In a widely expected move, embattled Illinois GOP Chairman Pat Brady resigned on Tuesday. Brady said he wanted to spend more time with his family as his wife fights cancer, but social conservatives have been calling for Brady's head for months. They're angry over his support for a gay marriage bill floated in the state legislature this year — the latest in a series of similar measures taken up across the country.

...No matter how Brady's departure is spun, the takeaway is that the Illinois GOP is doubling down on its opposition to gay marriage. Though "it's pretty clear that support for marriage equality is what forced [Brady] out of office," says Doug Mataconis at Outside the Beltway. After he came out for the marriage bill, 50 conservatives called for his resignation at a meeting in April.

Contact: Elizabeth Ray or Jen Campbell (703-683-5004)

"This is yet another powerful example that the GOP grassroots is firmly pro-marriage" — Brian Brown, NOM president —

Washington, D.C. — Reacting to news today that Illinois GOP Chairman Pat Brady has resigned after immense pressure was put against him in the wake of his abandonment of the GOP platform on marriage, Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, said: "This is yet another powerful example that the GOP grassroots is firmly pro-marriage."

Pat Brady told CNN today "… obviously I had lost the support of the state Central Committee because of my position on gay marriage." Brown continued: "Brady fell into the lie that Republicans do not care about marriage and won't take vigorous action against those in their party who abandon marriage. Brady has quickly learned his lesson. Other Republicans who are tempted to abandon the party platform on marriage should take note or they will also risk their political careers."

Brown concluded: "The pro-marriage GOP grassroots in Illinois and around the country ought to be commended for this victory. Their persistence and commitment to conservative principles — including the critical institution of marriage — is what led to this victory. May this inspire other GOP activists across the country to continue fighting to protect marriage and preserve winning conservative principles."

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

Paid for by The National Organization for Marriage, Brian Brown, president. 2029 K Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006, not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. New § 68A.405(1)(f) & (h).

Please contact your Representatives in Illinois and continue to help spreading the word!

While the State Central Committee of the Illinois Republican Party was meeting in Tinley Park to discuss the retention of Pat Brady as Chairman following his lobbying for gay marriage, a crowd that surged to 150 people at one time gathered in front of State Rep. Ed Sullivan’s district office in Mundelein to protest his recently announced intention to vote for the same-sex marriage bill currently being considered in Springfield.

The rally organizers told Illinois Review that the rally was organized in just a few days, and the fact that so many people came out to protest is a clear indication of the true majority voice of the district.

The protest included a number of elected Republican officials, including current and former GOP township chairs and precinct committeemen. (Illinois Review)

State lawmakers are certainly getting an earful as they prepare to head back to work next week and potentially take up the issue of allowing same sex marriage in Illinois.

Cardinal Francis George on Friday joined a group of African American religious leaders to decry the "redefinition of marriage" as "morally wrong."

...The clergy members stressed, however, that their opposition to gay marriage should not be seen as discrimination against congregants in same-sex relationships.

"Nature and the Bible then dictates our stance today. It is not our personal opinion about the lifestyles of any individual that comes in our church or is outside of our church," said Bishop Lance Davis with the New Zion Christian Fellowship of Dolton.

Video:

View more videos at: http://nbcchicago.com.

"Any Republican in Illinois who betrays the cause of marriage will be casting a career-ending vote and will be held accountable to their constituents." —Brian Brown, NOM's president—

Washington, DC—With the Illinois state Legislature set to return from recess, the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) today reiterated its pledge to spend $250,000 defeating Republican legislators who vote in support of same-sex 'marriage' in Illinois, just like NOM successfully did in New York.

"Any Republican in Illinois who betrays the cause of marriage will be casting a career-ending vote and will be held accountable to their constituents," said Brian Brown, NOM's president. "We will spend whatever it takes—hundreds of thousands of dollars if necessary—to remove them from office, just as we did three of the four turncoat Republican state Senators in New York who were responsible for gay 'marriage' passing there. We will not hesitate to support pro-family Democrats to replace them, as our record in New York proves."

In New York, same-sex marriage narrowly passed the state senate after four Republicans and two Democrats changed their votes in response to promises of campaign cash from gay marriage activists. NOM targeted all seven for defeat, and was successful in removing five of them, replacing them in 2012 with pro-family Senators. As numerous media have reported, including the New York Times, three of the four Republicans were removed from office despite promises by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and gay-rights advocates to do everything in their power to protect them against political retribution. ("Costly Toll for Republicans Who Voted for Gay Marriage").

In addition to supporting challengers to the four Republicans, NOM also supported pro-family Democrats, helping to re-elect Senator Ruben Diaz and electing a pro-marriage Democrat to unseat Senator Shirley Huntley in the Democratic primary. "Marriage is not a partisan issue," Brown said. "We will stand with pro-family legislators regardless of party affiliation when they stand up for true marriage."

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

Paid for by The National Organization for Marriage, Brian Brown, president. 2029 K Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006, not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. New § 68A.405(1)(f) & (h).

Dear Marriage Supporter,

There's an upset brewing in Springfield. Even the media is taking notice.

Here's the headline from the Chicago Tribune: "Speaker Madigan says gay marriage bill 12 votes shy in the Illinois House."

How things change when voters stand up for what they believe.

Less than three months ago, same-sex marriage supporters were claiming passage was a question of "when, not if." Today, thanks to your efforts, and those of thousands of your fellow Illinoisans, same-sex marriage is on the ropes, with supporters stuck at 48 votes out of the 60 needed for passage in the Illinois House. The stories of sacrifices that people have made to stand for marriage are overwhelming.

But this is a dangerous moment . . . gay marriage activists are desperate, and willing to do just about anything to sway the votes they need. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and even President Obama himself, are calling in favors in an effort to push the bill through.
The House is back in session until Friday before taking a two-week recess. These next few week are critical as legislators return to their districts.

Please keep the momentum up with a message to your state representative today. Remind them that their constituents are watching, and that we expect them to stand firmly against same-sex marriage.

Click here to give them the backing they need to stand strong against the back-room, closed-door, old-school political special interest machine!

In addition, I NEED you to forward this email to your family and friends in Illinois, and encourage THEM to take action as well. If it's easier for you, use the buttons below to share this message on Facebook and Twitter. Or pick up the phone and call them so they can take action right away.

Finally, I urge you to take some time during the upcoming recess to make a phone call or even request a personal meeting with your state representative. There's nothing like personal contact when it comes to communicating the importance of marriage for connecting children to a mom and a dad.

Victory is on the horizon, but only with your help today!

Dear Marriage Supporter,

Desperate! That's what the Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, is right now.

Why else would he send out an email to his Chicago machine commanding them to lobby their representatives in favor of same-sex marriage?

Because as of today, he knows they don't have the votes to pass the bill!

Rahm Emanuel is firing up the Democratic Party forces, trying to strong-arm same-sex marriage through the legislature the old Chicago way.

But this time, things are different!

Please click here right away to send an email message to your state representative urging him or her to cast a vote to protect marriage and kids by voting AGAINST Senate Bill 10!

Supporter, as I mentioned last week, the Democratic Party is fraying over the issue of gay marriage. Many of the politicians who represent African-American and Latino constituents are resisting the political pressure brought to bear by the leaders of their party.

Click here to give them the backing they need to stand strong against the back-room, closed-door, old-school political special interest machine!

In addition, I NEED you to forward this email to your family and friends in Illinois, and encourage THEM to take action as well. If it's easier for you, use the buttons below to share this message on Facebook and Twitter. Or pick up the phone and call them so they can take action right away.

If you have an additional two minutes to invest in defending marriage, look up your Representative's phone number by clicking here, and call their office to let them know that the people of Illinois — and you personally — want their representatives to defend marriage — the only institution that connects children to parents and vice versa.

It's going to take thousands of Illinoisans working together to protect marriage in Illinois. Help spread the word today!

You have made tremendous progress so far! Same-sex marriage was supposed to be a done deal in January… yet here we are in March with a very real chance of preventing this so-called "inevitable" same-sex marriage bill.

Please take action today! I know I can count on you to help. Thank you!

Dear Marriage Supporter,

You spoke and the Republican party listened.

When Illinois GOP Chairman Pat Brady announced that he was abandoning the GOP platform and endorsing same-sex marriage, NOM and others immediately called for his resignation.

This week the news broke that seven Illinois GOP committee members have successfully called a special meeting on March 7 to oust Chairman Brady.

Please thank these seven men and women who have taken a stand for principle and values and encourage the remaining committee members to do the same!

Brady is already feeling the heat. Just a couple days ago he was forced to cancel a major fundraiser that was expected to bring in $250,000 and he has admitted that the controversy over his betrayal has hurt Illinois GOP operations.

Across the country, gay marriage advocates are falsely claiming that the Republican party supports gay marriage. Why are they doing so? Because they've learned they can only score victories when they divide us. They know that if they don't crack the GOP's united defense of marriage, gay marriage will never make it out of the deep blue states where it currently has a tenuous foothold.

Even in Illinois, a Democrat-run state, gay marriage only makes progress when Republicans abandon principle and go along with far-left policy.

That's why it's so important we send a message by ousting Chairman Pat Brady, because it will teach a lesson to every Republican who flirts with abandoning marriage: we, your voting constituents, will not stand for abandoning principle!

Pat Brady claimed that he chose to come out in support of gay marriage to attract young voters. But the latest polling shows only 37% of young Republicans say they support gay marriage, and how many more young conservatives probably support true marriage but are intimidated by their liberal college environment and peer pressure into hiding their pro-marriage views?

That's why we need politicians who will courageously stand for principle and stand up for what is right — not abandon principle at the first sign of trouble or confusion!

That's why I'm asking you to take this action today by supporting those calling for Brady's removal. We need to send a message to politicians and the next generation: we will remain vigilant in the fight to protect marriage!

Dear Marriage Supporter,

Big news from Springfield this week — but it's NOT the story you may have heard from the mainstream media...

Rahm Emanuel's Democratic Party machine, the machine that has ruled Illinois state politics for years, is fraying over the issue of gay marriage.

As of today, they don't have the votes to pass same-sex marriage, and even Democrats are starting to speak out against efforts to redefine marriage.

Senate Bill 10, the same-sex marriage bill that passed the Senate earlier this month, was heard in House Committee this week. After a lengthy hearing, State Rep. Eddie Lee Jackson, a Democrat from East St. Louis, broke with party bosses, joining the committee's 4 Republicans in voting against efforts to redefine marriage. Despite Democrats' 7-4 majority on the committee, only the vote of Chicago Democrat Rep. Luis Arroyo — who also opposes same-sex marriage but agreed to send the bill to the full House — assured the 6 votes need for passage out of committee.

This is the big news: Two of the seven Democrats on the House Executive Committee have publicly broken with the party machine over the issue of same-sex marriage. The courage of these two leaders — and especially Rep. Eddie Lee — will likely provide support for additional Democrats to stand up and do the right thing.

Let's remind every member of the Illinois House that their constituents support marriage. It only takes a couple of minutes — even if you've already sent a message, please send another today. Our opponents realize that the outcome is very much in doubt and they're ramping up the pressure, especially on Democratic legislators.

