's wedding scene has abandoned the nuptial industry rather than serve same-sex couples.

The owner of Discover Annapolis Tours said he decided to walk away from $50,000 in annual revenue instead of compromising his Christian convictions when same-sex marriages become legal in Maryland in less than a week. And he has urged prospective clients to lobby state lawmakers for a religious exemption for wedding vendors.

... Wedding vendors elsewhere who refused to accommodate same-sex couples have faced discrimination lawsuits — and lost. Legal experts said Discover Annapolis Tours sidesteps legal trouble by avoiding all weddings.

... The trolley company's decision, publicized by a straight groom offended by what he called "repressive bigotry," offers a snapshot of a local business navigating a new landscape in Maryland's wedding industry, and leaving it behind for a competitor to swoop in.

The head of the Maryland Wedding Professionals Association said the trolley company is the second vendor to refuse business over the state's same-sex marriage law, which voters upheld in November. The Maryland clergyman who led opposition to same-sex marriage called the trolley company's choice to abandon profits on principle "gutsy" and predicted that more businesses would quietly follow suit.

... Frank Schubert, the political strategist who ran campaigns against same-sex marriage in Maryland and three other states this year, said opponents predicted collateral damage from legalizing same-sex unions.

"This is exactly what happens," Schubert said, adding that religious liberty is "right in the cross hairs of this debate. … The law doesn't protect people of faith. It simply doesn't."

Schubert pointed to a handful of other examples publicized in news reports across the country of wedding vendors sued for refusing to accommodate a same-sex ceremony: a pair of Vermont innkeepers, a New Jersey church group and a New Mexico wedding photographer.

A federal appeals court has upheld the University of Toledo's decision to fire a high-level human-resources administrator who wrote a newspaper opinion column challenging the idea that gay people deserve the same civil-rights protections as members of racial minority groups.

In a ruling handed down on Monday, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit held that the administrator's column "contradicted the very policies she was charged with creating, promoting, and enforcing," and cannot be excused as merely a statement of her own views as a private citizen. The panel affirmed a lower court's decision to dismiss the administrator's lawsuit accusing the public university of violating her constitutional rights by firing her.

At the center of the case was an opinion essay that Crystal Dixon, who had been the university's interim associate vice president for human resources, published in the Toledo Free Press in April 2008.

... In upholding the dismissal of Ms. Dixon's lawsuit, the federal appeals court said she differed from other employees cited in her equal-protection claim in that her speech, and not theirs, contradicted university policies. The appeals panel said her essay "spoke on policy issues related directly to her position at the university," and the government's interests as an employer outweighed her free-speech interests in the dispute.

Notaries public in Maine who officiate weddings of opposite-sex couples and refuse to marry same-sex couples could be subject to a claim of discrimination under the Maine Human Rights Act, according to the Maine secretary of state’s office.

The notice sent to municipal clerks this week effectively means an all or none approach for notaries public when it comes to performing weddings.

...The email clarified for notaries public whether they would be required to perform same-sex weddings when the new law allowing gay couples to marry goes into effect Dec. 29. The Bangor Daily News was provided a copy of the email by the Bangor city clerk’s office.

“If you are a Notary Public who performs marriages and you refuse to perform a marriage for a couple due to a person’s race, color, sex, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, religion, creed, age, ancestry or national origin, you may be subject to a claim of discrimination.’’ Beaudoin wrote. “The new law authorizing same-sex marriage does not provide any exemption from liability for Maine Notaries who refuse to perform marriages for same-sex couples.”

There are about 25,000 notaries public licensed by the Bureau of Corporations, Elections and Commissions, a division of the secretary of state’s office, Barbara Redmond, who works in the bureau, said Wednesday in a phone interview.

... After the referendum allowing same-sex couples to marry was passed by voters on Nov. 6, a few notaries called the secretary of state’s office with questions about how the new law applied to them, Redmond said. A handful resigned.

Eastern Michigan University has agreed to settle an Alliance Defending Freedom lawsuit filed on behalf of Julea Ward, a graduate student whom the university expelled from a counseling program for abiding by her religious beliefs. As a result, a federal district court issued an agreed-upon order of dismissal Monday. 

Even though counseling referrals are a common and accepted professional practice, the university expelled Ward when she sought to avoid violating her religious beliefs by referring a potential client to another counselor. In January, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit ruled in her favor.

“Public universities shouldn’t force students to violate their religious beliefs to get a degree. The 6th Circuit rightly understood this and ruled appropriately, so the university has done the right thing in settling this case,” said Senior Legal Counsel Jeremy Tedesco, who argued before the court in October of last year. “When Julea sought to refer a potential client to another qualified counselor--a common, professional practice that is endorsed by her profession’s code of ethics--EMU denied the referral. Then it attacked and questioned her religious beliefs, ultimately expelling her from the program. We are pleased that Julea and her constitutionally protected rights have been vindicated.”

Visit our Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance page to learn more about citizens who have experienced discrimination and harassment for their pro-marriage views.

Sure enough, as we warned, citizens in Maryland who disagree with redefined marriage are now being forced out of the public square and are NOT protected under the redefining marriage law passed in Maryland:

An Annapolis wedding vendor plans to ask Maryland's General Assembly to give his company and others like him the right to refuse services to gay couples on religious grounds.

In November, Marylanders voted to uphold a law, passed by the General Assembly during the 2012 legislative session, that legalized same-sex marriages starting Jan. 1.

"The law exempts my minister from doing same-sex weddings, and the Knights of Columbus don’t have to rent out their hall for a gay wedding reception, but somehow my religious convictions don’t count for anything," Discover Annapolis Tours owner Matt Grubbs wrote in an email.

The email was provided to Patch by Chris Belkot on Nov. 29. He received it from Grubbs after Belkot inquired about using the company's wedding services this spring.

Grubbs confirmed the email, and said his attorney advised him to shut down the wedding part of his business immediately because he could be sued for refusing services to same-sex couples.

"We’re a Christian-owned company, and we just can't support gay marriages," Grubbs said. "We're not trying to make a statement. We're not trying to make a point. We're just trying to be faithful Christians."

The decision will cost him approximately $50,000 a year in revenue. -- Annapolis Patch

Q Why are you, as a Canadian, appearing in American election ads about gay marriage?
A I think it’s important in this day and age, especially for people of faith, to stand up for what they believe in — especially something as organic as marriage being defined as between one man and one woman. I think it’s vitally important in a free society to be able to not only express your deep-held beliefs but to also not be afraid to appear in a commercial or take to Twitter and social media.

Q And how are those ads performing?
A We are grossly being outspent, but from what we get on the ground, there is a major grassroots support for marriage being between a man and a woman. We feel confidently that, as it’s been done in the previous 31 states, that we’ll go four for four.

Q Now you’ve had some backlash in the past week since the ads came out — were you surprised by that?
A Not at all. The hate is still there, but as I’ve tried to calmly state on social media and in emails, there’s nothing that’s going to deter me. Being called names is not going to stop me from partaking in the awesome privilege of expressing myself.

"Young Sarah Crank was bullied and received death threats after testifying in Maryland" [against same-sex marriage].

We've written about Sarah's story before:

• Deplorable.
• 14-Year-Old Girl Receives Death Threats for Defending Marriage
• Audio: 14-Year-Old Girl Testifies Against SSM in Maryland

Dear Marriage Supporter,

With the birth of my 8th child imminent, I am reflecting a lot these days on the hopes and dreams I have for my children.

I hope they are happy and healthy, of course. And I also hope that they grow up to become men and women of strong faith, high ideals and sound principles.

I'm sure Holly Pope has similar hopes and dreams for her son, Dakota. I know she puts a lot of time and effort into teaching her son to be strong and stand up for his faith and his principles.

So you can imagine the empathy I have for Holly when I watch her and her son tell their story: as a high school freshman, Dakota was suspended from school for answering a friend's question about Christianity's teaching on homosexuality!

Click here to watch Dakota's story.

Marriage Supporter, this is the reality we are facing in the fight to defend marriage. Students are getting suspended for standing up for traditional marriage. Bullied. People are getting fired and put on leave from their jobs. Business owners are getting sued. Professional licenses are being revoked. Christian service agencies are being forcibly shut down.

This is not a live-and-let-live proposition. No, this is an all-out assault on our sacred religious and constitutional values . . . and we can't afford to lose!

Please, click here to watch our latest video chronicling the victims of the intolerance of those pushing a same-sex marriage agenda.

And if you can, please make a confidential donation to support our efforts to educate the citizens of our great nation about the consequences of legalizing same-sex marriage. We have a small window to make a dramatic impact for marriage, and thanks to a generous matching grant, every dollar raised between now and Election Day will be tripled! Please make a generous gift today!

This past weekend Treworgy Family Orchards became the “Chick-Fil-A of Maine” in that they exercised their freedom of speech to show support for traditional marriage, and as a result received backlash from the homosexual community and those that support their agenda. The simple act of placing a “NO on Question 1″ campaign sign in front of their family-owned business was labeled bigotry and hate-speech. Much of this backlash was expressed on their business Facebook page, but the Bangor Daily News reportsthat they were finally strong-armed into removing the sign by people stopping into the business to express their displeasure with it being there.

This incident is further proof that the crowd who continually cries for tolerance is only “tolerant” if you support their agenda. I expressed this sentiment directly on the Treworgy’s Facebook page, and was immediately bombarded with the usual, predictable responses.

