Sen. President Steve Sweeney today reiterated his position that he does not believe same sex marriage is an issue for voters to decide.

Sweeney was responding to a bill introduced by Assemblyman Reed Gusciora that would place the issue on the ballot next November.

"I have firmly stated before and will say again now that I do not believe you put civil rights on the ballot, period. It is the job of elected officials to ensure that everyone is provided equal protection and equal rights under the law. We should not hide from that responsibility...we should embrace it," Sweeney said in a statement. "We gave the governor an opportunity to ensure true marriage equality in this state, just as other states and nations have done. He punted by shamelessly issuing a conditional veto. I fully plan on overriding that veto before this legislative session is done."

Earlier this year the Legislature passed a measure legalizing same sex marriage, however the bill was vetoed by Gov. Chris Christie who said at the time the state should let voters decide.

While Sweeney voted in favor of the latest iteration of the "marriage equality" bill, he was not always so inclined.  When the measure came before the Legislature in 2009, Sweeney abstained from the vote.  He later called it the worst decision of his political career. -- PolitickerNJ

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

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

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

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

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

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

If the left’s response to Chick-fil-A proves anything, it’s that the left has a clear method of attacking anyone who supports a traditional definition of marriage. Label that person a bigot and then protest everything they do.

This of course is the same plan of action applied to actor Kirk Cameron. During his 'Love Worth Fighting For' conference held in Ocean City, N.J., July 27, over 6,000 married couples showed up seeking counsel on how to better their marriages. Instead they found themselves the target of a protest launched by Ocean City's LGBT community, Ocean Grove United.

But the protesters were protesting an event that had nothing to do with same-sex marriage. In a statement emailed to The Christian Post, a spokesman from the event stated that the sole focus was on “strengthening marriage” and the event “had nothing to do with gay marriage.”

When Cameron found out the group was going to be protesting he extended an offer stating, "I think everyone who comes to the 'Love Worth Fighting For' event in Ocean Grove or anywhere else we do this event will feel nothing but welcomed”. Instead the group declined his offer and stood outside with posters reading “"Kirk! Your Words Hurt Us!”

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

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

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

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

"...53 percent of those surveyed in the new Quinnipiac University poll said they would support a gay marriage law, and that is down 4 percent from a poll conducted in March.

67 percent said they agree with Gov. Chris Christie’s call for a ballot referendum on the issue.

...“I think the people should be given the right to vote,” the New Jersey Family Policy Council’s Len Deo told Putney. He’d prefer a vote on marriage, like he said southern states did.

He wants the question to be ”Should marriage remain as the union of one man and one woman?”

“That’s a bunch of hogwash,” said Garden State Equality’s Steven Goldstein. He said a public vote would just invite opponents to spend millions on advertising.

“[The advertising would] try to influence voters and corrupt the political system,” said Goldstein.

The New Jersey Supreme Court heard oral argument on March 1 in a surrogate-mother suit, The Matter of the Parentage of a Child by T.J.S. and A.L.S., and in so doing, exposed the case's greatest weakness.

The class of women with the greatest rights at risk was unrepresented. While the parties and the Court pondered whether the justices could change statutory law, or declare it unconstitutional, the central issue was whether and when the fundamental constitutional liberty interests and state's rights of the unrepresented legal mothers could be terminated.

The birth mothers were not heard from. Of such stuff, bad law is made.

... The wife in T.J.S. seeks to cut off the rights of the legal mother, which are protected as an intrinsic fundamental right under the state and federal constitutions. The sperm donor, on the other hand, has no rights ­ statutory or constitutional. T.J.S.'s wife has no rights either, by statute or either constitution.

The fact that the state does not recognize rights in an anonymous sperm donor who has no statutory or constitutional rights and who has no relationship with the child, does not compel the state to terminate the rights of a mother who has statutory and constitutional rights in the relationship she has with the child she carried for nine months under concepts of equal protection.

The two are simply NOT similarly situated. That was the conclusion of the Baby M Court.

The sad irony of T.J.S.'s argument is that it is made in the name of women's rights, while attempting to destroy well-established constitutional rights of women who went unrepresented.

The national gay marriage lobby group behind Standing Up for New Hampshire Families has privately used New Hampshire Democrats to volunteer and staff their activities despite posing for months as a Republican-friendly organization.

Standing Up for New Hampshire Families, which NH Journal has identified as an organization actually run out of New York and Washington, DC, has spent a tremendous amount of national money running ads designed to brand it as a Republican-leaning, pro-gay marriage organization. They have even appropriated the iconic red, white and blue Republican elephant in their advertising.

But recent e-mails obtained by NH Journal demonstrate that the manpower used to back their lobbying and allegedly grassroots efforts come exclusively from city and county Democrat organizations.

“You have to participate in either one of these phone banks tonight or Saturday,” directed James Hattan, co-chair of the Concord City Democrats to in an e-mail obtained by NH Journal. The phone banks are designed to trick Republican legislators that gay marriage has mainstream Republican support.

Similar e-mails were sent to other Democrat organizations urging them to pressure Republican lawmakers.