Your representatives need to hear from you today.

1. Click here to look up the phone number for your state representative.

2. Use this link to send a short email message to your state representative urging him or her to vote to defend religious liberty and defend marriage, our only civil institution that connects children with parents. Marriage and faith matter!

3. Finally, forward this email to friends and family throughout the state, or use the buttons below to share on Facebook and Twitter. It's going to take thousands of citizens from the Land of Lincoln just like you working together to preserve marriage in Illinois. Help spread the word today!

   

We have the chance to win an amazing victory for marriage this year — but only with your help. I hope I can count on you to take action today!

Dear Marriage Supporter,

It's coming down to crunch time for marriage in Illinois, and it's critical that you and I act NOW.

I'll keep this short, so as not to take much of your time, but please take 5 minutes to read this message and then contact your state representative right away.

*     *     *     *     *

1. Attend Today's Hearing in Springfield

   After passing the Senate earlier this month, a same-sex marriage bill — under the Orwellian title of "Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act" — will be heard in the House Executive Committee today.

   If you can make it to Springfield, your presence will make a powerful statement, regardless of whether you choose to testify before the committee. NOM's own Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse, head of the Ruth Institute, will be testifying. Please come early to meet Dr. Morse, and bring friends! Legislators need to know how much their constituents care about protecting marriage.

   Illinois House Executive Committee
   Room 114 Capitol Building
   Date: Tuesday, February 26
   Time: 3:00PM
   Click Here for a Map

2. Send an Email to Representative Rita Mayfield

   Representative Rita Mayfield, a Democrat from Waukegan, has announced that she will be tallying emails received for and against same-sex marriage, and she will take that information seriously into account as she weighs her vote.

   Please take a moment right now to send Rep. Mayfield a short messaging asking her to OPPOSE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE. Her email address is mayfieldr@ilga.gov.

3. Email your own Representative

   Use this link to send a short email message to your state representative urging him or her to vote to defend religious liberty and defend marriage, our only civil institution that connects children with parents. Marriage and faith matter!

Please take 5 minutes to rally around the defense of marriage! And please forward this message to anyone else you know in the Land of Lincoln who can help defend this beautiful, God-given institution.

Together we can keep up the momentum and save marriage in Illinois!

Dear Marriage Supporter,

A special thanks to the Illinois Family Institute, the Catholic Conference of Illinois, and the thousands of you who braved the cold in Springfield this week, standing with friends and neighbors from across the state for the Defend Marriage Lobby Day. Estimates suggest between 3,000 and 5,000 Illinoisans traveled to Springfield to be part of the event, making a powerful statement to wavering lawmakers.

That's exactly the type of commitment and dedication that it's going to take to stop same-sex marriage in Illinois this year.

And we can't let up now.

Yesterday's rally sent a strong message to lawmakers, many of whom are under intense pressure to ignore the wishes of their constituents and to toe the line with the Democratic Party leadership's attempt to redefine marriage. The bill has already passed the Senate and is supported by Governor Quinn.

With a vote in the House possible as early as next week, it is critical that we stop it here, where we are strongest!

TAKE ACTION!

Your state representative needs to hear from you right away — please call them and then email them immediately:

1. Click here to look up the phone number for your state representative.

2. Use this link to send a short email message to your state representative urging him or her to vote to defend religious liberty and defend marriage, our only civil institution that connects children with parents. Marriage and faith matter!

3. Finally, forward this email to friends and family throughout the state, or use the buttons below to share on Facebook and Twitter. It's going to take thousands of Illinoisans like you working together to preserve marriage in Illinois. Help spread the word today!

   

Together we can keep up the momentum and save marriage in Illinois! Now is the moment – please join us!

The Journal Star:

"...“Defend Marriage Lobby Day,” the event that bought the Grace Presbyterian contingent to Springfield, attracted more than 3,000 people, according to David E. Smith, executive director of Illinois Family Institute, based in Carol Stream, the event’s main organizer.

About five busloads from the Peoria area, including two organized by the Catholic Diocese of Peoria, attended.

... Brian Elsasser of Princeville, a Peoria County Board member who rode on one of the buses organized by the Peoria diocese, said, “I pray and I love all humankind, no matter what they do. But that doesn’t give us the right to take an institution, which was ordained by God, and change it in Illinois.”

... Bethany Baptist Church, Germantown Hills Baptist Church and Dayton Avenue Baptist Church also were among the local churches that organized trips to the lobby day.

Please continue to contact your representatives and urge them to vote NO on same-sex marriage!

Several hundred Hispanic Catholics withstood the chill rain and wind to walk and pray in defense of heterosexual marriage Monday evening.

The Processional and Prayer in Defense of Marriage at Sacred Heart Church was organized by Bishop David Malloy, who led the parishioners in prayer, and the Diocese of Rockford in response to same-sex marriage legislation working its way through the Illinois General Assembly.

“The bishop asked for this (church) specifically to encourage the Hispanic community to contact their legislators to encourage them to preserve marriage and to vote ‘no’ on same-sex marriage, but to do so in the context of prayer and respect for all,” said Penny Wiegert, director of communication for the diocese.

The fight to protect marriage in Illinois has moved over to the House, where we have a better chance of defeating the effort to redefine it! Please contact your representative in Springfield today!

The head of the Iowa Republican Party said he will continue to uphold the GOP's opposition to same-sex marriage.

During a taping of the public television program “Iowa Press” on Thursday, A.J. Spiker said the Iowa GOP believes marriage should be allowed only between one man and one woman.

Some Iowa Republicans have called for the party to embrace same-sex marriage.

Spiker said: “There is one gay marriage party in the state of Iowa, and that's the Iowa Democratic Party.” (Omaha.com)

Please continue to let the Illinois GOP know that Chairman Brady needs to go.

Dear Marriage Supporter,

Gay marriage activists in Illinois are at it again...but we have a response ready!

Illinois Senate President John Cullerton wants the Illinois Senate to vote on redefining marriage on Valentine's Day. Even if the bill were to pass the Senate (which is not at all a done deal) it still must pass the Illinois House where we are even stronger.

Our opponents think they can find the votes to pass it...but not on our watch!

Join the Preserve Marriage Lobby Day in Springfield on Wednesday, February 20th (details below).

This time around our opponents have included phony religious liberty protections in an effort to trick legislators into supporting the bill (SB10). Alliance Defending Freedom legal counsel Joe LaRue set the record straight in Springfield when he testified:

"This law does not protect religious freedom as it claims. Rather, it promotes religious intolerance, bigotry and discrimination."

Remember, the last time gay marriage activists promised that people of faith would be protected, Catholic and Lutheran foster care agencies were forced to shut down across the state.

We've seen politicians make false promises before and we won't be fooled again.

With your help, we can preserve marriage and protect people of faith in Illinois, if you take these three steps right away:

1. Contact your state senator and representative today! Use this link to send an email to your elected officials, or better still, click here to look up their phone numbers and make a personal phone call to let your senator and representative know: don't threaten religious liberty and don't redefine marriage, our only civil institution that connects children with parents. Marriage and faith matter!

2. Show up for the Preserve Marriage Lobby Day on February 20th at 10:30AM at the State Capital rotunda. Go to the table sponsored by the Illinois Family Institute off the rotunda where you can pick up more information and take part.

3. Finally, forward this email to friends and family throughout the state, or use the buttons below to share on Facebook and Twitter. It's going to take thousands of Illinoisans like you working together to preserve marriage in Illinois. Help spread the word today!

I know I can count on you to help. Thank you for keeping up the momentum!

The Williamson County Republican Central Committee has unanimously voted on a resolution calling for Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady to resign. In a press release, the Central Committee wrote:

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady recently participated in a campaign urging Republican lawmakers to back legislation to legalize “same-sex marriage” in Illinois. Williamson County Central Committee Chairman Sue Hamilton said that while Brady claims to have acted as a private citizen – it is impossible to separate his personal views from his public position as Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party.

As a result of Brady’s actions, the Williamson County Republican Central Committee debated and unanimously passed a motion on January 10, 2013 calling for him to resign.

Please continue to take action here.

Over 100 Chicago area pastors vowed to fight back against the effort to legalize same sex marriages Thursday morning at an informational forum sponsored by Illinois Family Institute at the Tinley Park Convention Center in the southwest suburbs.

IFI's Executive Director David Smith and Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Joseph LaRue told the pastors representing black, Latino and mixed congregations that the legislation is more expansive than simply allowing two persons of the same sex to legally marry. Rep. Greg Harris' new proposal would also require any church that opens its doors to outside organizations to rent to same sex couples, as well.

"If this bill passes, they have graciously decided to give you what the First Amendment says, and what the courts have said, that you don't have to marry anybody you don't want to, isn't that nice of them?" LaRue said. "But here's what does happen to you - If you let outside groups use your church facility, if you rent your church facilities to the Boy Scouts or Al Anon or whatever it may be... if you open your church building to outsiders, then you have to open it up to everybody, and it doesn't matter what you believe about it.  That's what the law says."

Dear Marriage Supporter,

Three weeks ago, your phone calls and emails shook the Illinois political world, blocking what many considered an "inevitable" bill to pass same-sex marriage in the lame duck session.

Gay marriage supporters had counted on the lame duck session to persuade outgoing lawmakers to take a "tough vote" for same-sex marriage. But they ran into Illinois voters along the way.

It was a tremendous victory, but our work is far from done...

When the newly elected legislature took office on January 10th, Democrats increased their majorities in both houses, and immediately introduced a new same-sex marriage bill. Senate President John Cullerton has told the press that he expects to bring the bill to a vote early in the session, perhaps as early as the next couple of weeks.

Meanwhile, the pressure from powerful elites keeps mounting, as Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, to GOP Chairman Pat Brady, and even President Obama himself continue pressing lawmakers to approve the measure that would redefine marriage and jeopardize the rights of religious believers across the state.

We have to keep the pressure up!

I need you to do three things immediately:

1. Contact your state senator and representative today! Use this link to send an email to your elected officials, or better still, click here to look up their phone numbers and make a personal phone call to let your senator and representative know: Don't redefine our only civil institution that connects children with parents — marriage matters!

   Please take action right now. It only takes a minute to send your lawmakers a message, and it is vitally important that they hear your voice today.

2. Tell the Illinois Republican Party it's time for a new chairman! Republicans throughout the state are outraged that party chairman Pat Brady would openly reject the Republican Party platform, and the values of tens of thousands of Illinois Republicans, on an issue as important as marriage. Use this link to send a message to the state GOP, urging Pat Brady to resign as the leader of Illinois Republicans.

3. Finally, forward this email to friends and family throughout the state, or use the buttons below to share on Facebook and Twitter. It's going to take thousands of Illinoisans working together to protect marriage in Illinois.Help spread the word today!

   

I know I can count on you to help. Thank you!

The Illinois Review:

And more:

The second Illinois county Republican organizations has called for Chairman Pat Brady (photo right) to resign. Passed Thursday night, the Clinton County GOP's resolution calls for Brady to step down, and the 17th CD's State Central Committeeman Bob Winchester to officially call for Brady's resignation. County Chairman Marc Hoffman will transmit the resolution Friday.