... to witness fellow Christians such as the Treworgy’s being persecuted for their heart-felt beliefs has prodded me to speak out. And while I’m just another voice in the wilderness, and by no means think I speak for anyone but myself, I’ve concluded the platform this blog allows must no longer be silent on the same-sex marriage issue. -- CounterCulture

A state agency concluded Tuesday that an Ocean Grove association discriminated against a lesbian couple by denying their application to hold a civil union ceremony at its boardwalk pavilion.

In a 16-page decision, state Division of Civil Rights Director Craig Sashihara wrote that that the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association violated the state Law Against Discrimination in 2007 when it did not allow Harriet Bernstein and Luisa Paster to hold their ceremony at the pavilion, theAsbury Park Press reports.

Sashihara upheld a January decision reached by a state Office of Administrative Law judge.

“The laws of New Jersey prevailed,” Bernstein told the Asbury Park Press. “We’re delighted.”

... the state Department of Environmental Protection denied the association’s request for a tax abatement for the pavilion in 2008 because the structure was not available to all on an equal basis, the Asbury Park Press reported.

The association, which can appeal the decision within 45 days, has stopped renting out the pavilion for weddings since the incident, the Asbury Park Press reported.

Legalizing gay marriage will negatively impact free speech and religious liberty, leading to threats, lawsuits and even the firing of people who support the traditional definition of marriage, new TV ads warn in the four states where the issue is on the ballot.

Voters in Maine, Maryland and Washington will decide Nov. 6 whether to legalize gay marriage, the same day that voters in Minnesota will consider a constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between one man and one woman.

Gay marriage supporters are outspending the other side by wide margins -- estimated at 4-to-1 in Washington state -- but traditional groups say that if they can get their message out, they can win, as they have in all 32 states where the issue has been on the ballot.

"They Sued Us"

"I Was Fired"

Learn more at www.PreserveMarriageMaine.com.

Dear Marriage Supporter,

It was his life work—a vocation he loved. He had 36 years of exemplary service to students at Nokomis High School. He was nominated for Maine Teacher of the Year.

But in 2009 Don Mendell stood up for marriage, appearing in a TV ad urging Maine voters to reject a bill on same-sex marriage.

And within weeks the work he loved had turned into a nightmare. Gay marriage advocates filed formal charges, attempting to strip him of his professional license. Colleagues turned on him. He was denied committee assignments, then shuttled from school to school.

Don sat down with the Marriage ADA video team recently to tell his story.

Click here to watch Don's story.

The treatment Don received after speaking out for marriage is OUTRAGEOUS! Please take a moment right now to watch Don's story of courage and grace under fire...and then forward this to 3 friends who care about marriage and our freedom to speak out for what we believe.

I was listening to FLY this morning and heard Brian and Chrissy talking about a listener who wanted to get married out at Liberty Ridge Farm in Rensselaer County. The venue has taken a pass on marrying the couple.

Why?

Because they’re gay. Or, at least, that is one of the reasons, according to the FMR.

I called Cynthia Gifford, who owns the farm with her husband, to ask her about the claim.

“I just felt uncomfortable. Maybe I made a mistake in my initial response to them,” she said when I reached her on her cell phone (I’ve done stories out there with them in the past). “I am willing to have a meeting. It is kind of against my religious views, but if they have an interest, they are more than welcome to come out and look at the property.”

She went on to say “When you are on a phone conversation, and you are taken back … I made a mistake.”

The couple has filed a human rights complaint and, once she addresses that, she said she’ll be happy to discuss this with me further.

I am guessing — and this is just an assumption — that the formal complaint may have had something to do with her backing off a bit. And, well, I can’t say I blame her. If the state was after me, I’d probably ease off, too."

On Sunday, one of our volunteers, Arlene Mark – a Chinese American woman – was verbally attacked while waiting to distribute literature to other volunteers. What is more, Nikki Davis who came to her aid – an African American woman – was assailed with racial slurs.... According to the victims, the assailant ran at Arlene’s car, hit the back of her vehicle, and ripped the Reject 74 campaign yard sign off of the side of her car that she had taped onto her vehicle so that other volunteers who were going to meet her in the parking lot could recognize her in the rain.  As he tore the sign, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it, the same-sex marriage activist yelled at Arlene, “This is what I think of your f—ing sign!  I’m gay and proud of it.”  The perpetrator shouted vulgar profanities at Arlene calling her a “b—-” and screaming “f—- you!” 

The assailant then turned his ire on Nikki Davis, an individual uninvolved with the campaign who came to Arlene’s aid. He proceeded to hurl racial epithets and vile slurs at her, including calling her a “black b—-” and the n-word, and telling her to “go back to Africa.” He also pounded on the back of the van, and kicked its tires. Nikki, who was terrified for Arlene, for herself, and for her children who were with her in the car, called the police.

"... New Mexico, whose marriage laws discriminate against same-sex unions, has a “compelling interest” in compelling Huguenin to provide a service she finds repugnant and others would provide? Strange.

... The Huguenin case demonstrates how advocates of tolerance become tyrannical. First, a disputed behavior, such as sexual activities between people of the same sex, is declared so personal and intimate that government should have no jurisdiction over it. Then, having won recognition of what Louis Brandeis, a pioneer of the privacy right, called “the right to be let alone,” some who have benefited from this achievement assert a right not to let other people alone. It is the right to coerce anyone who disapproves of the now-protected behavior into acting as though they approve of it, or at least into not acting on their disapproval.

So, in the name of tolerance, government declares intolerable individuals such as the Huguenins, who disapprove of a certain behavior but ask only to be let alone in their quiet disapproval. Perhaps advocates of gay rights should begin to restrain the bullies in their ranks."

A Church of Christ minister who has been responsible for civic marriage ceremonies at Cambridge city hall for the past 15 years is facing the axe if she doesn’t agree to perform same-sex “marriages.”

Rev. Jay Brown told LifeSiteNews that city council voted 8 to 1 Monday night on a motion, brought forward by Councillor Donna Reid, that Brown be forced to officiate at homosexual “marriages” or they would issue a “request for proposal” to find a replacement.

Rev. Brown explained that as a minister of the Church of Christ she must follow the precepts of her church, which does not allow homosexual “marriage,” but that she was always ready to accommodate same-sex couples by recommending a designated minister who would be happy to perform the ceremony.

“I have nothing against gay people, in fact a member of my family is gay,” Brown said in an interview with LifeSiteNews, “but I represent my church, which does not allow same-sex marriage.”

“My church won’t allow me to. I haven’t had to make that decision,” she said, adding that in the years since homosexual “marriage” was legalized in Canada she has been asked only a few times to perform same-sex “marriages.”

Christian owners of a bed and breakfast in British Columbia have been ordered to pay around $4,500 in damages after they refused to rent a room to a homosexual couple.

Brian Thomas and Shaun Eadie had reserved a room at the Riverbend B&B in Grand Forks in June 2009, but owners Les and Susan Molnar cancelled the reservation after realizing they were homosexual.

“To allow a gay couple to share a bed in my Christian home would violate my Christian beliefs and would cause me and my wife great distress,” Lee explained in tribunal documents.

Thomas and Eadie filed a complaint with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal, which ruled in their favour on Tuesday. Tribunal member Enid Marion ordered the Molnars to “cease and desist the discriminatory conduct,” though they closed the B&B down in September 2009 as a result of the incident.

Marion agreed with the two men that the Molnars violated section 8 of the B.C. Human Rights Code, which states that it is a discriminatory practice to “deny to a person or class of persons any accommodation” because of “sexual orientation.”

The National Organization for Marriage has named actor Kirk Cameron as "one of America's most important champions of marriage." NOM recently released a recent video in which Cameron speaks on the importance of preserving traditional marriage in the U.S.

"If we want a great future in this world, we have to take God at His Word," Cameron says in the video, titled "Champion of Marriage."

"God makes it really clear that society and civilization is really held together by the glue of families," he adds.

Cameron, who starred as the Mike Seaver in the 1980s sitcom "Growing Pains," converted to Christianity in his early 20s, and has since become an outspoken advocate for traditional marriage and evangelical Christianity in general.

Our most recent NOM Facebook post about Kirk Cameron has been Liked over 5,000 times and Shared over 300 -- check it out!

NOM's President Brian Brown Calls Out GLAAD For Hypocrisy

Washington, D.C.—In response to Kirk Cameron's pro-marriage video for the Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance (which has been viewed over 40,000 times on YouTube), GLAAD President Herndon Graddick in a statement claimed Cameron's comments were "designed specifically to hurt [LGBT] families." GLAAD went on to label Cameron an "anti-gay extremist."

"Graddick and GLAAD clearly cannot appreciate the hypocrisy of attacking Kirk Cameron for his positive comments about marriage and family," Brian Brown, President of NOM, commented. "GLAAD is happy to recruit celebrities who favor redefining marriage as their spokespeople but is outraged when pro-marriage celebrities speak up for the sanctity of marriage."

Brown continued: "I encourage all fair-minded Americans to watch the Cameron video for themselves to see the real face of the pro-marriage movement. GLAAD has no right to bully good people who oppose redefining marriage by labeling them ‘extremists' and accusing them of seeking to harm others. If GLAAD truly cared about decency and respect they would let both sides of the marriage debate have their full say."

You can watch the Kirk Cameron interview at www.MarriageADA.org.

###

To schedule an interview with Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Jen Campbell (x145), jcampbell@crcpublicrelations.com, or Elizabeth Ray (x130), eray@crcpublicrelations.com, at 703-683-5004.