If you live in New Hampshire please contact your legislators and make sure they are aware of this breaking news.

"If same-sex marriage is legalized in New Jersey, the state could see an economic boon of $119 million over three years, economic experts say."

Who are these supposed "economic experts"?

Later, NBC 10 claims this report is from the Philadelphia Business Journal.

But the Philly Business Journal, it turns out, is using the same source that all these outlets cite when they try to claim redefining marriage will stimulate the economy: the Williams Institute.

Yes, the same Williams Institute whose economic arguments Maggie Gallagher and I have debunked numerous times in the past.

For many gay marriage activists, if an argument doesn't work, just keep repeating it, over and over again.

In a case that puts New Jersey again in the forefront of reproductive rights, the state Supreme Court heard arguments Thursday on whether an infertile wife should be recognized as the legal mother of her husband's biological child born to a surrogate gestational carrier from a donated egg.

... Deputy Attorney General Kimberly Jenkins defended the current process, saying that when a gestational carrier is introduced, a third party with rights is brought into the picture.

She said that under the Artificial Insemination Act, the sperm donor remains anonymous and has no voice in how his donation is used.

"Here, it's completely different," Jenkins said. "You have the introduction of a third party" who carries the child for nine months.

Chief Justice Stuart Rabner again noted that an infertile father is automatically treated as the father on the birth certificate, even though he has no biological connection to the child.

"We're not dealing with the same situation," Jenkins said. "The baby [created with donated sperm] is actually being born within the marriage. Here we have a third party who does have rights."

Yes, I rise to defend bigotry -- but not to defend acts of bigotry that get in the way of our being that nation "with liberty and justice for all" to which we teach our kids to pledge allegiance. Rather, I rise to defend the naming of those acts as bigotry -- which is critical if we're going to fully become that nation "with liberty and justice for all" to which we teach our kids to pledge allegiance.

Because here's the deal. A nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all people are created equal can only live up to the high calling of that dedicated proposition by recognizing that all Americans suffer collateral damage when the fundamental rights of any Americans are subject to bigotry-based discrimination.

A case in point is the blog I wrote the week before last calling out Governor Chris Christie for vetoing marriage equality in New Jersey. In it I said that Christie "chose bigotry over equality" and "was standing on 'the Lester Maddox side of history.'" I said it, and I meant it -- and I still do.

Christie says at one point: "Let's have the President of the United States show some courage, come on this program, look into the camera like I'm looking into the camera and state his position [on marriage]. He won't. Because he wants to have it both ways. I'm not looking to have it both ways. I vetoed the bill. That's my position. What I've offered to the supporters of same-sex marriage is, if one of your reasons for why I should have signed it, was because you're telling me the majority of the people in New Jersey want it, then prove it. Put it on the ballot and prove it. At least I'm standing up for what I believe in. The President has hidden on this issue. He wants to have it both ways. And the public pronouncements, out of his mouth, are "he opposes same-sex marriage." The President opposes same-sex marriage."

Chris Christie is publicly opposed to same-sex marriage and indeed, to his credit, he fulfilled a campaign promise by vetoing a gay-marriage bill. But he raised eyebrows and doubts by appointing to the New Jersey Supreme Court an openly gay judge who has publicly pushed for gay marriage.

Now a New Jersey judge has reinstated a gay couple’s claim that New Jersey’s marriage laws violate the federal Constitution — in part, she said, because the defense of the marriage law offered by Christie’s attorney general, Jeffrey Chiesa, was so weak: “tradition.”

Chiesa is not some rogue Republican; he was Christie’s chief counsel for several years before the governor made him AG. It raises eyebrows, because it’s frankly what Obama’s attorney general did for years — pretend to defend the law, by offering only a token defense. Odd to see this happening now with a Republican governor beloved by Ann Coulter.

White House press secretary Jay Carney dodged comment on this week’s marriage equality victory in Washington as President Obama was scheduled to visit the state for a Friday tour at Boeing Co., where he spoke about measures to boost American exports.

Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One, Carney also declined direct comment on New Jersey governor Chris Christie’s vowed veto of a marriage equality bill passed by the state assembly Thursday. Lawmakers have two years to override a veto.

“I would say only broadly, as I have said in the past, without weighing into individual states and their actions, that this President strongly supports the notion that the states should be able to decide this issue, and he opposes actions that take away rights that have been established by those states,” Carney said Friday.

The battle for marriage in New Jersey is far from over . . . this just might be its most critical hour.

Please take a moment to call or email your state senator and assemblyman today.

Yesterday afternoon, just hours after the same-sex marriage bill reached his desk, Governor Christie made good on his promise to return the bill to the legislature "with a big red veto." Democratic leaders in the Senate and Assembly—who made same-sex marriage their #1 priority this year—are now scrambling to come up with the 2/3 majority needed to override Governor Christie's veto.

And it's up to us to make sure that they don't succeed in pressuring, cajoling or arm-twisting enough politicians to override Governor Christie's veto.