Clinton County GOP Western Vice-Chairman Doug Gruenke told Illinois Review the resolution's passage was because Brady undermined the ILGOP platform when he lobbied state senators to support same sex marriage legislation during the recent lame duck session.

Here are even more IL GOP state committee members expressing their disapproval of Brady's comments on gay marriage.

Please continue to contact GOP party members in Illinois.

He argues that "An abandonment of traditional marriage by the GOP would leave 12 million Millennials without a party that reflects their views on marriage":

Illinois GOP chairman Pat Brady thinks gay marriage is the secret to Republicans’ winning Millennial voters, but he’s wrong.

Brady lamented to a reporter this week that GOP support for traditional marriage is driving away young voters: “How are we ever going to get the vote of anyone under 40?” he asked.

As a 27-year-old ardent supporter of traditional marriage, my question to Pat Brady is, “How does the GOP deserve to get the vote of anyone under 40 if they don’t act decisively to strengthen marriage now?”

Here’s some hard data: Despite all of the Obama campaign’s advantages among young voters, Romney actually won under-30 white men by 13 points. He won under-30 white women by a point. He won 93 percent of under-30 white Republicans, while Obama only managed to get 91 percent of under-30 white Democrats. Romney also won under-30 white independents by two points.

Was Romney’s support for traditional marriage crippling for him among under-30 white voters? Clearly not. (NRO's The Corner)

The head of Illinois’ beleaguered Republican Party is staring down a revolt from some state party bosses after he bucked the official GOP line last week and urged state lawmakers to approve same-sex marriage.

State GOP Chairman Pat Brady faces growing calls for his resignation, at a time when some Illinois Republicans are rethinking the party’s image and stance on social issues, following a dismal showing in November’s elections.

Conservative groups and activists pounced on Brady shortly after he released a statement last week offering his “full support” of a bill before the General Assembly that would legalize same-sex marriage.

But now the public demands for his ouster are coming from party leaders themselves.

“Pat Brady is a total disgrace,” said Bobbie Peterson, a Republican state central committeewoman from Beecher, Ill.

“He’s a pretty face for TV. He can speak well. Period,” Peterson said. “But what’s coming out of his mouth is not what the Illinois Republican party is about.”

It’s unclear whether the party bosses opposing Brady have enough votes to oust him. But even those who stop short of asking for his resignation plan to take him to the woodshed for neglecting to notify party bosses before he publicly contradicted the party’s platform plank on gay marriage.

“I was shocked,” said State Sen. Jim Oberweis, a committeeman from west suburban Sugar Grove who has asked Brady to resign.“Very surprised. Did not expect that and didn’t know why he would have done that.”

... “I can only express my disappointment in the way this has come about and the manner in which the Republican platform of Illinois has been completely disregarded,” said committeeman Gene Dawson, from northwest suburban Barrington, as he read from the resignation request he emailed to Brady.

In Illinois, a party chairman can be fired with a three-fifths majority of the weighted vote from state party committeemen. Each vote is weighted differently, based on how many people cast ballots in a committeeman's congressional district in last spring’s primary. Four committeemen told WBEZ they asked Brady to resign, representing nearly half of the votes needed to boot him out. (Four others stopped short of calling for a resignation, while the remaining ten either declined to comment or didn’t respond to interview requests.)

... “His role as chairman should be to concentrate on uniting the party, and not dividing the party,” Syverson said, though he doesn't go so far as to ask Brady to step down.

Please join those who have already taken action calling for Brady to resign or to be dismissed for his betrayal of marriage!

Dear Marriage Supporter,

Pat Brady, Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, recently betrayed conservative voters and Republicans by publically advocating for the passage of same-sex marriage legislation in Illinois.

Brady, in remarks to the press, claimed that same-sex marriage was "a key Republican value" — despite the strong pro-marriage wording of the most recent Republican National Committee Platform and the fact that every major GOP candidate for president this past political cycle was in favor of protecting marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

Should someone so opposed to "key Republican values" be representing his party in a state so frequently targeted by liberals who want to redefine marriage, including President Obama himself? Don't we want someone leading the GOP in Illinois who will advocate for the conservative and commonsense principles and values that unite us?

Kelly Hayes, a Republican committee member in Illinois, put it best when she voiced her dismay at Brady's advocacy for same-sex marriage:

I am particularly provoked that our party chairman would take time on the first business day of our New Year NOT to make calls on behalf of pension reform and spending cuts, NOT to make calls on behalf of our besieged 2nd Amendment, NOT to make calls on behalf of anything in the 2012 Illinois Republican Platform at all. Instead, he calls Republican legislators to ask them to redefine marriage, a traitorous assault on one of our party platform's most important social tenets as well as current Illinois and federal law.

Pat Brady needs to step down now. Sadly, he has embarrassed himself and the Illinois Republican Party.

It truly is "a traitorous assault!"

Brady has betrayed us, betrayed his party, misrepresented "key Republican values," and insulted conservative voters in Illinois and across America who deserve leaders who refuse to sell out on such a fundamental and crucial issue like the defense of marriage, children and family.

The future of marriage in Illinois demands that Brady be replaced immediately with a brave pro-marriage individual who will fight back against the out-of-state liberal activists now attempting to impose gay marriage on the Land of Lincoln without the will or consent of the we the people.

Tell the Illinois GOP today that Pat Brady must go, and that it is time for the party to reinforce real "key Republican values" — marriage and family, the well-being of children, the rule of law, and the rights of voters like you and me.

We already know the consequences of same-sex marriage becoming law in Illinois will be disastrous. We saw last year, when civil unions were passed in Illinois, that it immediately impacted religious liberties, despite the promises of the bill's sponsors that it would do no such thing.

In fact, within months of civil unions being passed, Lutheran and Catholic adoption and foster care agencies in Illinois were forced to shut! And we know that same-sex marriage poses even more risks to people of faith than the damage civil unions have already caused.

Let us ensure the same thing does not happen again (or worse!), and make sure that we have strong pro-marriage leaders in Illinois speaking up for the rights of voters, for the good of children, the protection of our families and for the values we all hold dear.

Take action right away!

"...Opponents [of redefining marriage] are pushing back hard to make sure that doesn’t happen, even as they express confidence that the nation’s high court will rule in their favor when it weighs in on the Defense of Marriage Act and California’s Proposition 8.

“Everyone is looking at the Supreme Court. What happens then defines a lot of more about what happens next in the fight,” said Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage

“We’re gonna win that and then there’s going to be a state-by-state fight, and our record on that is amazing.”

...

Sen. Heather Steans, the sponsor [of Illinois SSM], told the Associated Press that it’s a matter of “when, not if” the measure will pass, with Democrats controlling the Senate 40-19.

“This is never going to be an easy one, but it’s only going to get easier,” Steans said, citing growing acceptance of marriage equality among lawmakers and constituents across the state.

Brown scoffed. “If she had the votes, there would have been a floor vote,” he said. “They called off the session. This is a major victory for supporters of traditional marriage.”

Still, his group isn’t taking any chances.

It vowed to form a state political action committee and spend $250,000 to defeat Republican lawmakers who vote for gay marriage in Illinois, crowing that it helped defeat four GOP state senators who supported the bill that passed in New York."

It's always interesting to watch the mainstream media coordinate their stories with the left's public policy strategies. For example, below are just three of the headlines running today:

Illinois Gay-Marriage Bill Stalls Despite Broad Backing (Bloomberg) - Despite the fact that polls consistently show a majority of Illinoisans oppose gay marriage, Bloomberg headlines it has having broad backing.

[snip]

The truth is new media again showed itself to be more effective; picking up unreported stories from front-line, pro-family organizations like Thomas More Society, Illinois Family Institute, and the National Organization for Marriage. Organizations that clearly seemed to be leaders in the gay marriage battle taking place in Springfield provided inside information to Illinois Review and other new media outlets, while the mainstream media, as usual, fed off [their] leads.

Following the lead of Chicago's Archbishop, Cardinal George, he's taking a bold stand to protect marriage, instructing his priests to read this letter from the pulpit at Mass today in defense of marriage.

As we've already reported, seventeen hundred faith communities have already spoken out in defense of marriage.

Defeat of Bill Strengthens Pro-Family Efforts to Preserve Marriage in Next Legislature

Washington, D.C. — The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) today praised the Illinois Legislature for refusing to agree to redefine marriage in the waning days of the lame duck session. NOM said that a bipartisan cadre of legislators stood for principle against political pressure.

"We commend the Illinois Legislature for resisting the push of political activists to redefine marriage and to impose a same-sex 'marriage' scheme on the people of Illinois," said Brian Brown. "The entire Senate Republican Caucus stood firm against redefining marriage, and there were several stalwart and principled Democrats who stood firm as well. We are proud of these legislators for doing the right thing and upholding the value of marriage and the concept that children deserve a mother and a father."

Gay activist groups led by Equality Illinois had pledged to push same-sex 'marriage' through the lame duck session of the Legislature, claiming "inevitable" momentum to do so. However, despite enlisting David Axelrod's former firm and reportedly enlisting President Obama to make personal lobbying calls to legislators, they were unable to get the votes to pass it out of the Senate.

"This is a tremendous victory for the grassroots in Illinois," said Brown. "Thousands of people of faith telephoned, emailed and wrote to Senators to oppose the redefinition of marriage. They overcome the machine that so often rules in Illinois politics, and they showed that nothing is inevitable about same-sex 'marriage.' We realize that the fight isn't over and that the battle in the next Legislature will be even more difficult than this one, but we've shown that when people of faith take action, as they did in the lame duck session, Democrats and Republicans can come together to preserve something that is profoundly good for society — true marriage. We will continue to work with pro-family groups to preserve marriage in Illinois, and are strengthened by our victory today."

###

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

Paid for by The National Organization for Marriage, Brian Brown, president. 2029 K Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006, not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. New § 68A.405(1)(f) & (h).

Even though we scored a victory in Illinois by preventing SSM from passing the full Senate today, our opponents haven’t given up and neither can we.

As expected, proponents of gay marriage passed the bill through the Senate executive committee tonight, allowing a possible floor vote as early as next week. This means we need to redouble our efforts.

Please contact your state senators in Springfield ASAP!

Please click here to look up phone numbers for your legislators.

And use this link to send them an email!

If we keep up the pressure, we have a real chance of stopping this lame-duck movement to impose SSM. This fight won’t be over until the session has been gaveled to a close!

Stay faithful and please contact your legislators.

Dear Marriage Supporter,

We've just received word that Illinois Democrats have canceled plans to vote on same-sex marriage this week, unable to secure enough support to guarantee passage. Publicly, they're saying that it's just because some of their supporters are out of town, but we are hearing that your pressure is part of the reason legislators don't want to vote on this issue.

There's a long way to go, but suddenly same-sex marriage in Illinois isn't as inevitable as everyone said.

*   *   *   *   *

Meanwhile, there's plenty of work still to be done, and I need your help right now to keep the pressure on.

You may have already seen the headlines: "Illinois GOP Chair Backs Same-Sex Marriage."