Dear Marriage Supporter,

You probably know him as Mike Seaver from the 1980s hit TV series Growing Pains. Or perhaps you were inspired by his performance in Fireproof, the top independent film of 2008.

Made famous as a child actor, today Kirk Cameron is one of America's most important marriage champions. Kirk stands fearlessly in defense of God's truth about marriage despite frequent and merciless harassment by the mainstream media for his outspoken Biblical views.

Our Marriage ADA video team caught up with Kirk recently. I hope you'll take a moment to watch the video and learn more about his latest efforts to strengthen and defend marriage, one couple at a time.

Christians are often asked by gay activists why they oppose same-sex “marriage.” “How does our marriage hurt you?” they ask.

Well, I can think of one significant way it will hurt us: It will destroy religious freedom and free speech rights.

The handwriting is on the wall in Canada, which legalized same-sex “marriage” in 2005, in effect completely changing its true meaning. Since then, as Michael Coren notes in National Review Online, “there have been between 200 and 300 proceedings … against critics and opponents of same-sex marriage.” Of course he means legal proceedings.

For instance, in Saskatchewan, a homosexual man called a state marriage commissioner, wanting to “marry” his partner. The commissioner, an evangelical Christian, declined to conduct the ceremony for religious reasons. He simply referred the man to another commissioner.

But that was not enough for the gay couple. Even though they got their ceremony, they wanted to punish the Christian who had declined to conduct it.  The case ended up in the courts. And the result? Those with religious objections to conducting such ceremonies now face the loss of their jobs.

In Keeton v. Anderson-Wiley, (SD GA, June 22, 2012), a Georgia federal district court, in a lengthy opinion, dismissed claims by a former graduate student in Augusta State University's graduate counselor education program that her constitutional rights were infringed when she was dismissed for refusing to complete a required remediation plan. The remediation requirements were imposed when graduate student Jennifer Keeton, a devout Christian, told faculty that she would not condone the propriety of homosexual relations or a homosexual identity in a counseling situation. This position violates professional ethical standards of the American Counseling Association that require counselors to respect the diversity of their clients and avoid imposing values on them that are inconsistent with counseling goals. The court rejected both Keeton's facial overbreadth and vagueness challenges as well as her "as applied" challenges to the remediation plan. Finding no viewpoint discrimination against Keeton, the court said...

...The court also rejected Keeton's "compelled speech" claim, saying that when someone voluntarily chooses a profession, the person must comply with its rules and ethical requirements. Finally the court rejected Keetons's free exercise of religion, unconstitutional condition and equal protection challenges.

The court's decision was consistent with an earlier 11th Circuit decision in the case that refused to grant a preliminary injunction because plaintiff had not shown a substantial likelihood of succeeding on the merits. (See prior posting.) SPLC reports on the district court's latest decision.

"In his speech at the CLC pro-life Forum, Damian Goddard gave a riveting, very personal account of his firing from Rogers Sportsnet after having ‘tweeted’ in support of the true definition of marriage.

Goddard, at first continues from Part 1 to describe how the 911 “act of terrorism… harnessed me to get re-acquainted with my faith to re-connect with the ‘whole why am I here?’” Emphasizing that he “loved being a sportscaster” while on this spiritual journey, Goddard then said, “fast forward to May 10, 2011”, the date of his infamous tweet."

YouTube link here.

Rhys and Esther Curnow, from Newcastle, received scores of messages after opponents of their stance on same-sex marriage including a Labour councillor circulated their Facebook details online.

They included messages saying the couple, who are committed Christians, should “rot in hell” and wishing they would become infertile or die of cancer.

Several included explicit references to sexual acts while others suggested they should be subjected to “compulsory sterilisation”.

The couple, who married in March, became the public face of the Coalition For Marriage campaign, backed by Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, earlier this month when they handed in the group’s petition to David Cameron.

Mr Curnow, a charity researcher originally from Wales, and his wife, a primary schoolteacher from the West Midlands, dressed in wedding clothes and posed on the steps of Number 10 with a gift wrapped package containing signatures.

... A separate Facebook group was set up describing them as “homophobic”.

After receiving more than 100 direct messages the couple changed their security settings to block incoming messages other than from friends.

They have reported the matter to Northumbria Police but yesterday officers claimed that there was no evidence of a crime being committed as the messages did not contain direct threats. -- The UK Telegraph

I can’t remember the last time my town’s been in the national news—in fact, maybe there hasn’t really been another time. I guess that’s why what’s going on now has taken so many of us by surprise.

I’m the youth minister at a church in Erie, Illinois—a town of about 1,500 people that represents a mixture of local business owners, farmers, teachers and factory workers and others.

We’ve never experienced anything like this—where for the last several weeks our town has been the target of a national pressure campaign launched by gay activists and liberal media. People in our town have been called insulting names by angry bloggers. They’ve gotten phone calls to their home and hate emails from people who don’t even live here.

So what was our town’s big crime—the one that suddenly put us on the map for hate speech and CNN coverage?

Well—we just dared to say no.

No, that is, to GLSEN’s (the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) materials coming into to our pre-kindergarten through fourth grade elementary school. (Read more about thathere). And our local school board had the courage to listen to the concerns of the majority of parents, voting 5-2 to reject the materials. (I got involved in this whole thing after a bunch of parents started contacting me about what was happening.)

The Union Township High School teacher who created a firestorm last year after allegedly posting anti-gay comments on her Facebook page, wants to retire on a disability pension rather than face tenure charges.

Jenye "Viki" Knox, 50, a tenured special education teacher who has taught in Union since 2000, wrote on her personal Facebook page that homosexuality is a "perverted spirit" and "unnatural immoral behavior," according to charges of unbecoming conduct brought by her district. She also criticized other teachers on Facebook for putting up a "Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Transgender" bulletin board in the high school and for proposing a school gay-straight alliance, according to the charges.

The tenure charge case was to begin Tuesday before a state Administrative Law Judge, but Knox filed a motion earlier this month asking that it be delayed while she seeks a disability pension due to both a back injury and "psychological grounds." She did not elaborate. A judge Wednesday agreed to list the case as inactive for three months.

"If I can retire then there is no need for me to go through this unpleasant experience," Knox wrote in court documents.

The owner says at one point: “There’s always, probably every two months, where I have to call the customer about it and a lot of times they’ll be frustrated, but I feel like it’s the right thing to do, because at the end of the day, what I print…I’m accountable to God based on what I decide to do.”

A state legislator is asking authorities to investigate death threats allegedly made against him and his family related to his online comments concerning same-sex marriage.

"We got several death threats on Saturday left on the answering machine," said Rep. Andy Gipson, R-Braxton.

Gipson had posted May 10 on his Facebook account his response to President Barack Obama's public support of same-sex marriage. Over the weekend, the comments went viral when several national blogs and online publications - including The Huffington Post - started linking to them.

...The Huffington Post posted a headline suggesting Gipson was calling for the death of homosexuals. The Leviticus passage talks about putting to death two men having sexual relations.

"Nothing could be further from the truth," Gipson said in a news release. "I have never publicly or privately called for the killing of any people."

Gipson also defended his comments on Facebook.

"What I did intend and did say is that the Bible clearly defines homosexual conduct as morally wrong - a sin," Gipson posted in response.

Gipson said he's most concerned with the threats in which his family members are listed.

On Wednesday, Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy interviewed a 16-year-old conservative teen on her political beliefs, as well as the backlash she’s received for them. “She’s conservative, she’s christian and she’s only 16 years old,” said Doocy, introducing Madeleine McAulay. “But when it comes to politics, this North Carolina teenager is certainly not afraid to speak her mind. [...] Referred to as the teenage political maverick, it’s no surprise that the 16-year-old is being followed by none other than her political idol, Sarah Palin.”

....Doocy then turned to the reaction the teen received after posting a video about same-sex marriage in her home state on her website, FaithHopeAndPolitics.com.

“Within, I think, two days,” she said, “I had over 1,000 views. And, you know, the hatred and the vile, vulgar, disgusting comments started coming in and over the past few days, they have gotten totally extreme and completely inappropriate.”

“Well, they are inappropriate,” Doocy agreed, “and I was looking at your website last night and, well, there were some death threats there.”

“Yes. That was the first time yesterday that I had ever received, you know, kind of death wishes and that was quite interesting, to get that feeling,” she told him.

Watch the video:

"...The Courage Campaign, a community-organizing outfit that claims to have 750,000 members and is funded by the radical Tides Foundation, immediately called on Pacquiao-sponsor Nike to drop him over his "hate speech against gays." The group took to Twitter to demand that the athletic shoe company "Drop Manny," the "homophobic boxer." The call was amplified by Think Progress, an online character assassination squad backed by George Soros.

... While L.A. media outlets reported that The Grove has retracted its ban, Caruso had failed as of late Thursday evening to apologize on Twitter or acknowledge the false smears against Pacquiao that prompted the Soros goon squad's boycott demands.

... This bigoted anti-bigot brigade mimics a wave of similar campaigns against both social and fiscal heretics who refuse to conform to "progressive" values. Targets include Rush Limbaugh, the American Legislative Exchange Council, Mitt Romney donors, Wisconsin's union-reforming governor, lieutenant governor and GOP state legislators, Catholic health care providers, and now black church leaders and boxers who dare to state their religious views publicly.