Initial votes in both the Assembly and the Senate fell well short of the 2/3 majority needed to override a veto, but it is important to send a message to your legislators today—and to keep the pressure up in coming months.

The legislative session continues through the end of 2013, giving gay marriage activists nearly two years to find 3 more votes in the Senate and 12 more votes in the Assembly needed to override the veto.

So please don't let up now. Take a moment to call or email your elected officials in Trenton today.

• We've set up an online form allowing you to quickly contact both your state senator and assemblyman, sending them letters tailored to reflect how they voted this week. At the same time, please send a letter to Governor Christie thanking him for being a man of his word, and for standing up for marriage. Click here to send your emails right now. In five minutes or less you can make your voice heard in Trenton.
• Or click here to look up phone numbers for your representatives. Just enter your ZIP code, and we'll provide phone numbers for both your senator and assemblyman.
• And if you'd like to see for yourself how the senator and assemblyman from your district voted this week, click here for the complete list.

Same-sex marriage advocates aren't giving up—far from it, they are stepping up their efforts, and we must do the same. Please make your voice heard today—and then forward this email to three friends who would join you in making sure that Governor Christie's veto is sustained, and marriage is preserved in New Jersey.

Gov. Chris Christie has backed up his promise to reject a bill allowing same-sex marriages in New Jersey.

His veto came Friday, a day after the state Assembly passed the bill. The Senate approved it Monday.

... Lawmakers have until the end of the January 2014 legislative session to override the veto.

They would need to get two-thirds of the lawmakers in the Assembly and Senate to agree. Both votes to pass it fell short of that mark.

The Democratic-controlled Legislature has been unsuccessful in every previous attempt to override Christie. -- The Associated Press

With the state Legislature pushing through same-sex marriage legislation here, gay-rights advocates will now have a long and difficult road to override Gov. Chris Christie's promised veto.

Mr. Christie, a Republican who wields enormous sway over legislators from his party, has said he will swiftly veto the legislation once it is delivered to his desk by the end of the day Friday. And the Assembly barely got the bill through Thursday, passing it 42-33 in the 80-member body without any Republican support and four Democrats voting against it.

... Gay-marriage opponent Len Deo, president of the New Jersey Family Policy Council, said Democrats "couldn't get their whole delegation. From our perspective, that was good sign."

Mr. Deo and other opponents said they would pressure lawmakers to not change their vote.

If the veto stands, it would be the second time in New Jersey that gay marriage failed, marring a string of victories for same-sex nuptials across the country in the past year.

"My sense right now is that there will not be an override vote," said Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute. "New Jersey is viewed as one of the more progressive states, and social conservatives will tout this as a victory." -- Wall Street Journal

Contact: Anath Hartmann or Elizabeth Ray (703-683-5004)

"We are grateful to have a principled Governor in Chris Christie who has pledged to veto this legislation."—Brian Brown, President—

Washington, D.C.—The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) today condemned the New Jersey Assembly for narrowly passing legislation to redefine marriage and praised Governor Chris Christie for his commitment to veto the legislation.

"Democrats in the New Jersey Assembly today walked off a cliff when they decided to redefine marriage to accommodate the political demands of same-sex couples," said Brian Brown, NOM's president. "They have ensured themselves of the united opposition of people of faith when they next face voters. We are grateful to have a principled Governor in Chris Christie who has pledged to veto this legislation."

The New Jersey state Assembly passed legislation to redefine marriage by the narrowest of margins, 41-33. It would take 54 votes to override Governor Christie's promised veto.

NOM has spent significant funds on New Jersey elections in prior years and pledged to oppose legislators who supported redefining marriage.

"Redefining marriage is not going to happen in New Jersey," Brown said. "NOM will join with the community of faith and all conservatives to ensure that every legislator who voted to kick God's definition of marriage to the curb pays the ultimate political price when they face voters. We will not forget this betrayal of marriage."

###

To schedule an interview with Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Elizabeth Ray (x130), eray@crcpublicrelations.com, or Anath Hartmann,ahartmann@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).

New York State Senator Reverend Ruben Diaz (D-Bronx) and fellow Ministers from the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization have accepted an invitation to travel to the New Jersey State Legislature in Trenton to join New Jersey ministers in support of Traditional Marriage. The Pentecostal ministers will depart from the Bronx on Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 9AM from the Christian Community Neighborhood Church located at 1437 Longfellow Avenue (between Jennings and Freeman Avenues).

Senator Rev. Diaz stated: “I am honored that Rev. Jose C. Lopez, the President of the Evangelical Pastors Association of Hudson County, has invited me and my ministers to join him along with Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, to once again unite in prayer for the protection of the traditional family.”

The Press is welcome to attend both the bus departure from the Bronx at 9:00 AM and the Trenton Rally at 12:00 noon.