Yesterday, Pat Brady, head of the Illinois Republican Party, endorsed the same-sex marriage legislation pending in Springfield, in prominent opposition to the state and national Republican party platforms. Republican activists and pro-family voters from every corner of Illinois are outraged and calling on Pat Brady to resign as leader of the party.

Marriage and family are central, not just to the Republican Party platform, but to the votes and values of Republicans across the nation. NOM joins with voices from across the state in demanding that Pat Brady step down or be removed as leader of the party.

We are calling on all GOP donors to immediately stop funding to the Illinois GOP, and to let the party know that you will be withholding any future donations as long as Pat Brady is head of the party.

Instead, I would urge you to take those dollars that you would normally give to the Republican Party, and give them to NOM, or to one of the wonderful pro-family groups in Illinois fighting to defend marriage.

In addition to calling on Pat Brady to resign, NOM today pledged to form a brand new PAC, funded with $250,000 to defeat any Republican lawmakers who vote for same-sex marriage. Any Republican in Illinois who betrays the cause of marriage will be casting a career-ending vote and will be held accountable to their constituents.

We will spend whatever it takes — hundreds of thousands of dollars if necessary — to remove them from office, just as we did three of the four turncoat Republican state Senators in New York who were responsible for gay 'marriage' passing there. We will not hesitate to support pro-family Democrats to replace them, as our record in New York proves.

Please take a moment right now to call the Illinois Republican Party and demand the resignation of Pat Brady. Call them at (217) 525-0011. Let them know it is simply unacceptable to have a party chairman who so openly flauts values central to the party and its platform.

Also, if you live in Illinois, please make a phone call to your state senator and representative. We have won a major battle today, but the war continues on, as gay marriage activists work to organize support for a vote very soon.

Please click here to look up phone numbers for your legislators.

And use this link to send them an email!

Finally — and this is crucial, especially for those of you outside of Illinois — please keep forwarding this information to your friends and family who live in Illinois. We need every voice engaged in this fight.

This shows that all of our hard work is paying off! Now is the time to continue our lobbying and grassroots efforts:

The fate of a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage has been called into question after Senate Democrats reported that the bill will not come to a vote this week.

Contact: Elizabeth Ray or Jen Campbell (703-683-5004)

NOM Demands that State GOP Chair Pat Brady Resign or Be Removed

Washington, D.C. — The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) today pledged to form an Illinois state PAC and spend $250,000 defeating Republican legislators who vote in support of same-sex 'marriage' in Illinois, just like the group successfully did in New York. The group also called on state Republican Chairman Pat Brady to resign or be removed from office for violating the national GOP platform and urging state Republicans to redefine marriage.

"Any Republican in Illinois who betrays the cause of marriage will be casting a career-ending vote and will be held accountable to their constituents," said Brian Brown, NOM's president. "We will spend whatever it takes — hundreds of thousands of dollars if necessary — to remove them from office, just as we did three of the four turncoat Republican state Senators in New York who were responsible for gay 'marriage' passing there. We will not hesitate to support pro-family Democrats to replace them, as our record in New York proves."

In New York, same-sex marriage narrowly passed the state senate after four Republicans and two Democrats changed their votes in response to promises of campaign cash from gay marriage activists. NOM targeted all seven for defeat, and was successful in removing five of them, replacing them in 2012 with pro-family Senators. As numerous media have reported, including the New York Times, "As four Republican state senators, one by one, agreed to break with their party and cast a politically risky vote to legalize same-sex marriage last year, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and gay-rights advocates vowed to do everything in their power to protect them against political retribution. But when the Legislature returns to Albany next month, only one of those four senators will be among those sworn into office." ("Costly Toll for Republicans Who Voted for Gay Marriage")

In addition to supporting challengers to the four Republicans, NOM also supported pro-family Democrats, helping to re-elect Senator Ruben Diaz and electing a pro-marriage Democrat to unseat Senator Shirley Huntley in the Democratic primary. "Marriage is not a partisan issue," Brown said. "We will stand with pro-family legislators regardless of party affiliation when they stand up for true marriage."

NOM also demanded that state GOP Chairman Pat Brady resign his position, or be removed by Republican delegates as Brady called on GOP legislators to redefine marriage. Brady's position violates the strong pro-marriage plank of the Republican National Committee Platform, and is contrary to the position of every major GOP candidate for president in 2012.

"Pat Brady is unfit to continue as Chair of the state Republican Party and should immediately resign or be removed from office," Brown said. "We urge all donors to cease supporting the Republican Party in Illinois until Brady is removed from his position. His betrayal of Republican principles is unforgiveable and violates the trust of Illinois Republicans. Moreover, it will directly lead to the defeat of any GOP officeholder who follows his lead, as the experience in New York showed."

NOM called on GOP donors to instead direct their financial support to NOM or to other pro-family groups in Illinois.

###

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

Paid for by The National Organization for Marriage, Brian Brown, president. 2029 K Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20006, not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. New § 68A.405(1)(f) & (h).

Indeed, please contact your lawmakers right away!

Dear Marriage Supporter,

As the legislature returns to Springfield, powerful elites—from Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to President Obama himself—are pressing lawmakers to approve a measure that would redefine marriage and jeopardize the rights of religious believers across the state.

While most citizens in the Land of Lincoln have been celebrating the Christmas and New Year holidays, gay marriage activists have been busy contacting legislators and lobbying in support of SSM.

The bill is now scheduled for a Senate committee vote as early as this evening.

Have you contacted your state senator and representative yet?

If you haven't, then please use this link to send your state lawmakers a message today. It only takes a minute, and it is vitally important that they hear from you right away!

Even better would be a phone call, if you have the time to spare. Letting your voice be heard by your elected legislators is the best way to ensure that they get the marriage loud and clear: the people of Illinois do not want marriage redefined!

So, even if you have already sent your email message (thank you!), please take a moment to make two short phone calls today as well.

The Democratic leadership in Springfield is trying to railroad this bill through during the lame duck session. Our best chance to stop this measure is to get the word out, prompting a massive groundswell of opposition from every corner of the state.

So please call your legislators right now, and then help us spread the word, using the buttons below to post this email to Facebook and Twitter, and forward it to all of your friends and family across the state. Together, we can resist this radical legislative action and all of the disastrous consequences it would entail—but only if we act right away!

I know I can count on you to help. Thank you!

You can take action and contact your lawmakers here.

President Barack Obama is urging the Illinois General Assembly to legalize gay marriage in his home state as lawmakers are poised to take up the measure as early as this week in Springfield.

... The lead sponsors of the "Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act," state Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago) and state Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago), intend to put the measure up for a vote during the upcoming January lame-duck session.

The toughest challenge for gay marriage backers will be winning passage in the Illinois House. Prospects for approval in the Illinois Senate--where Obama once served--are brighter.

The practical impact of Obama urging his home state to legalize gay marriage is to prod--and give political cover to--reluctant Democrats from conservative suburban and Downstate districts. -- The Chicago Sun-Times

Dear Marriage Supporter,

A week from today, the Illinois General Assembly will be back in Springfield to begin their lame duck session . . . one in which gay marriage advocates hope to pass a same-sex marriage bill.

The vote is expected to be close, particularly in the House, and activists are counting on votes from several retiring lawmakers to help pass the bill.

Please click here to send a message to your state lawmakers today. Let them know the people of Illinois are watching, and will hold them accountable for their vote on marriage.

The broken promises from Springfield keep stacking up.

It's only been 2 years since activists passed a civil union law, claiming it would provide much-needed equal rights for same-sex couples . . . now many of these same groups are claiming the very law they helped pass is discriminatory and demeaning to same-sex couples.

When the civil union law was being debated, the bill's sponsor explicitly promised that bill would not "impede the rights religious organizations have to carry out their duties and religious activities." Gay marriage activists even claimed that "the Act would not impact faith-based adoption agencies or adoption procedures."

Yet within months, Catholic Charities of Illinois, whose adoption agencies served 2,500 children, was forced out of adoption and foster care services when it became clear the state of Illinois' new law required them to place children with same-sex couples in violation of their religious convictions.

And they're not the only ones. Smaller businesses and organizations have been hit hard, too. The owners of Timber Creek Bed and Breakfast have spent the better part of two years defending themselves against a lawsuit for refusing to rent their privately-owned and family-run business for a civil union ceremony and reception. Other private businesses in the state have faced similar threats.

Please use this link to email your state senator and representative today, urging them to give the people of Illinois the right to decide the issue—instead of ramming a radical, unpopular bill redefining marriage through in a lame duck session.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Success or failure will likely hinge on the outpouring of opposition to this bill that politicians receive over the next week. After you take action, PLEASE IMMEDIATELY FORWARD this email to all your friends and family in Illinois, or use the social networking buttons below to post to Facebook or Twitter.

Thank you.

The Illinois Family Institute points out some of these same lawmakers had promised that same-sex civil unions would be enough, and that they would not harm religious freedom:

"Multiple media sources are cheerfully reporting that supporters of marriage- redefinition may try to pass their same-sex “marriage” bill during the lame duck session of the General Assembly next month (January 3-9).

State Representative Greg Harris (D-Chicago), the chief sponsor of this anti-family legislation, used the lame duck session in 2010 to ram through a same-sex “civil unions” bill. It passed by razor-thin margins in part because many proponents of civil unions dishonestly promised lawmakers that the legalization of “civil unions” was all they wanted.

The ethically-challenged ACLU lobbied heavily for civil unions in 2010, but then in 2012 filed a lawsuit in Cook County on behalf of homosexual activists, complaining that the very civil union law they lobbied to create is unconstitutional.

The liberal activists who pushed for civil unions, including Representative Harris and State Senator David Koehler (D-Peoria), also promised their colleagues that religious liberty and freedom of conscience would not be affected by the passage of “civil unions.” We have seen how those empty those promises were. "

Mayor Rahm Emanuel Tuesday ranked legalizing gay marriage as his No. 3 legislative priority in Springfield — behind pension reform and a Chicago casino — and said he plans to get “very involved” in passing a gay marriage bill.

... Asked how involved he was willing to get in the fight for gay marriage, Emanuel said he planned to be “very involved.” That apparently means putting his notorious powers of persuasion to work on reluctant Chicago lawmakers. “While Illinois led the way nationwide with civil unions, it is time now that we take the next step, which I said when we had a ceremony in Millennium Park. This is the first step toward marriage equality, and I hope that we will take that step and I will lead an effort,” he said. -- Chicago Sun-Times

At one point they tell him: "We don't want tolerance, we want equality."

I attended Friday night’s “Kiss-in” protest outside the only Chick-fil-A location in Chicago. The small group of between twenty to thirty protesters gathered outside the restaurant around 7pm. A few same-sex couples took the opportunity to kiss in public, as the protest organizers encouraged attendees to do on their facebook page.

I asked many of the protesters whether they agreed with Alderman Moreno’s actions; the reactions were mixed. Some agreed — one woman told me she took a “European view” of our Constitutional Rights — while others felt he was in the wrong despite agreeing with him in a general sense.