Let this be a teachable moment on pernicious "community organizing" and brazen liberal hypocrisy. There is nothing more intolerant and chilling than the self-appointed, self-unaware tolerance police. -- CNS News

"...Shortly after his being expelled from The Grove, Pacquiao issued the following statement. “I am against gay marriage, but I’m not condemning gays. I have family - a cousin - who’s gay, and friends too. I’m just against gay marriage… To the gay community, I apologize. My favorite verse is ‘Love one another as you love yourself. Love your neighbor.’ So I love everybody!”

It’s one thing to say you are Christian. It is quite another to actually pick up your cross and follow Him; even when it comes to having to tell people things they don’t want to hear. Things like, marriage is the union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others.

On June 9th, Pacquiao will step into the ring at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to defend his WBO Welterweight title. While Timothy Bradley’s got nothing on the forces attempting to destroy marriage, it is clear that Manny Pacquiao is up for the fight. On both fronts. And the world is watching."

Every state where same-sex marriage has been on the ballot, it has lost--usually by considerably larger margins, but mostly in socially conservative states. Forty percent support and majority opposition seems in the right ball park.

A reader whose identity we'll conceal explains why the polls may be unreliable on this question:

With a marriage amendment on the ballot in Minnesota, we have been assaulted by the pro-gay marriage media and social-media coverage. I say assaulted because the message is not a positive argument for gay marriage, but rather a tarring as bigots of those who believe in the traditional definition of marriage. So of course polls would undercount support for the traditional view of marriage.

A person could tell a pollster that he believes in a position and risk the pollster thinking that he is bigoted, or he could toe the media line, give the pollster a fulsome answer of support for the measure and then vote his conscience privately.

I know what I do (and why not, anything more public than this email could risk my career).

St. Francis Xavier in Acushnet, Massachusetts, isn’t afraid to insert its voice into the contentious gay marriage debate. The church, which posted a controversial sign voicing its disapproval of gay marriage, is reportedly receiving violent threats as a result of it’s anti-gay marriage messaging.

“Two men are friends, not spouses,” read the contentious sign, which was clearly intended to drive home the church’s view that marriage is an institution that should be reserved for men and women, exclusively.

Monsignor Gerard O’Connor, the head of pastoral services, said that the message was posted to reiterate the Catholic Church’s views on the sanctity of marriage. Additionally, he claimed that the original intention was for the church to offer a response to President Barack Obama’s recent gay marriage endorsement.

... “That’s what the church teaches,” O’Connor said in an interview with CBS Boston. “We understand people disagree with us, but we do it out of love. We never said we hate anybody.”

The message, which was intended to capture attention, has certainly grabbed attention. According to staff members at St. Francis Xavier, authorities are keeping a close eye on the house of worship after someone called and threatened to burn it to the ground.

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/23302/feed 46 http://www.nomblog.com/23205 http://www.nomblog.com/23205#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 17:00:57 +0000 NOM Staff http://www.nomblog.com/?p=23205 Los Angeles Times blog L.A. Now:

Boxer Manny Pacquiao has been banned from the Grove shopping mall because of comments he made about gay marriage.

In an interview with National Conservative Examiner, Pacquiao addressed President Obama's recent endorsement of gay marriage.

"God's words first ... obey God's law first before considering the laws of man," Pacquiao told the Examiner.

... Pacquiao struck back with a post on his official website by boxing trainer and writer Keith Terceira. Pacquiao says: "I didn't say that, that's a lie… I didn't know that quote from Leviticus because I haven't read the Book of Leviticus yet."

"I'm not against gay people.… I have a relative who is also gay," the boxer insists. "We can't help it if they were born that way. What I'm critical off are actions that violate the word of God. I only gave out my opinion that same-sex marriage is against the law of God."

On Monday night, the Grove, owned by shopping mall magnate Rick Caruso, posted a statement on Twitter saying Pacquiao is not allowed on the premises.

The tweet reads: "Boxer Manny Pacquiao is not welcome at @TheGroveLA. @TheGroveLA is a gathering place for all Angelenos, not a place for intolerance."

Pacquiao was scheduled to be interviewed Wednesday at the Grove for the TV show "Extra."

Pacquiao, a devout Catholic, is a congressman in his homeland of the Philippines, where he has a record of voting along conservative lines.

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/23205/feed 22 http://www.nomblog.com/22743 http://www.nomblog.com/22743#comments Fri, 11 May 2012 13:00:54 +0000 NOM Staff http://www.nomblog.com/?p=22743 Livingston Daily:

A Howell High School student and his mother recount a high-profile October 2010 classroom incident in a video published Wednesday on the Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance website, www.marriageada.org.

"There was Mr. (Jay) McDowell on the news saying that (Daniel Glowacki) came into the classroom spewing homophobic and racial slurs," said Sandra Glowacki, mother of Howell student Daniel Glowacki, in the video published on the Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance's Web site.

"And I'm listening, and I'm like, 'That's not what happened,' " she continued.

"He just kept going," she added, beginning to cry.

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/22743/feed 3 http://www.nomblog.com/22314 http://www.nomblog.com/22314#comments Tue, 01 May 2012 15:00:31 +0000 NOM Staff http://www.nomblog.com/?p=22314 An update from Vote for Marriage NC on their official Facebook page:

UPDATE: An elderly woman has filed a police report in Lumberton charging a man with aggravated assault. While looking for her sister, she claims the individual had committed a hate crime by physically assaulting her during an argument over her position on the marriage amendment. In her police report she claims the man was verbally harassing her over her marriage position, and then proceeded to prevent her from leaving. She also claims the man slammed her back with the car door 4-5 times while she tried to escape.

Later in the comments they added:

...the elderly woman filed a police report earlier today claiming the man committed an aggravated assault (also marking it as a hate crime). The Deputy also witnesses to red marks on her body.

Click here for a link to the police report (PDF).

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/22314/feed 42 http://www.nomblog.com/22009 http://www.nomblog.com/22009#comments Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:43:29 +0000 Brian Brown http://www.nomblog.com/?p=22009

"He said we lost our right to free speech when we walked into that classroom."

---

Dear Marriage Supporter,

He's 14 years old and goes to Church with his parents.

And he was recently kicked out of class and threatened with suspension by his teacher. What did he do wrong?

He disagreed with his economics teacher over the morality of homosexual conduct.

THAT'S IT!

Listen to Daniel Glowacki tell his story in his own words.

 

Entering his economics classroom, Daniel asked a question of the teacher: Why did a fellow student have to take off her Confederate belt buckle to enter the class, but the students had to listen to the teacher's own political activism?

For that, he was thrown out of class.

But that was just the beginning.

You have to watch this video to believe it.

As he left class, the teacher called him a racist and a bigot and told him that he was going to have Daniel suspended for bullying and harassment against homosexuals!

That began a campaign against Daniel...facebook, email, radio and television appearances...all decrying this 14-year-old boy as a bigot and a hater.

My friend, is this what society has come to?

We started the Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance to shed light on the deplorable behavior of the radical same-sex marriage advocates who are running roughshod over the freedoms and religious liberties of Americans all across the country.

Please go to marriageada.org and watch this video. You and I need to be informed and we need to stand up to the bullies who are trying to tell us that we are second-class citizens for believing that marriage is between a man and a woman because children need a mother and a father.

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/22009/feed 71 http://www.nomblog.com/20519 http://www.nomblog.com/20519#comments Thu, 15 Mar 2012 19:00:03 +0000 NOM Staff http://www.nomblog.com/?p=20519 Christian Concern:

A Christian bus driver is facing disciplinary action after circulating a petition backing traditional marriage at work during his break.

Arthur McGeorge, 58, from Consett, County Durham, was approached by his manager at the Go North East bus depot and told not to bring the petition into work.

Mr McGeorge was also accused of being 'homophobic' and told to apologise for the ‘offence’ that he had caused. After refusing to back down, Mr McGeorge now faces a formal disciplinary procedure.

He said: “I’m not prepared to be told what I can discuss in my breaks.”

The petition was launched by the Coalition for Marriage, a broad based coalition which seeks to defend the current legal definition of marriage as that between a man and a woman. It has attracted more than 180,000 signatures in a matter of weeks.

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/20519/feed 23 http://www.nomblog.com/20179 http://www.nomblog.com/20179#comments Wed, 07 Mar 2012 21:36:59 +0000 Brian Brown http://www.nomblog.com/?p=20179

Dear Marriage Supporter,

He founded a successful law firm in his hometown of Delano, MN, just west of Minneapolis.

He spent six years in the Minnesota House of Representatives.

He won over 900,000 votes as the GOP candidate for Minnesota governor in 2010, losing to Mark Dayton by just four-tenths of one percentage point.

Tom Emmer's resume is hardly the resume of a radical extremist.

But his belief in marriage as the union of a husband and wife was just too much for Hamline University, where he was fired from his adjunct faculty position in the Hamline School of Business last fall.

Click here to watch Tom Emmer's story
in the latest Marriage ADA video!

 

NOM's Marriage ADA was created in 2011 to expose exactly this sort of blatant anti-marriage discrimination, bringing you the stories you will never hear in the mainstream news. Whether it's a town clerk forced to choose between her faith and her job, or foster parents denied children because of their religious beliefs, or a professor fired simply for beliefs which he holds—anti-marriage radicals have launched a campaign to paint marriage supporters as the equivalent of racist bigots, unfit for any position in the public sector.

But together we're fighting back. Click here to watch Tom's story and find out how you can help.

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/20179/feed 21 http://www.nomblog.com/19771 http://www.nomblog.com/19771#comments Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:00:54 +0000 NOM Staff http://www.nomblog.com/?p=19771

More on this incident via the Los Angeles Times:

The spat between New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez and a Santa Fe hair stylist has gotten as ugly as – dare we say it? – a lousy haircut.