He continues: "They know it and I know it. Yesterday was a good bunch of theater. That's all it was... We'll see what happens in the Assembly on Thursday. I would assume since they made this S1 and A1 that they're going to pass it. It would be an awful embarrassment if they didn't have the votes in the Assembly after they made this A1 ... but they'll be nowhere near the votes to override in either chamber. And so hopefully we can then move on from this issue. If they pass it on Thursday and send it to my desk, believe me I will take very swift action on the bill and then we can move on to the things New Jerseyeans say are most important to them, which is creating jobs, lowering taxes, and continuing the New Jersey comeback. And that's what we should be focused on and not the past month which really is an act of theater on their part because they know it's not going to happen."

To a follow-up question he responds: "Democrats assume that the Republicans who voted no [on same-sex marriage] didn't vote their conscience. I assume the Democrats who voted no last time [same-sex marriage was up for a vote] ... and voted yes this time I guess had a change of conscience or maybe their arms got twisted a little bit harder..."

I'm sorry, Sen. Sweeney, but I don't share your mistrust of the will of the people of New Jersey. Yes, the time is right for marriage equality now.

But the time was right for marriage equality also in 2010. Remember? That year, New Jersey had a lame-duck Democratic governor (Corzine) who urged the Democratic-controlled Legislature to pass a gay-marriage bill for his signature.

Corzine recognized that his imminent successor, Chris Christie, would probably never sign a marriage-equality bill. But the state Senate failed to pass such a measure, with several key Democrats voting against it and Sweeney abstaining.

And so, Sen. Sweeney, your mistrust of the people of New Jersey and their "whims" seems particularly misplaced given your own pusillanimous vote then. You took the road of political cowardice, and now you want another chance.

Her concluding line:

Today in New Jersey, most voters favor a referendum; most voters support the right of gay couples to wed. So to hold the legislative process — the very same legislative process that denied marriage equality two years ago — as superior to the will of the people is a sham.

We disagree with Prof. Harrison about what New Jersey voters believe marriage to be, but praise her for calling out Sweeney and respecting the rights of voters!

The state Senate passed a bill legalizing gay marriage this afternoon by a vote of 24-16.

Two republicans, Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth) and Sen. Diane Allen (R-Burlington) voted yes on the bill.

... Two Democrats, Sen. Ronald Rice (D-Essex) and Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D-Cape May), voted no.

The 24 votes in favor of the bill leaves supporters three votes short of the 27 votes they would need to override Christie’s veto.

The debate lasted less than an hour, with only Sen. Gerry Cardinale (R-Bergen) speaking against the bill.

"The essential characteristic of a marriage, the very definition of the term, is it involves at least one male and one female,” Cardinale said. “Do not break with thousands of years of civilized tradition. This bill opens Pandora’s box.”

The Assembly will take up the bill on Thursday.

Christie, who opposes gay marriage, wants to put the issue on the ballot in November, but Democrats have rejected that option, saying civil rights should not be subject to popular vote.

Advocates heading into an 11th-hour push to legalize gay marriage in New Jersey are facing a vastly altered fund-raising landscape since their original unsuccessful effort in 2009.

This time, gay-rights supporters have more political support but less money on hand. One powerful group, the Gill Action Fund, isn't directly giving money in New Jersey this time around, after having raised $1 million for the 2009 effort, according to people familiar with their spending.

The Denver-based group founded by Tim Gill, the software developer behind Quark, has funneled millions of dollars into states considering gay-marriage legislation and referendums. Its support helped tip the balance in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage in New York last year.

... the absence of Mr. Gill's group would likely be felt. It has spent $5.1 million to defeat ballot referendums banning gay marriage across the country, according to an analysis by the National Institute on Money in State Politics. In New York, it courted legislators on the fence and funded attack ads against three opponents in the Senate who later lost their seats.

"Their contributions have made a difference," said Colorado political analyst Floyd Ciruli, who has followed Mr. Gill since he first got involved in politics in the 1990s. "He's just very political and very strategic and very wealthy."

It wasn't immediately clear why the group was remaining on the sidelines.

A majority of New Jersey voters agree with Gov. Chris Christie’s call to put gay marriage on the ballot, according to a poll released this morning.

The Kean University/NJ Speaks poll of 1,000 likely voters found 57 percent support a public referendum on whether to allow same-sex couples to get married, while 32 percent oppose it.

... Democratic members of the Assembly are meeting this afternoon to discuss gay marriage, which has already cleared the Assembly and Senate judiciary committees. Senate President Stephen Sweeney says he has at least the 21 votes needed to pass it in the upper house and has scheduled it for a vote a week from today. Supporters are still trying to line up the 41 votes needed to pass the lower house.

Yeomans' argument can all be boiled down to one of his lines: "Subjecting the civil rights of a minority to a referendum in which the majority rules has never been a reliable solution."

The rest of his argument attempts to align Gov. Christie (unfairly) with those who opposed racial equality and desegregation for African Americans in the past -- a line of argument that gay marriage activists continue to put at the tip of their rhetorical battering ram against the commonsense definition of marriage.

But as our President Brian Brown reminded Evan Wolfson this week, the question of marriage boils down to precisely this: "Is there a civil right to redefining marriage?" I don't think so. Yeomans evidently does.