While there, a group formed around an elderly African-American homeless man, who was reading his bible while seated along a fence rail off to the side of the protest. Some in the group confronted the man, who was reading the bible aloud, and engaged him in theological debates. A few others took the opportunity to mock the man, which I captured on video:

Nearing the end of the protest, someone from the group wrote on the sidewalk in front of the homeless man, “He’s Really Gay Deep Down,” with an arrow pointed to where he was seated.

"...Moreno has called Cathy's comments "bigoted." Emanuel asserted, "Chick-fil-A's values are not Chicago values."

Mayor, many of your constituents do not support same-sex marriage. They have a heartfelt view on this. They are not bigots. But you are telling them they don't belong in their city.

...Emanuel and Moreno talk as though the issue of same-sex marriage is settled. To oppose same-sex marriage is "bigotry," Moreno has said. But that's still the law of this state. This page has urged the Illinois Legislature to recognize same-sex marriage, but the Legislature has not done that.

One more time: The 1st Amendment to the Constitution says the government may not take action "abridging the freedom of speech." The alderman is using his power as an elected official to punish a company for the political views of its top executive, and the mayor has abetted him.

The Civil Rights Agenda (TCRA), Illinois’ largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights advocacy organization, working with cooperating attorneys and on behalf of claimants, filed multiple complaints against Chick-fil-A with The Illinois Department of Human Rights. Among other things, the complaints allege that Chick-fil-A’s “intolerant corporate culture” violates Illinois law, specifically Section 5-102(B) of the Human Rights Act, which prohibits a “public accommodation” from making protected classes “unwelcome, objectionable or unacceptable.”

“In our current high speed media and social media environment, Chick-fil-A has announced and caused to be published, to hundreds of millions of people, that LGBT people are unacceptable and objectionable,” said Jacob Meister, Governing Board President of The Civil Rights Agenda and the attorney who filed the complaint. “They have made it clear the lives of LGBT individuals are unacceptable to them and that same-gender families are unwelcome at Chick-fil-A.”

The names of the complainants are being kept confidential. “Given the extent of media coverage this issue has received, the current complainants have requested that their name be withheld from the media,” stated Anthony Martinez, Executive Director of The Civil Rights Agenda. “The complainants are a same-gender family with a daughter. Chick-fil-A used to be one of their favorite places to eat until Mr. Cathy’s latest statements were reported so widely. Now, they feel completely unwelcome in the establishment.”

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has ticked off the flocks by criticizing Chick-fil-A.

Days after the big city boss blasted the chicken chain over its president's stance on same-sex marriage, an influential Baptist minister and Cardinal Francis George of the Archdiocese of Chicago struck back. The religious leaders, who support the traditional view of marriage, were incensed at Emanuel's claim that "Chick-fil-A's values are not Chicago's values."

"Do not disrespect us...We, too, are Chicago," the Rev. Charles Lyons of the Armitage Baptist Church thundered from the pulpit Sunday.

Cardinal Francis George also criticized Emanuel's stance, asking in the Catholic Chicago Blog if everyone who did not agree with Emanuel faced a similar fate.

"Must those whose personal values do not conform to those of the government of the day move from the city," George wondered. "Is the City Council going to set up a 'Council Committee on Un-Chicagoan Activities' and call those of us who are suspect to appear before it?"

The Illinois Republican Party is hoping to cash in on the Chick-fil-A controversy.

In response to a Chicago alderman’s attempt to block Chick-fil-A from opening a restaurant in his ward, the GOP is offering $5 Chick-fil-A gift cards to anyone who donates at least $10 to the party. The appeal was included in an e-mail that the party sent to supporters.

Alderman Joe Moreno is blocking approval of a Chick-fil-A story on Chicago’s Northwest Side after restaurant president Dan Cathy publicly declared his opposition to gay marriage.

When Drudge notices a story of this stature, that means at least 24-48 more hours of solid coverage.

AP

A Chicago alderman wants to kill Chick-fil-A's plans to build a restaurant in his increasingly trendy Northwest Side ward because the fast-food chain's top executive vocally opposes gay marriage.

Ald.Proco "Joe" Moreno announced this week that he will block Chick-fil-A's effort to build its second Chicago store, which would be in the Logan Square neighborhood, following company President Dan Cathy's remarks last week that he was "guilty as charged" for supporting the biblical definition of marriage as between a man and woman.

"If you are discriminating against a segment of the community, I don't want you in the 1st Ward," Moreno told the Tribune on Tuesday.

Moreno stated his position in strong terms, referring to Cathy's "bigoted, homophobic comments" in a proposed opinion page piece that an aide also sent to Tribune reporters. "Because of this man's ignorance, I will now be denying Chick-fil-A's permit to open a restaurant in the 1st Ward."

The alderman has the ideological support of Mayor Rahm Emanuel. -- Chicago Tribune

With the recent lawsuits filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County challenging the prohibition of same-sex marriage in the Illinois Marriage and Dissolution of Marriage Act, State Representatives David Reis (R-Ste. Marie) is co-sponsoring a resolution which upholds the state’s ban on same-sex marriage.

“It is time for the General Assembly to reaffirm their support for Illinois laws reserving the institution of marriage between one man and one woman,” Rep. Reis said.  “The people I represent are adamantly opposed to same-sex marriage and troubled by our Attorney General’s recent dereliction of duty by not defending our state’s policy on marriage.” -- PressMentor

Two downstate county clerks have been granted the right to intervene and defend the state’s ban on same-sex marriage against two lawsuits that claim the ban is unconstitutional.

A motion to intervene filed by the Thomas More Society — a public interest law firm that opposes same-sex marriage — was granted this morning by Cook County Circuit Court Judge Sophia Hall. The motion was unopposed by the gay rights group Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, the groups that filed the lawsuits at the end of May.

The Thomas More Society will be representing clerk Christie Webb of Tazewell County in central Illinois and clerk Kerry Hirtzel of Effingham County in southern Illinois.

The Cook County state's attorney and the Illinois attorney general have said they agree with the lawsuits, so it was expected that an outside group would attempt to step in and defend the state's marriage laws, which bar same-sex couples from getting marriage licenses.

“We will have a full and robust defense of the marriage law,” Peter Breen, the society's executive director and legal counsel, said after today’s hearing.

Breen has also filed a motion to dismiss the complaints brought by Lambda Legal and the ACLU. The judge set a hearing on that motion for Sept. 27.

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.)

Dear Marriage Supporter,

Erie, Illinois is a small, rural town of 1,600 residents in western Illinois, just across the border from Davenport, Iowa...not exactly where you'd expect to find a national controversy brewing over pro-gay marriage school curriculum.

It all started when concerned parents in Erie, Illinois got word of plans for a new curriculum (even in a MATH class!) teaching their children as young as 4 years old about same-sex marriage and cross-dressing.

Listening to the parents' concerns, the Erie school board voted 5-2 to reject the curriculum introduced by the Gay, Straight, Lesbian Education Network (GLSEN).

But it didn't end there...now GLSEN has launched a national campaign to pressure the Erie school board into imposing its "Ready, Set, Respect!" curriculum over the objection of parents and taxpayers.

Please take 2 minutes to send the Erie School Board a message thanking them
for respecting the rights of parents, and urging them to stand strong!

As reported by CitizenLink, the curriculum invites students as young as kindergarten to "draw pictures of favorite TV or storybook characters and dress them in clothes that are different … from what they would typically wear," such as "Cinderella in a knight's armor" or "Spiderman wearing a magic tiara."

It also suggests teachers incorporate examples of homosexual relationships into classroom activities, such as math problems including "a variety of family structures and gender-expressions. For example, 'Rosa and her dads were at the store and wanted to buy three boxes of pasta...'"

And it encourages educators to use storybooks that familiarize young children with same-sex marriage and transgender or cross-dressing behaviors. Suggested books include Uncle Bobby's Wedding, which features two male guinea pigs who get married.

And now GLSEN is urging its members across the country to pressure the Erie School Board to re-introduce the curriculum over the objections of parents.

Help the Erie School Board stay strong in the face of this renewed attack against
marriage and our children! Send a message right now thanking them and
asking them to stay strong in their decision!

"...The fact that advocates of same-sex marriage uniformly oppose public votes on state constitutional amendments that would define marriage as a union of a man and a woman is telling evidence that they do not believe what they say. If advocates of same-sex marriage believe that the people of Illinois are now prepared to accept same-sex marriage, let’s have the General Assembly put the issue on the November ballot and we’ll see who wins. Same-sex marriage should not come in the back door, via an arguably collusive lawsuit in which no one charged with the responsibility of enforcing the law actually defends it."

Peter Breen, executive director and legal counsel of the Thomas More Society, has responded to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s support of gay marriage, and is also planning to file legal papers:

“We are disappointed in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office for not defending this valid law, passed with broad bipartisan support in the General Assembly. While the plaintiff couples in this case are from hundreds of miles outside of Chicago, Lambda Legal and the ACLU sued only the Cook County Clerk and excluded from the case the local clerks for these couples. Today’s announcement by State’s Attorney Alvarez makes it clear that this lawsuit was an ‘inside job’ from the beginning, a crass political move to force same sex marriage on all Illinoisans without providing the residents of the other 101 counties an opportunity to be heard. The Thomas More Society is preparing legal papers to defend the law and prevent this collusive end run around the will of the people of Illinois and their General Assembly.”

A school board in Erie, Ill., is sending ripple effects nationwide after daring to listen to local parents rather than yielding to pressure from national gay activist groups.

Responding to parental concerns, the board of Erie Community Unit School District 1 voted 5-2 not to use materials from the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) in its elementary school, which goes from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade.

Now GLSEN and liberal media outlets are trying to pressure the school board to reverse course.

“[We asked the School Board to reconsider,” GLSEN said on its website. “Unfortunately, the school board won’t budge. So now we need your help.”

But local parents have a different perspective. -- CitizenLink

And kudos to the school board for resisting the ridiculous notion that there is a "gay-friendly" way to teach math:

The controversy began when a news flyer unveiled plans to introduce GLSEN’s new elementary-level “toolkit” called “Ready, Set, Respect!” The kit encourages teachers to “invite students” as young as kindergarten to “draw pictures of favorite TV or storybook characters and dress them in clothes that are different … from what they would typically wear,” such as “Cinderella in a knight’s armor” or “Spiderman wearing a magic tiara.”

It also suggests teachers incorporate examples of homosexual relationships into classroom activities, such as writing math problems including “a variety of family structures and gender-expressions. For example, ‘Rosa and her dads were at the store and wanted to buy three boxes of pasta…’ ”

The kit encourages educators to use storybooks that familiarize young children with same-sex marriage and transgender or cross-dressing behaviors. Suggested books include Uncle Bobby’s Wedding, which features two male guinea pigs who get married.

When parents objected, the school board voted to remove the materials.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office has filed a notice in Cook County Circuit Court saying it will present arguments in support of two lawsuits that question the constitutionality of the state's gay marriage ban.

The lawsuits, filed Wednesday, are against the clerk of Cook County and claim that his refusal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples violates those couples’ rights to due process and equal protection under the Illinois Constitution.

Today's filing said that the attorney general will "present the Court with arguments that explain why the challenged statutory provisions do not satisfy the guarantee of equality under the Illinois Constitution."