Earlier this week, KOB-TV ran an interview with Antonio Darden, who has cut the Republican governor’s hair a handful of times. Darden, who is gay, announced he would never do so again unless Martinez dropped her opposition to gay marriage.

The spectacle of the stylist's protest worked the Internet into, well, a lather. (The story lends itself to all sorts of goofy puns.)

So Martinez’s office spent Thursday fighting back.

A few months ago, Martinez needed a haircut on short notice, spokesman Greg Blair told The Times in an email. One of her staffers called about half a dozen hair stylists, including Darden, before finding one who could fit her in. At the time, Darden didn’t utter a word about gay marriage, Blair said.

That changed in recent weeks, when Darden left a voice mail that the governor’s office released to reporters Thursday. In it, Darden appears to have recently learned that Martinez opposed gay marriage, and said he was “upset and distraught” over her stance.

Then Darden mentioned a recent controversy in which a Democratic lawmaker referred to Martinez as “the Mexican” for whom a colleague had been “carrying water.” (The lawmaker later apologized.)

“I do believe the comment about ‘taking the Mexican some water’ was appropriate, since she wants to be attacking the gay people,” Darden said in the message. “You may pass this on and let her listen to it. And, Susana, if you are listening to it, shame on you.

“I am going to let all gay people know,” he continued, “stop serving you, stop providing you with what you need.”

It’s unclear what prompted Darden’s phone call.

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/19771/feed 20 http://www.nomblog.com/19759 http://www.nomblog.com/19759#comments Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:00:44 +0000 NOM Staff http://www.nomblog.com/?p=19759 New York Daily News:

An openly gay Texas judge says she refuses to conduct marriage ceremonies for straight couples until same-sex couples can also wed.

Dallas County Judge Tonya Parker explained her decision Tuesday at a monthly meeting for the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas.

“I do not perform them because it is not an equal application of the law. Period,” she said, according to the Dallas Voice, a newspaper for the gay community.

Parker told the audience that while she refuses to conduct the ceremonies, she explains her reasoning to the couples and passes them along to another judge.

“I use it as my opportunity to give them a lesson about marriage equality in the state because I feel like I have to tell them why I’m turning them away,” she said.

... "it’s kind of oxymoronic for me to perform ceremonies that can’t be performed for me, so I’m not going to do it,” she added.

Same-sex marriage is not legal in Texas.

Here is some local TV coverage of the comments she made:

You can watch a more complete video of Judge Parker's comments here.

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/19759/feed 72 http://www.nomblog.com/19661 http://www.nomblog.com/19661#comments Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:00:42 +0000 NOM Staff http://www.nomblog.com/?p=19661 RawStory:

New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez’s (R) opposition to same-sex marriage has led to her stylist refusing to cut her hair ever again unless she changes her stance.

According to KOB-TV in Albuquerque, Antonio Darden declined to work on Martinez’s hairdo after cutting her hair three times previously. Darden, who runs Antonio’s Hair Studio in Sante Fe, said Martinez’s office repeatedly called to schedule another appointment with him only to be denied.

...Darden added: “I think it’s just equality, dignity for everyone. I think everybody should be allowed the right to be together. My partner and I have been together for 15 years.”

Martinez has stated that she believes marriage is between a man and a woman only.

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/19661/feed 55 http://www.nomblog.com/19367 http://www.nomblog.com/19367#comments Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:30:42 +0000 NOM Staff http://www.nomblog.com/?p=19367 Patrick Craine of LifeSiteNews interviews Damian Goddard, our Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance spokesman:

Should Canada’s Christians have the right to defend their beliefs without losing their job?

Damian Goddard plans to put this question front-and-centre in May as he heads to the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

Goddard was fired as the host of Connected on Rogers Sportsnet in May 2011 after he defended the long-standing definition of marriage through his Twitter account.

He told LifeSiteNews on Monday that while he misses the job, he stands by the tweet now as much as ever. “I tremendously miss being a broadcaster. But I will never regret tweeting the words ‘I completely and wholeheartedly support the traditional and TRUE meaning of marriage.’ Never,” he said.

... In the fall, Goddard became a spokesman for the U.S.-based Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance, a project by the National Organization for Marriage that was founded by Maggie Gallagher to support pro-family citizens who face threats for expressing their views.

Goddard said Gallagher has been a “God-send.” “We are doing amazing things in changing the culture. There are so many stories like mine. Worse stories. But we must continue the fight,” he urged.

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/19367/feed 3 http://www.nomblog.com/19048 http://www.nomblog.com/19048#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:00:12 +0000 NOM Staff http://www.nomblog.com/?p=19048 One News Now:

A federal appeals court has upheld the firing of a Christian counselor who lost her job at the Centers for Disease Control for refusing to advise a woman in a homosexual relationship.

Marcia Walden launched a lawsuit in 2008 saying she was illegally laid off by a company the CDC hired to provide counseling to CDC workers. She said the CDC requested the dismissal.

Walden said the layoff violated her free exercise rights under the First Amendment and her rights under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. But on Tuesday, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta upheld a federal judge's dismissal of Walden's claims.

"We accept that Ms. Walden's sincerely held religious beliefs prohibit her from encouraging or supporting same-sex relationships though counseling," the court said. But the record in the case is "devoid of evidence" supporting her claim that she was removed because she needed to refer potential clients engaged in same-sex relationships to other counselors.

In response, the Alliance Defense Fund has released a statement that reads: "A counselor who is a Christian shouldn't lose her job for upholding the highest professional standards. It is unlawful to punish a Christian for abiding by her faith, particularly when she made every effort to accommodate the interests of a potential client. We are disappointed that the court ruled against these fundamental principles, but we are determining next steps to ultimately vindicate Marcia and the freedoms for which she's fighting."

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/19048/feed 3 http://www.nomblog.com/19016 http://www.nomblog.com/19016#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:00:33 +0000 NOM Staff http://www.nomblog.com/?p=19016 Jeremy Tedesco, Alliance Defense Fund legal counsel for Andrea Ward (more about her story here), writes in the Detroit Free Press:

"Tolerance is a two-way street."

These five simple, yet profound, words come from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit's recent opinion in a case involving Eastern Michigan University's expulsion of Julea Ward from its graduate counseling program. It is difficult to conceive of five words that more aptly sum up the lesson of this case -- a lesson all public universities and professional associations should heed.

The opinion reverses an earlier ruling and remands the case to district court for a jury trial.

EMU says it supports, indeed requires, tolerance and nondiscrimination. But when it came to Ward's religiously based need to refer a client, Eastern practiced anything but.

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/19016/feed 5 http://www.nomblog.com/18635 http://www.nomblog.com/18635#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:00:48 +0000 NOM Staff http://www.nomblog.com/?p=18635 The Detroit Free Press on Julea Ward's victory at the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals:

An Eastern Michigan University student who was expelled from a counseling program because she refused to counsel gays and lesbians about their lifestyles won a key victory today in the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.

A three-member panel of the court said Julea Ward can argue her religious discrimination suit against the university before a federal court jury in Detroit.

... “Although the university submits it dismissed Ward from the program because her request for a referral violated the ACA (American Counseling Association) code of ethics, a reasonable jury could find otherwise — that the code of ethics contains no such bar and that the university deployed it as a pretext for punishing Ward’s religious views and speech.”

... Although Ward refused to counsel gays and lesbians about their sexual orientation, she said she was willing to counsel them on other issues.

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/18635/feed 1 http://www.nomblog.com/18587 http://www.nomblog.com/18587#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:15:53 +0000 NOM Staff http://www.nomblog.com/?p=18587 We've been following Julea Ward's story since last March, and today we're thrilled to report that the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has found in her favor, as David French at NRO reports:

So far, 2012 has been a good year for religious liberty in federal court. Two weeks ago the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that religious organizations have a First Amendment right to choose their ministers — even in the face of federal nondiscrimination policies. Today, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a trial-court ruling that essentially allowed Eastern Michigan University to erect a “no Christians allowed” sign outside its graduate counseling program.

... The trial court had essentially ruled that the university could do whatever it wanted with its curriculum, and if it wanted to mandate that Christian students affirm homosexuality while granting referrals and exemptions to other students on other issues, it could. The Sixth Circuit disagreed, strongly:

A reasonable jury could find that the university dismissed Ward from its counseling program because of her faith-based speech, not because of any legitimate pedagogical objective. A university cannot compel a student to alter or violate her belief systems based on a phantom policy as the price for obtaining a degree.

The stakes of this case were very high. If the university had prevailed, students would truly have been at the mercy of ad hoc ideological demands reformulated as “curricular requirements.” Understanding the stakes for individual liberty, theMichigan attorney general, the American Center for Law and Justice (where I’m a senior counsel), the Becket Fund, Eugene Volokh, and others submitted amicus briefs on Ward’s behalf. They were opposed by, among others, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, LAMBDA Legal, and the ACLU.

You can read the Sixth Circuit opinion here (PDF).

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/18587/feed 28 http://www.nomblog.com/18547 http://www.nomblog.com/18547#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:00:40 +0000 NOM Staff http://www.nomblog.com/?p=18547 Todd Starnes at Fox News commentary:

A 15-year-old Wisconsin boy who wrote an op-ed opposing gay adoptions was censored, threatened with suspension and called ignorant by the superintendent of the Shawano School District, according to an attorney representing the child.