Two more obvious rebuttals to Yeomans' argument: if it is unfair to subject the "rights" of a minority to a referendum, why have gay marriage activists in Maine done precisely this? Demanding that the people of Maine vote on marriage again, having already rejected same-sex marriage a mere two years ago? Will Yeomans compare gay marriage activists in Maine to those who supported the continuation of Jim Crow? I doubt it.

Second point: if subjecting the "rights" of a minority to a free and fair vote of the people is always wrong, why do gay marriage activists continually cite polls claiming that a majority of people in a given state support redefining marriage? All of Yeomans historical examples claim that if the civil rights of African Americans were to be voted on for much of our history, they would lose at the ballot box. But gay marriage proponents want us to believe that a majority of people, say, in New Jersey, support their agenda. And these same activists won't allow the only "poll" our democracy proscribes -- the people voting -- to be registered. So why cite polls? It's like claiming there is no need to vote on a President every four years if Gallup says a majority of Americans support the incumbent the day before the election.

In the end, no amount of false historical comparisons that Yeomans strings together can overcome the obvious self-contradictions in his argument.

Wolfson also says "there are basic rights, basic freedoms that are protected for everyone under the Constitution. And it's exactly what we don't do, is have a big debate about whether you should have freedom of religion, or whether I should have freedom of speech, or whether you should have the freedom to marry. We're all Americans, we're all entitled to basic rights and protections and we don't put that to an up or down vote."

Brian Brown responds: "But all of us agree on that issue, we agree that we have civil rights, the question is whether there's a civil right to redefine marriage. And we disagree on that."

After a long hearing that produced heated and emotional testimony Thursday, an Assembly committee voted 5-2 along party lines in favor of a bill from Democrats that would allow gay couples to marry in New Jersey.

The measure still faces votes in both houses of the Legislature, with the Senate vote set for Feb. 13. Republican Gov. Chris Christie has promised to veto the Marriage Equality and Religious Exemption Act if it reaches his desk.

My Dear Friends,

She Called You a "Coward"!

This is the week the gay-marriage movement is trying to break you and me. Pushing forward full-bore in Washington, Maryland, New Jersey, New Hampshire—NOM has never had a week where we've sent out so many action alerts to so many people.

This is the week we take up the gauntlet laid down by the First Lady of Maryland, who had the nerve to tell a gay rights group that those who oppose gay marriage are "cowards." (The governor had to go on an apology tour for that remark).

Even as they threaten the jobs, the businesses, and the livelihoods of people willing to stand for the great truths of Genesis—even as they bask in the accolades of Hollywood and a complacent media—even as they wallow in the silver coins flung into their campaign chests by billionaire gay-marriage backers—they call you and me "cowards"?

Here's how the people of Maryland responded, at a rally you'll never see on Fox News or ABC News—thousands, led by the black church, flooded Annapolis to make it clear that they will never give up the fight for what's right.

Listen as a brave clergyman stands up to government power and the epithets of the governor's wife:

"Never in human history has marriage been defined as two men. Never in human history has marriage been defined as two women. Who has the right to redefine it?"

The crowd shouts: "No one!"

"This is reckless social experimentation. Marriage is the fundamental cell of society. If you mess with marriage, you threaten the very future of humanity. We ask our government to do their job. Fix the problems we already have. Don't make new ones! Do your job!"

Do your job. Fix the budget. Get the economy back to work. Solve problems, don't create them, and don't blame the people for refusing to accept your insults or your epithets as a substitute for rational argument.

Up in New Hampshire the same spirit of courage was demonstrated by Rep. Paul Ingbretson, who takes the gay marriage activists to task for what he calls "usurpation by redefinition":

We all know that the New Hampshire Supreme Court did a great disservice to the people of the state in their Claremont education opinions when they redefined out of thin air the word "cherish" in our Constitution (Part II, Art. 83) to "must fund." We've been paying the price ever since for that unconstitutional redefinition. Part of that price is that it encouraged the Democrat majority's willy-nilly usurpation-by-redefinition of the Constitution's word "marriage" in their "gay marriage" legislation a couple years ago.

Since 1784 the New Hampshire Constitution has included Marriage in Part II, Art. 76. Because that article includes the word Marriage, its required meaning is the 1784 definition. (Some would argue that since the word is capitalized, the actual definition precedes our Constitution.) In any case, the Constitutional definition of Marriage in New Hampshire has been, and still is, the 1784 definition: one man and one woman. In an arrogant "usurpation-by-statute" the Constitutional definition was altered two years ago.

Both Maggie Gallagher and Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse have penned eloquent responses to the claim that libertarians should support same-sex marriage. These are being distributed to legislators in New Hampshire now as we help the people of New Hampshire fight to overturn gay marriage in New Hampshire. (You can read them here [pdf] and here [pdf]).

Reading these state constitutions, which were drafted by men who founded our Republic, is an education in itself.

Here's how the drafters of the New Hampshire "live free or die" state constitution understood the grounding of religious liberty—in morality and piety:

"As morality and piety, rightly grounded on high principles, will give the best and greatest security to government, and will lay, in the hearts of men, the strongest obligations to due subjection; and as the knowledge of these is most likely to be propagated through a society, therefore, the several parishes, bodies, corporate, or religious societies shall at all times have the right of electing their own teachers, and of contracting with them for their support or maintenance, or both."