Minnesota for Marriage comments:

Minnesota for Marriage (MFM) said the filing today of a lawsuit in Illinois by Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) underscores the importance of Minnesota voters enacting the Marriage Protection Amendment to avoid marriage being redefined by a state judge here.

“Every day that goes by without a marriage amendment in our state constitution is a day that Minnesota’s definition of marriage is in jeopardy of being redefined by an activist judge,” said Chuck Darrell, communications director for MFM. “A constitutional amendment is needed because statutes can be changed by politicians or struck down by judges at any time. Today the ACLU filed a lawsuit in Illinois. They could file one tomorrow in Minnesota. There is already a case pending in our state courts to redefine marriage. The only way to make sure that voters always control the definition of marriage in Minnesota is to enact the Marriage Protection Amendment.”

This is sad, because many people would like to provide legal protections for gay couples while protecting marriage as the union of husband and wife.

Will Illinois courts rule out civil unions as well?

The gay and lesbian civil rights movement in Illinois has long worked on forging a legislative path to marriage equality, buoyed last year by the passage of a law allowing same-sex civil unions.

But with uncertainty about a gay marriage bill moving through Springfield any time soon — the House bill introduced this year was pulled midway through the session — advocates are opening up a new path.

The gay rights group Lambda Legal and the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois each plan to file a lawsuit Wednesday against the clerk of Cook County, claiming that not issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples violates the equal protection and due process clauses of the Illinois Constitution.

Activists say they will continue to press lawmakers to legalize same-sex marriage. But these lawsuits mean that the judicial system, and possibly the Illinois Supreme Court, will play a role as well. -- Chicago Tribune

Despite a push by gay lawmakers, the effort to legalize gay marriage in Illinois is unlikely to get off the ground this year, the chief sponsor of a marriage proposal said.

State Rep. Greg Harris (D–Chicago) told the Chicago Sun-Times that reeling in Medicaid and pensions programs as well as approving an overall budget would take precedence during the homestretch of the General Assembly’s spring session.

“I never say never,” Harris quipped. “[But] I don’t think there will be a push before the end of this session.”

His bill, HB 5170, would delete a provision outlawing marriage between individuals of the same sex.

It was first introduced on Feb. 8 and, perhaps unsurprisingly during an election year in which fiscal issues have been front-and-center, remains pent up in the House Rules Committee.
... Recent poll numbers in Illinois outline the political difficulty of moving from civil unions to marriage in the Land of Lincoln.

The last statewide poll on the topic conducted by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University was during the fall of 2010, when a third of registered voters said they supported gay marriage. Back then, the civil unions measure passed with only one vote to spare in the Illinois House.

The issue of religious freedom, raised by all four Republican candidates but identified most strongly with Rick Santorum, finds an interested audience as the contest reaches Illinois.

Last year in Illinois, Catholic Charities and the Evangelical Child and Family Agency were forced to pull out of the foster care business when they refused to license couples in civil unions.

... Some believe Santorum's religious rhetoric could lure socially conservative voters who feel persecuted for their religious beliefs and who argue that the nation's founding principle of religious liberty is under attack by President Barack Obama's administration. Religion is seen as a lightning-rod issue, similar to the proposed bans on same-sex marriage that drew social conservatives to the polls in 2004 and helped George W. Bush win re-election.

"The language that we hear about the Obama administration waging war against religion is both energizing and polarizing," said Ralph Keen, chair of Catholic studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "The person who declares that there is an Obama-led war against religion is going to be recognized as the leader of a cause that mobilizes. It's going to mobilize the religious population."

The federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) came into play in a civil court case argued this week in a federal court in Pennsylvania.

Ellyn Farley was a lawyer working for a Pennsylvania-based firm before she died in 2010 of cancer. In her will, she designated her elderly mother as the beneficiary of her life insurance and retirement packages. To her lesbian partner, Jennifer Tobits, she left her Jeep, the condominium they shared, and the all the cash in her bank account.

Tobits, however, is suing Farley’s parents for the life insurance and retirement benefits, saying she is entitled to them because she and Farley had a same-sex marriage ceremony performed in Canada in 2006.

DOMA, however, means same-sex marriages performed in other countries are not recognized by federal law, including those laws that apply to retirement plans and other federal benefits. And neither Pennsylvania, where Farley’s law firm is based, nor Illinois, where the women live, have a state law redefining marriage.

...Though it’s essentially a property dispute, the case, which was argued for more than four hours Monday, brought out eight separate legal teams: One for Tobits; one for Farley’s parents; one for the law firm where Farley was employed; one each for the U.S. House of Representatives, the Frederick Douglas Foundation and Princeton University Prof. Robert George, who are defending DOMA; and one each for the Obama administration and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), which are challenging it. -- CitizenLink

A year after gay couples gained the option of civil unions in Illinois, some lawmakers are beginning a push to authorize same-sex marriages.

Three legislators filed what they call the “Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act” on Wednesday. It would eliminate the part of state law that now explicitly prohibits gay marriages and would offer same-sex couples the marriage rights now exclusively available to heterosexual couples.

... Lawmakers might be hesitant to support the legislation in an election year, and the measure is likely to trigger strong opposition from conservative groups.

... The gay rights group Equality Illinois said that legalizing civil unions were a step forward, but remain a poor substitute for same-sex marriage.

“Separate is not equal,” said the group's CEO, Bernard Cherkasov. -- Chicago Tribune

A series of lawsuits and a new court ruling are fresh examples of how laws granting marriage benefits to gay couples can end up squashing religious liberty, says a Christian attorney involved in one of the cases.

All four cases involve states with gay "marriage" or same-sex civil unions laws: Illinois, Vermont, Hawaii and New Jersey. In Vermont and Illinois, bed and breakfast owners were sued for declining to host a same-sex ceremony or reception, and in Hawaii, a bed and breakfast owner was sued after turning away a lesbian couple who wanted to make a reservation.

In New Jersey, a state judge ruled Jan. 12 that a Christian beachfront property operated by United Methodists violated state non-discrimination laws when it refused to host a lesbian couple's civil union ceremony.

Jim Campbell, an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund -- which is representing the Methodist group -- said the cases prove that there is harm to religious liberty when states legalize gay "marriage" or civil unions or pass broad legislation incorporating sexual orientation into non-discrimination laws.

"When people hear that their legislature is considering a law like this and they think, 'What's the harm?' they need to realize that there is this direct threat to religious liberty -- to business owners, employees, religious entities and people who attend all those religious entities," Campbell told Baptist Press. "These four cases are a good demonstration of that. People who are concerned about religious liberty should be concerned about these legal developments."

...When asked during a long Skype interview why she and her partner, Justin Gates, chose to enter a civil union rather than marry, Leah Whitesel, who identifies as queer despite her current relationship, framed the question this way: “Gay marriage doesn’t seem like the right discussion to me. Because it should be: ‘What is this institution of marriage and does it still need to be defined the way it has been?’ ” For Whitesel and Gates, the answer is no.

Many of the other straight civil union pioneers have also said no to marriage—for themselves and as an institution. The evidence is in a report that the Cook County Clerk’s Office recently issued on the nation’s first opposite-sex couples who civilly united. It found dissatisfaction with the institution of marriage because of concerns with its historical assignment of roles, its connection to religion, and its unfairness to gay and lesbian couples. My own interviews with some of these same couples, who have rejected marriage and plunged into the shallower, murkier pool of the civil union, reflect a cohort prepared to take the wrecking ball to marriage itself.

Notice any other similarities between, say, New York and Illinois? Corrupt legislatures pass same-sex marriage/civil unions while claiming it is good for the economy:

Good Bye And Good Luck

As we leave Illinois for good, I wanted to say goodbye to my friends and wish all of you well. I am a lifelong son of the heartland and proud of it. After 60 years, I leave Illinois with a heavy heart. BUT enough is enough! The leaders of Illinois refuse to see we can’t continue going in the direction we are and expect people who have options to stay here. I remember when Illinois had 25 congressmen. In 2012 we will have 18. Compared to the rest of the country we have lost 1/4th of our population. Don’t blame the weather, because I love 4 seasons.

Illinois just sold still more bonds and our credit rating is so bad we pay higher interest rates than junk bonds! Junk Bonds! -- Godfather Politics

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.”

Bishops in three Illinois dioceses announced Nov. 14 that they have dropped their lawsuit against the state and will shut down their adoption and foster care programs, after a civil union law required them to provide their services to same-sex couples.

“The decision not to pursue further appeals was reached with great reluctance, but was necessitated by the fact that the State of Illinois has made it financially impossible for our agencies to continue to provide these services,” said Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki of Springfield, Bishop Edward K. Braxton of Belleville, and Bishop R. Daniel Conlon of Joliet.

“Since we now need to close offices and lay off employees, further appeals would be moot,” the bishops said.

...Peter Breen, an attorney with the Thomas More Society, which represented the charities in their lawsuit against the state, called the news “tragic.”

In a Nov. 14 statement, Breen said the situation “stands as a stark lesson to the rest of the nation that legislators promising 'religious protection' in same sex marriage and civil union laws may not be able to deliver on those promises.”

Robert Gilligan, executive director of the Illinois Catholic Conference, summarized what he believes to be the underlying problem in remarks to CNA on Nov. 11.

What “you're seeing at the state level in Illinois, what you're seeing at the national level in Washington, D.C., is a consistent promulgation of policies and laws that are making it very difficult for faith-based agencies that believe that marriage is between one man and one woman,” Gilligan said.

A gay couple has filed complaints with the Illinois Human Rights Commission against two downstate bed-and-breakfast inns that allegedly refused to host their civil-union ceremony.
Todd and Mark Wathen of Mattoon, Ill., allege that both the Timber Creek Bed and Breakfast and Beall Mansion Bed and Breakfast discriminated against them by refusing to host their legally recognized ceremony.

The Wathen's attorneys—Betty Tsamis of Chicago, and John Knight and Harvey Grossman of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois—announced the filing Nov. 2 in a news release.

... The complaint alleges that Jim Belote, Beall Mansion owner, told Todd Wathen in an email that his inn was only performing "traditional weddings."

"At this time, we don't do civil unions ( same sex or opposite sex ) ," Belote wrote in an email, which is attached to the complaint. "Nor do we do wedding rehearsal dinners ( same sex or opposite sex ) ."

The email goes on to say that both same-sex and opposite-sex couples are welcome to stay at the inn.

Belote was reached by phone but declined to comment on the pending litigation.

...Citing the Illinois Human Rights Act, the Wathens have asked for monetary awards and an end to the discriminatory practice.

"When a business is open to the public in Illinois, they cannot discriminate against a couple based on their sexual orientation—that is the law," said Tsamis in the news statement. "This case is important to ensure that the State's public accommodations law reflects fairness and equality and that the law is followed by all businesses."

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!

Meanwhile, for years, the Illinois DCFS did business with a man named George E. Smith (a close personal friend of the then-head of DCFS Erwen "Mac" McEwen) who apparently bilked DCFS and other state agencies of $18 million dollars.

More troublingly, Smith actually administered psychotropic drugs to children in foster care without proper medical care or consent.