Mathew Staver, the founder of the Liberty Counsel, sent a letter to Superintendent Todd Carlson demanding an apology for “Its unconstitutional and irrational censorship and humiliation” of Brandon Wegner.

Wegner, a student at Shawano High School, was asked to write an op-ed for the school newspaper about whether gays should be allowed to adopt. Wegner, who is a Christian, wrote in opposition. Another student wrote in favor of allowing gays to adopt.

... Staver said what the school system did next was absolutely outrageous. He said the 15-year-old was ordered to the superintendent’s office where he was subjected to hours of meetings and was accused of violating the school’s bullying policy.

“The superintendent called him ignorant and said he had the power to suspend him,” Staver said. “He’s using his position to bully this student. This is absolutely the epitome of intolerance.”

Staver said the boy’s parents were never notified.

At one point, Staver said the superintendent gave him a chance to say he regretted writing the column.

“When Mr. Wegner stated that he did not regret writing it, and that he stood behind his beliefs, Superintendent Carlson told him that he ‘had got to be one of the most ignorant kids to try to argue with him about this topic,’” Staver said.

At that point, Staver said the superintendent told the boy that “we have the power to suspend you if we want to.”

The superintendent allegedly told Wegner that he was personally offended by Wegner’s column.

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/18547/feed 5 http://www.nomblog.com/16443 http://www.nomblog.com/16443#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 17:10:32 +0000 Brian Brown http://www.nomblog.com/?p=16443 Dear Marriage Supporter,

An anti-bullying curriculum in the Vancouver public schools points kids to a website featuring explicit videos of gay sex. When school board Trustee Ken Denike learned of it, he suggested periodic reviews of all online resources...and was roundly denounced by community leaders as a homophobe!

True story. See it here.

Our most recent Marriage ADA video features Vancouver School Trustee Ken Denike and mental health professional Sophia Woo, who have been trying to help concerned parents protect their children from an anti-bullying curriculum produced by Out in Schools pointing kids to online "resources" that amount to little more than gay pornography.

The request from Trustee Denike and Ms. Woo? That the school district implement a policy for periodic review of websites referenced in school curriculum, recognizing that website content can change quickly.

The school board refuses to do anything to protect kids from these explicit websites. Anti-bullying teacher Ryan Clayton, who has worked with the Out in Schools curriculum, chalks it up to a politically motivated attack. And for their efforts, Ken Denike and Sophia Woo are denounced as homophobes.

Imagine that—in our neighbor to the north, protecting 13 year old children from being exposed to pornography in public schools is now just a politically motivated attack.

Let's be clear—this is not about a student using a school computer to access pornography. This is about official curriculum recommending students visit a website containing gay pornography—and personal attacks directed at anyone who dares stand up for our kids.

The gay press understands the issue:

This is a moral question, I agree. Just as the black civil rights movement changed the rules of what is and isn't acceptable for racism, the gay rights movement is shifting norms in Canada. And with that comes a message to those who won't evolve: your outdated morals are no longer acceptable, and we will teach your kids the new norms.

"We will teach your kids the new norms." There it is—this is the whole story in eight simple words. No exemptions, no alternatives—just forcing kids to be exposed to government-sponsored porn, in an effort to shift cultural norms and reshape our kids' understanding of right and wrong.

This cannot go unanswered, but we need your help to continue this fight.

You've been a strong supporter of marriage and of NOM's efforts to protect marriage and religious liberty (thank you again), so you of all people understand how our opponents are viciously targeting people's safety, property, and livelihoods—and what we can do to fight back!

If you do one thing this week, watch this video and then make one urgent online contribution to NOM so we can spread the truth about what's going on in America.

Marriage ADA will continue to release—one-at-a-time—a series of incredible new videos about other courageous pro-marriage citizens.

Our goal is to create a community of Americans who adhere to the core Gospel value: "Be not afraid!"

Thanks for acting fast,

Brian S. Brown
Executive Director
NOM Education Fund

P.S. Please forward this email to three friends right now so they can see the truth and get involved. Isolated and alone, we can be intimidated. Together we are too many to be treated as second-class citizens.

Simply visit MarriageADA.org, learn our stories, and make one urgent contribution. Thank you again, and God bless you!

P.P.S. Out in Schools has now voluntarily removed this website from new printed materials in response to concerns raised by Trustee Denike and Ms. Woo.

So their courageous stand has already had an effect!

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/16443/feed 22 http://www.nomblog.com/16429 http://www.nomblog.com/16429#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:00:55 +0000 NOM Staff http://www.nomblog.com/?p=16429 From the Alliance Defense Fund:

An Alliance Defense Fund allied attorney representing a central Illinois bed and breakfast filed answers Friday to complaints filed against it with the state’s Human Rights Commission. Two men filed the complaints after TimberCreek Bed and Breakfast told them that it does not host “civil union” ceremonies, but only weddings, on its premises.

“No business owner may be forced to violate his sincerely held religious beliefs merely because someone demands it,” said Steve Amjad, one of more than 2,100 attorneys in the ADF alliance. “Constitutional and state laws guarantee religious freedom for every American, including business owners. These complaints ignore those fundamental freedoms and are further examples of the threat the homosexual legal agenda poses to every American’s basic rights.”

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/16429/feed 4 http://www.nomblog.com/16149 http://www.nomblog.com/16149#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:00:44 +0000 NOM Staff http://www.nomblog.com/?p=16149 The Associated Press reports on Jennifer Keeton's story:

An attorney for a graduate school counseling student told federal judges in Atlanta on Tuesday that the student's First Amendment rights were violated when professors at a Georgia university sought to punish her for her biblical views on gay rights.

Augusta State University put Jennifer Keeton on academic probation for saying it would be hard for her to work with gay clients, and threatened to expel her unless she attended events like Augusta's gay pride parade, Keeton's attorney Jeff Shafer told the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

"She was told, `You don't have to believe it. You just have to say you do,'" Shafer said.

... She was asked in May 2010 to agree to a remediation plan that would require her to attend sensitivity training, read counseling journals and mix with gays at events like the city's gay pride parade.

Keeton refused to comply with the plan, which she said in court papers would require her to "tell clients wanting to hear it that homosexual sex is moral."

She filed a federal lawsuit claiming the school wanted to expel her because she "holds Christian ethical convictions" on human sexuality and gender identity. A judge rejected her challenge, leading to Tuesday's court arguments.

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/16149/feed 10 http://www.nomblog.com/16139 http://www.nomblog.com/16139#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:00:38 +0000 NOM Staff http://www.nomblog.com/?p=16139 Maureen Downey writes:

A grad student at Augusta State University who sued the school over a clash between her grad program requirements and her religious beliefs on gay people is now asking a federal appeals court to block the university from expelling her.

... In 2010, Jennifer Keeton, 24, sued after the college required her to complete a remediation program or face expulsion for her anti-gay beliefs. Her lawsuit states that her views on gays were known to faculty at the university because of her “disagreement in several class discussions and in written assignments with the gay and lesbian ‘lifestyle.’”'

... Keeton has already been rebuffed by the courts. Earlier this year, a U.S. district judge ruled in the university’s favor.

In supporting Augusta State in its actions, the judge wrote, “The record suggests, and the testimony at the hearing bolsters, the Plan was imposed because Plaintiff exhibited an inability to counsel in a professionally ethical manner – that is, an inability to resist imposing her moral viewpoint on counselees – in violation of the ACA Code of Ethics.”

A classmate testified that Keeton said she would be compelled by her beliefs to tell gay or lesbian counseling clients that their behaviors were morally wrong and must be changed.

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/16139/feed 40 http://www.nomblog.com/16122 http://www.nomblog.com/16122#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:00:58 +0000 NOM Staff http://www.nomblog.com/?p=16122 The Greeley Gazette:

In a disturbing trend, “gay” groups are becoming more violent towards those who do not accept their lifestyle.

Last week, a pastor in Oklahoma received multiple death threats after he spoke for two minutes at a city council meeting in Oklahoma City, arguing against adding “sexual orientation” to the city’s anti-discrimination policy.

Paul Blair, Pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Edmond, Oklahoma told the council that the law was unnecessary and would create an unfair burden on employers and could allow men to use women’s restrooms and locker rooms.

Following his remarks, Blair and the church have been threatened with violence.

A caller said “I have committed homicide more than one time and in more than one state – and yet have not been caught or charged. Think about that.” The caller then said “I will be coming to visit you at 1230 North Sooner Road. I will be seeing you, bringing you something.”

The individual placed several other threatening calls, including one hinting there was a bomb on the church property. “I suggest you listen to this message clearly. A (muffled) has been placed on your property in the building, as well as some visitors will be visiting Pastor Blair at his residence. This is just to let you know. Thank you. Detonate it, detonate.” The caller also threatened to sexually assault Blair’s wife.

Individual members of the church have also faced threats.

Blair told the Gazette, that they called the police after the first calls and were going to leave it at that, but that changed once the possible bomb threat materialized.

... Blair said it was amazing that the threats against his church and himself have been largely ignored by the national media.

“If I would have left these types of threats on the voicemail of the local ‘gay’ alliance, I would have been in jail before sundown. It would have been on the front page of the new York Times and the lead story on CNN.”

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/16122/feed 18 http://www.nomblog.com/16110 http://www.nomblog.com/16110#comments Tue, 29 Nov 2011 20:00:45 +0000 NOM Staff http://www.nomblog.com/?p=16110 The editor of MercatorNet explains what happened:

MercatorNet has a "creative commons" republication policy - nearly all of our articles may be reproduced so long as the original source is acknowledged. This is what Rebekah Hebbert, the managing editor of a Canadian site based at McGill University, the Prince Arthur Herald, did with a recent article on same-sex adoption by Rick Fitzgibbons. (She is also an occasional contributor.)