The Washington state senate just passed a gay marriage bill, which is being railroaded through without a vote of the people. In Washington, as in Maine and California we will fight for the people's rights by overturning this unjust law.

Meanwhile in New Jersey, even as Gov. Christie bravely promised to veto a same-sex marriage bill he undercut his own claim to be standing by his campaign promises by appointing to the New Jersey Supreme Court an outspoken advocate of gay marriage who equates traditional views of marriage to slavery.

In 2009, Bruce Harris sent an email to State Senator Joe Pennacchio urging him to vote for gay marriage:

When I hear someone say that they believe marriage is only between a man and a woman because that's the way it's always been, I think of the many "traditions" that deprived people of their civil rights for centuries: prohibitions on interracial marriage, slavery, (which is even provided for in the Bible), segregation, the subservience of women, to name just a few of these "traditions."

I hope that you consider my request that you re-evaluate your position and, if after viewing the videos, reading Governor Whitman's letter and thinking again about this issue of civil rights you still oppose same-sex marriage on grounds other than religion I would appreciate it if you'd explain your position to me. And, if the basis of your opposition is religious, then I suggest that you do what the US Constitution mandates—and that is to maintain a separation between the state and religion.

These are not the words of a judicial conservative, a man who believes in common sense, strict construction of the state constitution—in other words, the kind of judge Gov. Christie promised to appoint to the court.

A man who cannot tell the difference between supporting our traditional understanding of marriage and wanting to enslave a people lacks common sense and judicial temperament.

Please use the form below to urge Governor Christie to fix this terrible mistake by withdrawing the nomination of Bruce Harris for the New Jersey Supreme Court. Then tell your friends, and ask them to send a message of their own.

That message—marriage equals hatred and bigotry—is now being used against Gov. Christie for his support for marriage. The campaign to vilify and exclude millions of Americans from the mainstream because we stand up for marriage is ongoing and intensifying.

Ted Olson, the formerly conservative legal eagle who is now in court fighting to overturn Prop 8, wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal calling attention to the unjust attack on the Koch brothers by the President of the United States.

Here's the letter I would like to write in response: "Ted Olson is right about the Kochs and the misuse of government power by Pres. Obama 'to damage or demean one's political enemies.' It's ironic that this call to decency comes from a man who went to court to get the government to demean 7 million Californians who voted for Prop 8 as irrational bigots."

This is a spiritual battle. That's why, even when as in this week, the times look tough, our opponents try to overwhelm us with insults and defeats—we know this is temporary. We know Who will win this fight, in the end.

It was Dostoevsky who wrote, "Beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man."

For the beauty that is marriage, for the idea that we are made male and female—for a Reason—for these deep and great truths about who we are as people, and as a People—we will never give up. We will never stop fighting.

And we will, with the grace of God and your help, win.

Dear Marriage Supporter,

We can't let up now!

Despite Governor Christie's promised veto, Democratic leaders in both the Senate and Assembly are working overtime to rush the same-sex marriage bill through in New Jersey. Last week the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 8-4 (on party lines) to send the bill to the full Senate. Meanwhile, the Assembly Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing on the bill this morning.

Votes in both houses could come as early as next week.

We need to keep up the pressure on your state senators and representatives with phone calls and emails!

Use this link to take action now!

Gay marriage advocates are pulling out all the stops. The only way to stop them is for you—and all your friends and family—to let your legislators know exactly where you stand on marriage.

• Click here to send your legislators an email today.
• Click here to look up phone numbers for your state senator and assemblymember.

Governor Christie has called for a statewide referendum to decide the future of marriage—but Democrats in the legislature are stonewalling. Tell your representatives in Trenton that marriage is too important—with far-reaching implications for all New Jerseyans—to be decided by 121 politicians in the Statehouse.

Please, take five minutes to contact your legislators right now. Then forward this email to five friends, post it on Facebook, or print a copy and take it with you to church.

Together we can stop this effort, but it's going to take all of us.

Dear Marriage Supporter,

I need your help right now to stop Gov. Christie from making a horrible mistake—appointing a radically pro-gay marriage anti-Christian judge to the state supreme court.

Click here to send Gov. Christie a message.

Gov. Chris Christie has been the hope of millions of Americans across the country looking for honest conservative leadership.

Last week we asked you to thank Gov. Christie for saying he will follow through on his campaign promise to veto same-sex marriage.

This week, we have urgent and terrible news to report—Gov. Chris Christie's nominee to the New Jersey Supreme Court is not only an outspoken advocate for gay marriage, he has extreme and hateful views equating traditional Christian views on sex and marriage with slavery.

This kind of intemperate and extreme view should be totally unacceptable in a GOP judicial nominee.