When Gov. Quinn found out, he quietly pressured McEwen to resign. No public condemnation. No calls to investigate. Nothing.

The "Chicago Way" is apparently now the 'Illinois Way", where politics trumps not only good government, but basic decency.

We've mentioned this development before but see this report in Business Week:

"McEwen, who described Smith as his "personal friend and mentor," stopped cooperating with investigators in May, the report said, although state employees are required to aid such probes. He announced his resignation in August and left DCFS at the end of September.

Gov. Pat Quinn said Monday that McEwen "was given the opportunity to resign and he took that opportunity." Quinn, appearing at an unrelated news conference, did not take any other questions on the issue and did not explain why he didn't publicly disclose the reason for McEwen's departure.

Brooke Anderson, a spokeswoman for the Democrat, said the law barred Quinn from disclosing the misconduct. However, that law applies to early release of "investigatory files and reports" from the inspector general; it does not prohibit a governor from saying he believes a member of his Cabinet is mismanaging an agency.

Anderson said all contracts and grants to Smith were halted and that DCFS is taking steps to make sure nothing like this happens again. She could not describe the steps that are being taken.

McEwen and Smith did not return messages seeking their comment on the allegations."

Lawyers for Catholic Charities affiliates in three dioceses in Illinois are protesting in court after the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) said it would transfer over 1,000 children from the church-run agencies by only a fraction of the original timeline.

... the accelerated transfer time frame means that all children will already be transferred from the three Catholic Charities agencies before a court ever has a chance to hear their appeal.

The accelerated time frame “inevitably will cause disruption, dislocation, and discontinuity to at least some, if not a good many, of those children,” argues the October 19 affidavit.

... The news of the expedited transfer to the state adoption agency, comes at the same time as Illinois’ executive inspector general accused DCFS director Erwin McEwen’s “personal friend and mentor,” George E. Smith, of administering psychotropic drugs to children. In addition, Smith is accused of “‘large-scale fraud’ involving millions of dollars in taxpayer money.”
Smith “forged signatures” and “used fake employees and turned in suspicious expense reports,” according to the Chicago Tribune.

Investigators have found that there was little oversight or accountability by the DCFS.

How is this process in the best interest of the children currently in Illinois Catholic foster care?

New Civil Rights Movement: "...if a diocese can make the serious and sober decision that it needs to reconfigure itself out from under Catholic orthodoxy in order to best serve children in need, then at least some well-​meaning Catholics understand the competing demands of doctrine and reality..."

The ACLU: "The new organization will not be bound by the religious tenets asserted by Catholic Charities, and instead will follow the law and DCFS' mandate requiring that the state's wards have the opportunity to be cared for by all potential caring and qualified foster and adoptive parents, including gays and lesbians."

The Diocese of Peoria, Illinois, has dropped a legal challenge to a state law requiring equal treatment for same-sex couples in adoption and foster-care services.

The Peoria office of Catholic Charities, which faced the loss of government contracts because it would not comply with the new state law, has chosen to set up a new organization, without formal ties to the Catholic Church, to handle adoption and foster-care cases. The staff of Catholic Charities will join the new organization, which will abide by the new regulations.

“I have a responsibility to assure that Catholic Charities operates consistently with the teachings and values of the Church,” said Peoria’s Bishop Daniel Jenky in explaining the decision to drop the legal case. The newly established office will not follow the precepts of the Church, but it will not operate under the “Catholic” label.

Catholic Charities would be able to continue its foster care and adoption services without serving same-sex couples under legislation introduced this week by state Sen. Kyle McCarter.

The bill would amend the Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act to allow religious-based child-welfare agencies and those operated or owned by a religious organization to refer such couples to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services for other adoption and foster care options.

McCarter, R-Lebanon, introduced the legislation in response to an ongoing legal battle between Catholic Charities agencies and the state after the civil union law took effect June 1.

“I do believe that if it’s sent to the floor, there’s enough votes to pass it in the House and the Senate,” McCarter said Friday. “Catholic Charities is responsible for a majority of adoptions and placements of foster kids in southern Illinois, and they do it for a fraction of the cost, and they do it with an extreme amount of compassion.”

Passage and enactment of the state’s new civil unions law has prompted Illinois’ bishops to create a Defense of Marriage department within the Catholic Conference of Illinois.

CCI’s Director of Government Relations Zach Wichmann heads the new department, with each diocese appointing advocates who seek to promote the Church’s love and solicitude toward marriage, families and children, and defend against public policy encroachments.

... [Wichmann] warned that initiatives to redefine marriage in Illinois civil law are likely on the horizon. Lawmakers in New York state this summer passed and the governor signed into law a measure legalizing same-sex marriage. The governor of Maryland is expected to push a same-sex marriage proposal next year. Illinois may not be far behind, Wichmann noted.

“The outcomes of these proposals will have implications in many areas of civil and religious life,” Wichmann said. “The Catholic Church will strive to prevent negative consequences to society, public ministry and children.”

A Sangamon County judge has ruled the Illinois Department of Children and Family Service can begin canceling its adoption and foster care contracts with Catholic Charities.

Judge John Schmidt on Monday denied Catholic Charities' request to stay his earlier ruling that the group has no right to state contracts to provide adoption and foster care services.

... Attorneys for Catholic Charities say they will ask the 4th District Appellate Court to stay Schmidt's ruling.

The couple filed a complaint with the Illinois Department of Human Rights, which investigated and found "substantial evidence" that a civil rights violation had been committed.

The August finding allows the Wathens 90 days to file a complaint with the state Human Rights Commission or take civil action in Circuit Court. The Wathens' attorney, Betty Tsamis of Chicago, told the Tribune that her clients have chosen the latter path and will file lawsuits against both businesses as early as next week.

... Steven Amjad, an attorney representing Timber Creek, said the state constitution guarantees religious freedoms.

"These are business owners that have strong religious convictions. The Legislature has created this (conflict), and the courts will have to sort this out," he said.

In large part due to their faith, Mark Zartman and Beth Banuelos swung open their families’ doors to children from broken homes in southern Illinois. Over the years, some two dozen kids have found refuge with the Zartmans and about 50 with the Banueloses. Yet the Air Force retiree from Bartelso and the family counselor from Mascoutah are now among about 2,000 Illinois foster parents who face a painful decision if the government succeeds in ending its four-decade relationship with a Catholic charity over its opposition to Illinois’ new civil unions law.

... “We’re the most-needed program in southern Illinois,” said Gary Huelsmann, executive director of Catholic Social Services of Southern Illinois, a Belleville diocese entity that handles about 630 foster children for the state. “People do this out of senses of love and care, and they very much want to do it with an agency that has strong Christian values,” he said. “We have a tremendous amount of loyalty.”

... In Murphysboro, Tammy Penrod and her husband have been foster parents to about 20 children for about the past six years through various agencies, most recently Catholic Social Services. The couple, who have three grown biological children, now have two foster children — siblings ages 10 and 8 — whom they’re adopting. “It was a calling,” said Penrod, who runs a daycare center. “We felt God was calling us into this for kids.”

Penrod — who is opposed to civil unions for any couples, gay or straight — believes the state’s stance is an affront to religious rights. If a judge rules against Catholic Charities, she said, “as soon as our adoption is through, this couple will be gone.”

The cancellation of a state contract for adoption services will be "devastating" to Catholic Charities in Illinois, the Church agencies said in a court plea.

Asking an Illinois judge to reconsider his decision that the state has the right to terminate contracts with the Catholic agencies, the offices of Catholic Charities in Illinois explained that without the government support, their entire work would suffer severely. In the Springfield diocese, Catholic Charities would lose half of its income with the end of the adoption contracts.

Last week, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) informed the Evangelical Child and Family Agency (ECFA) — a 61-year-old group that has been contracting with the state to place foster children in homes since 1965 — that its contract will not be renewed in the new fiscal year, since the agency won’t place kids with same-sex couples.

... “They’re saying all agencies that contract with DCFS need to be an ‘agent of the state,’” said ECFA Executive Director Ken Withrow. “Til now, the understanding was that we would be partners with the state — in our case, recruiting evangelicals to become foster care parents.”

... Tammy Schulz, an Oak Park mother whose four adopted children came to her as foster care cases through ECFA, said the trend smacks of religious discrimination.

“They’ve been blatant about their evangelical Christian beliefs and have a great track record,” she said. “Why else would they do this to a group that’s worked with the state for 45 years?”

Catholic Charities plans to appeal a judge's decision allowing the state to stop working with the group on adoptions and foster-care placements, an attorney for the not-for-profit agency revealed Monday.

Peter Breen said the group will ask for a stay of Sangamon County, Ill., Circuit Judge John Schmidt's Aug. 18 ruling that sided with the state, which severed work with Catholic Charities after the agency refused to recognize Illinois' civil union law. Breen said the charity also will ask the judge to reconsider, then take the matter to a state appellate court if Schmidt declines.

Dear Marriage Supporter,

Good news!

The fatwa against Jerry Buell—a Florida schoolteacher who was suspended by a public school for posting on his Facebook page that he was repulsed by gay marriage in New York—has just failed!

Here's a new Fox News video of the school board hearing, in which hundreds of people showed up to defend Jerry Buell's rights—even many who don't agree with his views!

Kudos to Liberty Counsel for defending Jerry in the extraordinary world gay-marriage advocates have sought to create: a world where children do not need a mom and dad, but instead need to be protected from adults who believe and speak for the great truths of Genesis.

Jerry won a battle, but the jihad continues.

Forgive me for making this letter more personal than usual. I really believe this is a crucial moment in the country we love and share. Together we need to face what has come upon us and together move forward, past the fear inside and the hatred outside, to rebuild America's marriage culture.

Together you and I have won many great victories for marriage—victories which the pundits declared impossible—and truthfully, I expect them to continue!

I promise you: The mainstream media and the conservative pundits (like Michael Barone!) predicting doom and gloom on marriage are going to be shocked and surprised over and over again. They'll be shocked and surprised at what good people of every race, creed and color can do when we come together on behalf of God's truth about marriage!

But you and I have always fought together under the banner of truth. Together, truth and love will prevail, as Maggie says. Not Truth without the love of God and our neighbor in our hearts. Nor a Love which is afraid to speak truth for fear of being labeled a bigot or a hater by those who wield scorn and hatred as a weapon to suppress the truth and those who speak it.

They win by making us afraid to speak and to act for marriage in the public square.

They can only win if they can get us to accept and internalize the second-class status they propose for us. To accept our own marginalization, to be quiet, to stand down and keep our heads down. To live in fear, instead of acting, with courage, out of hope.

They do not know us. They do not know the One whom we know.

(To all my friends and comrades in this battle who are not believers, thank you for joining with us— standing on the firm ground of the common wisdom of humanity, the cross-cultural consensus that with marriage we bring together male and female to make the future happen!)

In Illinois, gay rights groups are using the courts to shut out religious adoption agencies. More than 2000 children, battered, abused, neglected, will have to be moved in order to accommodate the new gay morality, backed by the government: If you "discriminate" between same-sex and opposite-sex unions, you are a bigot and a hater. The public good is to be served by excluding you, even if children suffer.