The outcome was explosive. At least four editors and ten writers resigned from the staff and Rebekah appeared on national television explaining her decision to run what was described by her critics as garbage and bigotry.

... Rebekah's impression was that her colleagues had resigned because of fears that their careers would be tainted by homophobia.

The local McGill Daily adds more to the story.

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/16110/feed 30 http://www.nomblog.com/15932 http://www.nomblog.com/15932#comments Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:30:15 +0000 NOM Staff http://www.nomblog.com/?p=15932 LifeSiteNews:

A TV sports anchor who was fired in the spring after tweeting his support for true marriage says he hopes the case will inspire other Canadians to take up the marriage battle, which is experiencing a lull in Canada six years after Parliament legalized same-sex “marriage.”

Damian Goddard, the former host of Connected, was fired by Rogers Sportsnet in May after tweeting his support for an NHL hockey agent who had opposed same-sex “marriage” on Twitter. In June, he launched a human rights complaint against Rogers, contending that the case affects all Canadians with deeply-held religious views.

“I want to … tell people that what I did wasn’t special at all,” Goddard told LifeSiteNews. “I want to tell people of faith that we are commissioned by Christ to speak boldly for the faith.”

Last week, Goddard became the spokesman for the U.S.-based Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance, a project by the National Organization for Marriage dedicated to supporting pro-family citizens who face threats for expressing their views.

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/15932/feed 3 http://www.nomblog.com/15907 http://www.nomblog.com/15907#comments Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:30:38 +0000 NOM Staff http://www.nomblog.com/?p=15907 Charles Lewis who runs a blog for Canada's National Post writes (this appeared on the front page of the print edition as well):

The firing of broadcaster Damian Goddard, who was let go from Sportsnet six months ago, is turning into a test case about religious freedom in Canada and the right to declare those views in public.

Mr. Goddard lost his job after he wrote on Twitter [“I completely and whole-heartedly support Todd Reynolds and his support for the traditional and TRUE meaning of marriage.”]

“I do not hate homosexuals,” the devout Roman Catholic said in an interview this week.

“But if I remain silent I am consenting to something I don’t believe in. I have 2,000 years of Christian history backing me up on this. I’m good with that.”

On Wednesday, it was announced Mr. Goddard had been hired as a spokesman for the Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance, a wing of the National Organization for Marriage, which is working to stop legalizing same-gender marriage in the United States.

... [a] lawyer, who would not comment directly on Mr. Goddard’s case, said there is now a dangerous atmosphere in Canada in which comments protected under law can be twisted to appear as hate speech.

“Hate speech needs to be related to inciting violence, not hurting feelings,” he said.

“I draw a distinction between ‘hurt speech’ and hate speech, and the culture has shifted in which hurt speech has become hate speech.”

What Damian tweeted is neither hate speech nor hurt speech, it was a civil expression of his civic point of view.

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/15907/feed 3 http://www.nomblog.com/15791 http://www.nomblog.com/15791#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:41:15 +0000 NOM Staff http://www.nomblog.com/?p=15791 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 16, 2011
Contact: Mary Beth Hutchins (703-683-5004 x.105)

---

WASHINGTON – "Today we are proud to announce that Damian Goddard has joined NOM's Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance (MADA), to speak on behalf of the rights of decent, loving, law-abiding citizens to speak, to write, to donate, to organize and to act to defend marriage," stated Brian Brown, president of NOM, announcing a new spokesperson for the group whose goal is to create a supportive community for those who have been threatened for standing for marriage.

Damian Goddard, a former sportscaster for the Canadian network Rogers Sportsnet, lost his job after tweeting his support of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. After a career of nearly 20 years spanning both radio and television sports broadcasting, and at the time one of the leading anchors on Sportsnet, Goddard was immediately fired for voicing his view on marriage.

"I expected that they would try to force me to recant, write an apology, would threaten a suspension, or give me a 'slap on the wrist' of some sort. Instead, just seconds into our meeting, I was told I was out of a job." explains Goddard. "We cannot stay silent on this, we have hope and a message and we cannot just sit back and be silent. Marriage is a unique institution and we must become involved."

Now Goddard has taken on a new role, as spokesman for MADA, giving a voice to others who have faced pressure to remain silent on the marriage issue. "In the sports world, no matter the sport, if you sit back and relax and you are going to lose. The National Organization for Marriage and MADA are giving people the voice they need to fight back, and, while I wish I had not been fired from my former job, I am thrilled to be able to be a part of this effort," said Goddard.

See Damian Goddard tell his story in his own words here.

To schedule an interview with Damian Goddard, please contact Elizabeth Ray (x.104), eray@crcpublicrelations.com, or Mary Beth Hutchins (x105), mhutchins@crcpublicrelations.com, at 703-683-5004

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]]> http://www.nomblog.com/15791/feed 24 http://www.nomblog.com/15707 http://www.nomblog.com/15707#comments Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:15:05 +0000 Brian Brown http://www.nomblog.com/?p=15707

Dear Marriage Supporter,

Meet Damian Goddard.

On May 9, 2011 Damian had it all: a loving wife, two small children, and a dream job he loved as a sportscaster, for the Canadian equivalent of ESPN.

What happened to him is an absolute outrage.

Click here to watch the newest Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance video interview and listen to Damian tell you how the same-sex marriage movement turned his life upside down.

As the battle in New York over same-sex marriage heated up, Damian wrote a note stating his views on his own personal twitter account — to just 175 or so followers: "I completely and whole-heartedly support Todd Reynolds and his support for the traditional and TRUE meaning of marriage."

The next day he was called in by his bosses. He expected a slap on the wrist, maybe a demand he apologize — "How can I apologize for something I don't want to apologize for?" he recalls wondering to himself.

Instead he was summarily fired. "We're terminating your contract."

One of his bosses twisted the knife "Damian do you remember that conversation we had a while ago about the plans we had for you and these other shows at Sportsnet? Well that's not happening now, you're fired!"

Thankfully, Damian is speaking out in defense of marriage and religious liberty. He is refusing to be silenced by the big bosses.

Today we are proud to announce that Damian Goddard has joined NOM's Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance, to speak on behalf of the rights of decent, loving, law-abiding citizens to speak, to write, to donate, to organize and to act to defend marriage.

Please watch the video detailing Damian's ordeal and meet the newest member of our team!

A decade ago, the courts imposed gay marriage where Damian lives. He remembers being asked by pro-gay marriage friends and relatives, "How will gay marriage affect your marriage?"

Well, now he knows: "Eleven years later I lost my job for saying I believe in one-man and one woman marriage!"

But despite the unjust and heavy penalties, he is paying for speaking up for marriage, Damian has no regrets.

"I would not change a thing. I stand by what I said," Damian says. "The words ‘Be not afraid!' keep ringing in my ears — I cannot shake it. It's so strong... ‘Be not afraid, be not afraid, don't worry — so I'm not afraid."

God, he says, has a plan.

Damian Goddard has two messages for each one of us:

"It's got to stop, we have to stop it from escalating from getting any worse than it is right now...there's a fight under way we each of us have to make a choice: speak up!"

Will you stand with this incredibly brave man by helping us get his message out? A donation of $5, 10, or 100 will help us help him stand up for not only for his rights, but for you and your family's rights.

Speak up! Be not afraid! Damian Goddard is an inspiration to us all!

Sincerely,

Brian S. Brown
Executive Director
NOM Education Fund

P.S. Please help us break the myth that the same-sex marriage movement is about "live-and-let-live." Forward this email to three friends right now so they can see the truth and get involved.

Simply visit MarriageADA.org, learn about the vicious attacks on your religious liberties, and make a generous contribution today. Thank you again, and God bless you!

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/15707/feed 54 http://www.nomblog.com/15450 http://www.nomblog.com/15450#comments Mon, 07 Nov 2011 23:28:36 +0000 NOM Staff http://www.nomblog.com/?p=15450 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 7, 2011

---

Washington, DC — The National Organization for Marriage's Corporate Fairness Project today announced that both Bank of America and the Cisco Corporation have promised not to discriminate against employees or vendors who publicly oppose same-sex marriage.

"After interviewing Frank Turek about the abrupt cancellations of his seminar by both Cisco and Bank of America, we wrote to the board of each company raising our concern and asking if company policy really permits otherwise qualified employees and vendors to be punished for speaking out on a public issue like same-sex marriage," said Jonathan Baker, Director of NOM's Corporate Fairness Project.

"We also reached out to 10,000 customers of Bank of America in Charlotte, North Carolina, who in turn generated 1,400 calls to the corporate complaint line asking the board to promise they would not discriminate in the workplace against supporters of traditional marriage. We received assurances from both corporations that this kind of discriminatory treatment violates corporate policy and will not happen again," continued Baker.

In a November 4, 2011 letter to the National Organization for Marriage, Cisco Corporation Senior Vice President for Legal Services Mark Chandler agreed that, "Cisco was incorrect in dealing with Dr. Turek and the Austin Group. Specifically Cisco concluded that the Austin Group's contract should not have been summarily ended."

Further Cisco attributed the situation to "an unfortunate, but isolated breakdown in Cisco's process, and have taken steps to ensure it does not happen again." Most importantly Cisco has clarified that voicing a traditional view on marriage is not an acceptable reason to fire an employee or discriminate against a qualified vendor. "It is not Cisco's policy, nor is it ‘acceptable to discriminate against vendors such as Frank Turek or employees who, outside the work context, have taken a position supporting marriage as the union of one man and one woman,'" wrote a Cisco executive in a letter to NOM.