Yet Gov. Christie's proposed supreme court nominee Bruce Harris sent this email in 2009 to State Senator Joe Pennacchio urging him to vote for gay marriage:

"When I hear someone say that they believe marriage is only between a man and a woman because that's the way it's always been, I think of the many "traditions" that deprived people of their civil rights for centuries: prohibitions on interracial marriage, slavery, (which is even provided for in the Bible), segregation, the subservience of women, to name just a few of these "traditions."

I hope that you consider my request that you re-evaluate your position and, if after viewing the videos, reading Governor Whitman's letter and thinking again about this issue of civil rights you still oppose same-sex marriage on grounds other than religion I would appreciate it if you you'd explain your position to me. And, if the basis of your opposition is religious, then I suggest that you do what the US Constitution mandates—and that is to maintain a separation between the state and religion."

Governor Christie says that Harris has promised to recuse himself when the same-sex marriage comes before the court, but even this unenforceable promise misses the bigger issue: a man who cannot tell the difference between supporting our traditional understanding of marriage and wanting to enslave a people lacks common sense and judicial temperament.

And to suggest that legislators should ignore the views of religious constituents, that moral views grounded in the Bible are somehow illegitimate in the public square, seriously compounds the offense.

These are not the words of a judicial conservative, a man who believes in common sense, strict construction of the state constitution—the kind of judge Gov. Christie promised to appoint to the court.

How did this happen?

When Assemblyman Mike Carroll was sent a copy of that email by a reporter, he had one word in response: "Yikes."

Gov. Christie's nomination of Bruce Harris appears to be a result of a failure in the vetting process, not a deliberate backhanded backroom betrayal by New Jersey's governor. If so, the Governor can and must honorably withdraw the nomination.

The next generation of GOP leadership on the national level have to understand: knowingly appointing radical anti-religious justices is unacceptable.

Please, right now, send Gov. Christie a message keep him from making a terrible mistake marring his record. Tell Christie: Withdraw the Bruce Harris nomination today. Protect our judiciary from radically unconservative judges with extremist views pushing gay marriage and equating Christianity with slavery.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie lashed out at a fellow Garden State politician Monday, calling an openly gay state legislator a “numbnuts” in response to the lawmaker labeling him a racist last week.

A visibly perturbed Christie made the comment during a news conference on Monday, reported the New Jersey Star-Ledger.

It all started last week when Christie called for a voter referendum on gay marriage.

“I think people would have been happy to have a referendum on civil rights rather than fighting and dying in the streets in the South,” Christie said.

Those comments upset Democratic assemblyman Reed Gusciora, who responded last week by saying, “Govs. Lester Maddox and George Wallace would have found allies in Chris Christie over efforts by the Justice Department to end segregation in the South.”

On Monday, Christie called Gusciora’s words “transparently political.”

“You have numbnuts like Reed Gusciora, who put out a statement, you know, comparing me George Wallace and Lester Maddox.”

Gay rights advocates in New Jersey have been pushing for a decade to get state courts or lawmakers to recognize same-sex marriage. But last week, they demurred when Gov. Christie called for a public vote to settle the topic.

Their main reason is based on principle: It's not fair, they say, to let voters decide a civil rights issue.

But there's another consideration: It would be a costly and divisive fight, and the advocates know the odds are against them, even if recent polls have shown the majority of New Jersey voters support allowing gay marriage.

...Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, said his organization and others would put millions of dollars into a campaign against allowing gay marriage.

"The other side has put forward a number of lies," Brown said. "Our job is to expose them."

So far, his side has been winning.

Thirty-one times states have had votes on constitutional amendments to define marriage as being between a man and a woman. The referendums have been approved 30 times. In the one exception, in Arizona, voters two years later passed a similar amendment.

This year, marriage amendments could be on the ballots of about a half-dozen states. Only two are being pushed by groups that want gay couples to be allowed to marry. Those are in Maine and California, where there are efforts to overturn constitutional bans.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie found himself on the defense Monday over his two Supreme Court picks just a week after announcing that he was moving to diversify the state's all-white Supreme Court by nominating two firsts: an openly gay black man and an immigrant.

Christie said Bruce Harris, who is gay, told the governor he would recuse himself from hearing any gay marriage cases because the nominee, a former Chatum Borough mayor, has advocated for the issue.

Years ago Harris, 61, wrote to several state senators asking for their support of a same-sex marriage bill being heard by the Senate in late 2009. Christie, a Republican who supports civil unions but opposes calling it marriage, said Harris volunteered the information about his writing.

"He told me he favored same-sex marriage, had advocated for it in his political capacity and as a result, if he were confirmed to the court, would recuse himself from that matter because he did not want there to be the appearance of bias," the governor recalled.

Christie said of Harris and his other nominee, Phillip Kwon of Bergen County, “I did not ask them about specific cases.” He pointed to two other cases of concern to conservatives, the Abbott school-funding decisions and the Mount Laurel decisions on affordable housing, and said “to the extent that they’ve taken positions on those issues, they’re going to have to let us know that.”

It turns out Harris has already done so, at least when it comes to same-sex marriage. Back in 2009, he sent an e-mail to the Republicans then representing Chatham in the Legislature urging all three to vote in favor of same-sex marriage.