(They pretend to the public that this is all about making sure there are enough foster parents for children—as if excluding religious people and their organizations would ever serve that goal!)

As David French put it on National Review Online:

The consequence [of the IL judge's decision to shut Catholic Charities out of foster care]? More than 2,000 children are in danger of removal from Catholic Charities' care—without any evidence that its care is deficient or harmful to these children. …

I had to chuckle when I read this quote from Kendall Marlowe, a state spokesman: "It's in the best interest of children that we have an orderly transition." Really? It's in their best interest that they move from the care of a faithful and loving Catholic institution? In reality, the state only started to think about children's interests after it made the decision to end its relationship with Catholic Charities. The transition itself driven by ideology, only its manner is dictated by child welfare.

A statement from Bishop Daniel Jenky of Peoria responded to the judge's ruling that the state can remove children from Catholic Charities this way: "The Bishop, his Priests and the faithful of the Diocese of Peoria, are simply astonished that the politicians of the state of Illinois seem to be unwilling to grant the same kind of religious accommodations that have been granted in the states of New York and Rhode Island regarding their establishment of civil unions. Bishop Jenky is sad to observe that important elements of the political establishment in the state of Illinois are now basically at war with the Catholic community and seem to be destroying their institutions."

Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, IL wrote:

"The message from the state of Illinois is simple: Organizations that only place children in accord with their religious beliefs are barred from state contracts—Catholics need not apply."

In the military, a chaplain asked Joint Chiefs Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen, "Will those of us who hold biblical orthodox views concerning homosexuality be protected in this new environment to speak about those views?" And the response he received was, according to former military chaplain Col. Ron Crews (USA-Ret), who heads up Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty, "Chaplain, if you can't get in line with this policy, resign your commission."

In Vermont, two decent, loving, law-abiding Americans who run a small inn and declined to personally host a same-sex wedding reception released this statement:

"We have never refused rooms or dining or employment to gays or lesbians. Many of our guests have been same-sex couples. We welcome and treat all people with respect and dignity. We do not, however, feel that we can offer our personal services wholeheartedly to celebrate the marriage between same-sex couples because it goes against everything that we as Catholics believe in."


The ACLU immediately denounced them. "The Wildflower Inn owners do not deny that they refused to host Kate and Ming's wedding reception," Allen Gilbert, executive director of the ACLU chapter, told the Associated Press. "Instead, they continue to claim a right to discriminate against the couple, which is in violation of Vermont law. We are confident that the owners' claim that they have a First Amendment right to discriminate will be found meritless by the courts."

All this happened just this week, in our beloved United States of America.

The mask of tolerance has been cast aside. We are looking into the face of a movement which wants, in the name of equality, to take away your rights and the rights of millions of decent, loving, law-abiding Americans who "cling"—yes, I'm not afraid to call it that!—to God, common sense, and the best of America's long traditions of respect for Judeo-Christian values.

Minnesota-based, nationally-syndicated radio talk show host Jason Lewis put his finger on the pulse of something really big this week, when he wrote about Michele Bachmann's rise to be a contender in the presidential elections this way:

For those political pundits still scratching their heads over Michele Bachmann's victory in last weekend's Iowa straw poll, here's a piece of advice. You owe it to yourself to get out a little.

Because if you get beyond the Beltway portrayals of the Tea Party—such as Newsweek's ridiculous cover story on Bachmann—you'd find the Minnesota congresswoman on the vanguard of a growing angst in middle America all but invisible to many of the cultural elite who cover politics.

It is the angst of a Nixonian silent majority who now fail to recognize the nation in which they were raised.

Millions of Americans who have seen their social norms vanquished on the alter of an absurd political correctness. Their social conservatism is branded as bigoted, fringe and, of course, hateful, but they no longer care, they've had enough.

Amen, Brother Lewis!

He goes on:

That's what Bachmann represents—a leader who will make, if nothing else, a last stand for traditionalism. Someone willing to unapologetically declare that, all things being equal, children need both a mom and a dad.

That the military is not a social program, that human life always gets the benefit of the doubt, and that though we may not be a Christian nation, we are still a nation of Christians whose public displays of faith need not be attacked by First Amendment revisionism.

Agree with her or not, Bachmann is riding a potentially potent backlash that has emerged from those Americans who see an activist minority imposing its version of morality on the nation.

I've never met Jason Lewis, but I know I'd like to shake his hand!

This is not an endorsement of any candidate for office, but it is an endorsement of the need for fearless leaders in all walks of life who will stand up for God's truth about marriage!

As Maggie points out over at The Public Discourse, contrary to the conventional wisdom, marriage is already playing a bigger role in U.S. presidential politics than it did in 2008—because the differences between the candidates are going to be big and clear, this time around.

Thanks to NOM's Marriage Pledge, voters are going to get the chance to make a clear choice between candidates willing to make a concrete commitment to act to support marriage—and those who are not so willing, as Maggie points out:

"The stubborn common sense of the American public in resisting same-sex marriage, even in the face of the mainstream media's approval, provides a platform for presidential candidates to seize, and thereby not only resist a radical transformation of the American tradition, but also help build a culture committed to a core American idea: moral truth exists, and our rights (including our right to marriage) are not gifts of government, but are grounded in and bounded by Nature and Nature's God."

Thank you for all the work you've made possible. Thank you for your fellowship, for your courage, and for your willingness to act on that great Biblical principle: "Be not afraid!"

Until next week, keep fighting the good fight.

Brian S. Brown
President
National Organization for Marriage

P.S. Can you act today to defend marriage for your children and grandchildren? Whether you can give $20 or $200—or perhaps a monthly donation of just $10—know that you are making a difference, and your voice will be heard.

The Bishop said, “Catholic Charities is one of the lead providers of foster care services in the state. They have been valued partners for decades. Clearly the intent of the civil union law was not to force the state to end these contracts and force the transfer of thousands of children’s cases.” He continued by stating, “We continue to believe we can adhere to our religious principles and operate within Illinois law.”

The Bishop, his Priests and the faithful of the Diocese of Peoria, are simply astonished that the politicians of the state of Illinois seem to be unwilling to grant the same kind of religious accommodations that have been granted in the states of New York and Rhode Island regarding their establishment of civil unions. Bishop Jenky is sad to observe that important elements of the political establishment in the state of Illinois are now basically at war with the Catholic community and seem to be destroying their institutions. Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Peoria will be reviewing the judge’s written ruling to determine their next steps.

Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, IL wrote:

The court’s decision yesterday regarding Catholic Charities’ foster care services marks a sad day for the children of Illinois.

The State of Illinois is actively taking steps to push Catholic Charities of the Dioceses of Belleville, Joliet, Peoria and Springfield out of foster care services, which would end a partnership that dates back to the mid-1960s with the creation of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. The message from the state of Illinois is simple: Organizations that only place children in accord with their religious beliefs are barred from state contracts – Catholics need not apply.

Catholic Charities has been caring for vulnerable children for more than 100 years, leading to DCFS’ current success rate.

As we consider the next steps in our course of action, we pray for the children and for our dedicated employees who may be so adversely affected by this decision.

The consequence [of the IL judge's decision to shut Catholic Charities out of foster care]? More than 2,000 children are in danger of removal from Catholic Charities’ care — without any evidence that its care is deficient or harmful to these children. Ironically enough, this ruling comes the same week that research from the University of Virginia’s National Marriage Project unequivocally reaffirms that children do better in married households — the very households Catholic Charities prefers.

Same-sex marriage advocates have long minimized its impact on religious liberty, but as this and other examples show, both religious liberty and child welfare are ultimately subordinate to sexual freedom.

I had to chuckle when I read this quote from Kendall Marlowe, a state spokesman: “It’s in the best interest of children that we have an orderly transition.” Really? It’s in their best interest that they move from the care of a faithful and loving Catholic institution? In reality, the state only started to think about children’s interests after it made the decision to end its relationship with Catholic Charities. The transition itself driven by ideology, only its manner is dictated by child welfare.

Casey Teckenbrock, of Herrin, said he and his wife expect any transition to delay the adoption of their foster daughter. But after that is complete, they likely will cease to be foster parents for Catholic Social Services of Southern Illinois in the Diocese of Belleville.

"If the state doesn't respect our morals, then we don't want to do work for them," Casey Teckenbrock said. "This will be a disaster for the 2,000 kids in foster care."

A Sangamon County judge has ruled that the state can decline to renew its contract with Catholic Charities in Illinois to provide foster care and adoption services, meaning children can be transferred to other social service agencies.

... Lawyers for Catholic Charities had urged him to prevent the state from severing a partnership that has provided publicly funded foster care and adoption services in Illinois for four decades.

... Lawyers for the Illinois Attorney General argued that Catholic Charities policy of licensing only married couples and single parents living alone as foster parents, while referring couples in civil unions to other agencies, violates state anti-discrimination laws that now accommodate couples in civil unions.

Sangamon County Judge John Schmidt agreed on Monday to let the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois (ALCU) join the highly publicized lawsuit filed by four Catholic Charities agencies against the state.

... Peter Breen, executive director and legal counsel for the Thomas More Society and representing Catholic Charities, said “the ACLU’s true colors have now been revealed. “The ACLU had been advocating for the best interest of children,” he said. “Now the ACLU is putting their preference for homosexual politics over the best interest of children.”

... Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel of Thomas More, agreed that elected officials are willing to sacrifice a proven foster care program, which grew 57 percent in scope and size over the past five years.

“Why would the State of Illinois want to go out of its way to inflict this harm on children and families,” he asked, “putting out of business a vital network of charitable social agencies that have achieved the greatest success and growth rate in serving our state’s most precious and valuable assets, our children?”

It's not over yet, but this is some good news:

Today, in response to an emergency motion brought by attorneys for Catholic Charities, attorneys for the State of Illinois, Office of the Attorney General, announced in court that the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) would reverse course and resume the referral of new foster care cases to the Charities.

The Charities were also given leave to file a motion by Friday to amend their complaint both to add new claims and to add as a new plaintiff to the lawsuit the charitable arm of the Diocese of Belleville, Catholic Social Services of Southern Illinois.

State Senator David Koehler (D-Peoria), sponsor of this law, recently expressed his frustration that the legislative intent of the law, made explicit during Senate debates, is being violated.

Sen. Koehler made it abundantly clear during floor debates that the civil union law was intended to protect the rights of social service organizations, including adoption agencies, to carry out their duties in accordance with their faith.

When he learned that before the civil union law had even taken effect, homosexuals were challenging religious childcare agencies that prohibit the placement of children in the homes of homosexuals, Sen. Koehler proposed a religious exemption amendment to protect the rights of religious organizations involved with adoption and foster care and which receive state funds from being compelled to place children in the homes of homosexuals.

The amendment was defeated in the Senate Executive Committee. The irony in this is that our civil union law is titled the "Religious Freedom Protection Act and Civil Union Act."

...  in Senate discussions, the issue of the rights of religious social service organizations was specifically addressed and now, just a few months later, public policy groups are saying exactly the opposite of what the bill's sponsor said at the time the bill was passed. -- Illinois Family Institute