Senior Vice President of Global Human Resources for Bank of America also quickly distanced Bank of America from the firing of Dr. Turek – stating:

"We recognize that our differences – in thought, style, culture, ethnicity and experience make us stronger as a company," and that, "we have taken the appropriate measures within our organization to address this matter. Dr. Turek remains a vendor in good standing with us."

Baker responded, "We're grateful these two companies have made it clear they will not tolerate discrimination against employees or vendors based on their views on same-sex marriage. As Frank Turek said, it's simply un-American as well as unwise for anyone to say you have to share one politically correct viewpoint in order to keep your job."

"This is not the end, it's the beginning of NOM's campaign to make sure decent law abiding people who believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman are not treated as outcasts or racists. It is not bigotry to say that marriage is the union of a husband and wife, it's common sense; corporations need to respect the diverse views of their employees and customers," said Brian Brown, "We respect the work of corporations like Cisco and Bank of America, which should not be dragged into cultural or political wars, but we also believe corporations should respect the rights of each of its employees, vendors and customers to have their own views and exercise core civil rights to express those views in the democratic process."

Paid for by the National Organization for Marriage, www.nationformarriage.org. Not authorized by any candidate or any candidate's committee.

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]]> http://www.nomblog.com/15450/feed 17 http://www.nomblog.com/15261 http://www.nomblog.com/15261#comments Wed, 02 Nov 2011 01:00:09 +0000 Brian Brown http://www.nomblog.com/?p=15261

Dear Marriage Supporter,

Can you imagine forcing foster children to suffer just so you can advance your political agenda?

Of course not!

When I first learned that the gay marriage movement is right now actively working to shut down religious foster and adoption agencies my heart dropped. I could not believe it.

When Illinois passed a "civil union" law, the state began demanding that adoption agencies place children with same-sex couples.

And when groups such as Catholic Charities or the Evangelical Child and Family Agency refused due to religious objections, the state ripped up their contracts!

So I sent a crack filmmaker out to Illinois to investigate, and here is the new video that tells you the unvarnished truth: the new gay "rights" agenda includes the right to deprive children of loving, foster homes, if those homes are found by religious adoption agencies that won't do gay adoptions.

In this groundbreaking report you hear the truth the mainstream media doesn't want you to know. You will meet wonderful loving parents, like Randi Craigen, who with her husband Clive adopted Zeb and Trinity: "I felt that was a place I could serve God and help a child."

You will meet Tammy and other Christian foster and adoption parents who will tell you about the incredibly important role Christian foster care agencies like Evangelical Child and Family and Catholic Charities have in helping find Christian parents to help abused children:

"One of the main things we were looking for in an agency is someone who shared our faith-based beliefs. I don't think I could have weathered the storm of the foster care system" without Evangelical Child and Family's help says Tammy.

Now that government is refusing to work with Christian adoption agencies, Randi is really, really concerned about the impact on her own foster kids and others like them: "It's bad for children first of all because now there's an agency that is not going to be able to provide families for them, and there are already not enough families," Randi tells us. Foster father Mike adds, "if those [Christian] people don't have a logical place to go there will be less parents helping these children."

Fewer parents helping abused and orphaned kids?

You and I should be very concerned too.

I'm the father of seven children myself. As a Christian I know we have a special obligation to the orphaned and abused child.

We cannot stand by and just watch the gay so-called "rights" movement use government power to discriminate against Christian adoption agencies, not when the ones who will be hurt in the end are the neediest little ones of all.

Will you stand up with me for Randi's kids, and Tammy's kids and hundreds of thousands of other orphaned and abused children?

Please watch this short video and take action.

Marriage Supporter, this is the TRUE nature of their fight to destroy marriage . . . the part that you do not hear about in the mainstream media.

It is an all out assault on our religious liberty, with vulnerable children as its innocent victims.

The goal of the Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance is to defend Americans' religious liberty from being trampled by the same-sex marriage bullies, and we need friends like you to stand with us in support.

So please, today: Watch this incredible video and make one generous financial contribution to help us spread our message and expose the vicious agenda behind the anti-marriage assault.

Thank you in advance,

Brian S. Brown
Executive Director
NOM Education Fund

P.S. Please forward this email to three friends right now so they can see the truth and get involved. Isolated and alone, we can be intimidated. Together we are too many to be treated as second-class citizens.

Simply visit MarriageADA.org, learn about the vicious attacks on religious-based adoption agencies, and make one urgent contribution. Thank you again, and God bless you!

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/15261/feed 4 http://www.nomblog.com/14444 http://www.nomblog.com/14444#comments Thu, 13 Oct 2011 17:51:46 +0000 Brian Brown http://www.nomblog.com/?p=14444 "This may be the first time in my whole life that I've had to actually receive persecution."

It's downright un-American.

Over the past three years, hundreds of Americans have been bullied, threatened, and even fired from their jobs, for no other reason than because they support traditional marriage.

That's why the National Organization for Marriage just launched a new effort: the Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance.

The goal of the Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance is to defend Americans' religious liberty and free speech rights from being trampled by the same-sex marriage lobby.

The Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance is here to support Americans like Rose Marie Belforti, who tells her chilling story in our brand-new video.

For over a decade, Rose Marie has been a widely-respected Town Clerk in Ledyard, New York. She loves her job and goes out of her way to ensure that local government works well for the citizens of her small town.

But when New York legalized same-sex marriage, Rose Marie realized that if she had to certify those marriages, it would conflict with her Christian beliefs. She asked if a deputy could perform any same-sex marriages should the situation arise, and she was denied.

And now, Rose Marie's job is being threatened, all because, as she tells it, "I just want to respect the God I worship."

This is un-American, and we must fight back!

You've been a strong supporter of marriage and of NOM's efforts to protect marriage (thank you again), so you of all people need to know how our opponents are viciously targeting people's safety, property, and livelihoods – and what we can do to fight back!

If you do one thing this week, watch this video and then make one urgent online contribution to NOM so we can spread the truth about what's going on in America.

At the Marriage ADA website, you can hear more of "Our Stories" from citizens whose religious liberty is being threatened, send a note of encouragement to courageous Americans like Rose Marie Belforti who've been targeted by the anti-marriage goons, make a financial donation in support of this critical effort, and even share your own story if you've been subjected to threats, harassment or intimidation.

So please, today:

Watch this incredible video and make one special financial gift in support of our work.

Because this is just the beginning – there are literally dozens and possibly hundreds of outrageous stories to tell!

We also have testimony from corporate trainers, public school teachers and others who've had their livelihoods threatened because they spoke out for marriage.

And Marriage ADA will release—one-at-a-time over the next several weeks—a series of incredible new videos about other courageous pro-marriage citizens.

Our goal is to create a community of Americans who adhere to the core Gospel value: "Be not afraid!"

Thanks for acting fast,

Brian S. Brown
Executive Director
NOM Education Fund

P.S. Please forward this email to three friends right now so they can see the truth and get involved. Isolated and alone, we can be intimidated. Together we are too many to be treated as second-class citizens.

Simply visit MarriageADA.org, learn Rose Marie Belforti's story, and make one urgent contribution. Thank you again, and God bless you!

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/14444/feed 18 http://www.nomblog.com/14434 http://www.nomblog.com/14434#comments Wed, 05 Oct 2011 19:45:46 +0000 NOM Staff http://www.nomblog.com/?p=14434 The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Tuesday heard oral arguments in the appeal of a former Eastern Michigan University graduate student who was expelled over her refusal to counsel a homosexual patient. The Christian Post has background:

Julie Ward enrolled in a counseling practicum course at EMU in 2009 in order to fulfill the requirements for her graduate degree. A few credits shy of finishing her degree, she was assigned a potential client who was seeking assistance regarding a homosexual relationship. However, as a Christian, Ward felt her values and beliefs on homosexuality and extra-marital affairs would not allow her to counsel the patient.[...] Consistent with ethical and professional standards on patient referral, Ward was advised to assign the patient to another counselor. But that’s when her trouble began.

Soon thereafter, Ward was informed the only way she could remain in the program was if she agreed to undergo a “remediation” program, with the sole purpose to help her “see the error of her ways” and change her “belief system,” as it related to homosexual relationships. After Ward refused, a disciplinary hearing was held, whereby an EMU faculty denigrated Ward’s Christian beliefs, leading another faculty member to ask Ward if she viewed her “brand” of Christianity as “superior” to that of other Christians. As a result of the hearing, Ward was dismissed from the counseling program and after appealing to the dean of the College of Education, her expulsion was upheld.

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/14434/feed 43 http://www.nomblog.com/14426 http://www.nomblog.com/14426#comments Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:00:51 +0000 NOM Staff http://www.nomblog.com/?p=14426 On their Foundry blog:

The National Organization for Marriage recently announced the launch of a new project called the Marriage Anti-Defamation Alliance. This vital project responds to growing concerns about the reprisals directed against many people who support marriage as one man and one woman.

The Heritage Foundation has documented, for example, how people who supported Proposition 8, the California marriage amendment, were “subjected to harassment, intimidation, vandalism, racial scapegoating, blacklisting, loss of employment, economic hardships, angry protests, violence, at least one death threat, and gross expressions of anti-religious bigotry.”

]]> http://www.nomblog.com/14426/feed 3