“You have met me and my partner of nearly 30 years, Marc, on more than one occasion at various political gatherings” he wrote. “The New Jersey Supreme Court has already determined that our relationship is entitled to the equal protection guarantees of the State Constitution.”

The e-mail went on to urge the legislators to go to the site of Garden State Equality, a gay rights group, to view two videos “that provide sad examples of the failures of the civil union law.”

One of the recipients of the e-mail was state Sen. Joe Pennacchio. When I phoned him, he said he recalled having a brief talk with Harris after receiving the e-mail.

There’s a brouhaha brewing in New Jersey over Gov. Chris Christie’s nomination to the New Jersey Supreme Court of Bruce Harris. Turns out Harris wrote a letter in 2009 supporting gay marriage — and equating support for our marriage tradition with slavery.

Bruce Harris wrote this in a 2009 e-mail to State Senator Joe Pennacchio:

When I hear someone say that they believe marriage is only between a man and a woman because that’s the way it’s always been, I think of the many “traditions” that deprived people of their civil rights for centuries: prohibitions on interracial marriage, slavery, (which is even provided for in the Bible), segregation, the subservience of women, to name just a few of these “traditions.”

I hope that you consider my request that you re-evaluate your position and, if after viewing the videos, reading Governor Whitman’s letter and thinking again about this issue of civil rights you still oppose same-sex marriage on grounds other than religion I would appreciate it if you you’d explain your position to me. And, if the basis of your opposition is religious, then I suggest that you do what the US Constitution mandates — and that is to maintain a separation between the state and religion.

When the assemblyman charged with vetting judicial nominees was sent a copy of this intemperate email, he responded: “Yikes.”

This is a potentially huge red flag for those who see Christie as the future of the conservative movement. Can he be trusted to care enough to appoint judicial conservatives? Will Governor Christie stand by this kind of judicial appointment, or will he admit that mistakes were made in the vetting process and withdraw the nomination?

Legislation to allow same-sex marriage in New Jersey cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee tonight after more than seven hours of emotional debate and testimony, setting the stage for a showdown in the full Senate.

... The 10:06 p.m. vote came after more than 1,000 people flooded the Statehouse today in an effort to sway lawmakers’ opinions on one of the most controversial bills of the decade.

... During the marathon hearing, opponents — including Orthodox Jews and Catholic officials — argued that same-sex marriage would damage religious freedom and is not needed because the state already permits civil unions. Supporters -- including civil rights leaders and legal experts -- said gay couples do not have equal rights without being allowed to marry.

... Josh Pruzanzsky, executive director of the Agudath of Israel of New Jersey, said same-sex marriage legislation "would endanger religious freedom, inhibit free speech and undermine the preferred status of marriage. It would convey a social message that is deeply offensive to many residents of the state of New Jersey and lead to further erosions in the traditional conception of family."

... It’s unclear if the measure has enough support to pass the entire Senate, where it could reach the floor for a vote as early as Thursday. -- Statehouse Bureau

...across the country, the right to same-sex marriage has been granted mostly by court decision or legislative action. Same-sex-marriage advocates noted that almost every one of more than 30 ballot questions on gay rights had failed to broaden them; even in 2008, when the country elected a Democratic president, voters in California approved Proposition 8, banning same-sex marriage.

“It’s a hard dynamic to win at the polls,” said Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, a Trenton Democrat who is openly gay. “At the end of the day, gays are a minority and they can’t match the crazies, who are out there and really motivated to vote against it.” -- The New York Times

Marriage as a union of a man and a woman has its roots in natural law. Throughout all of human history marriage has been held to be a union of man and woman. Marriage as a union of man and woman existed long before any nation, religion or law was established. Marriage which unites mothers and fathers in the work of childrearing is the foundation of the family, and the family is the basic unit of society.

Sadly, the institution of marriage is being challenged by a society so concerned with individual freedom that some view marriage as a temporary or disposable convenience. Now, there is even an attempt in the New Jersey Legislature to pass a law that would change the very definition of marriage as a union of one man and one woman.

As citizens, we must protect marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Same-sex unions may represent a new and a different type of institution, but it is not marriage and should not be treated as marriage.

What can you do to help protect marriage? Today, we ask all people of good will to do three simple things. First, pray for all married couples and all families. Second, reflect on this important question, “How can I help my family and the families I touch to grow in hope, love, peace and joy.” Third, we ask everyone to reach out to your neighbors, your legislators and the governor with a simple message: “Preserve the definition of marriage as a union of one man and one woman.”

Why should citizens care about the state’s definition of marriage?

Citizens must care about the government’s treatment of marriage because civil authorities are charged with protecting children and the common good, and marriage is indispensable to both purposes. Citizens have the right and the responsibility to hold civil authorities accountable for their stewardship of the institution of marriage. Citizens also have the responsibility to oppose laws and policies that unjustly target people as bigots or that subject people to charges of unlawful discrimination simply because they believe and teach that marriage is the union of man and a woman.

...Monmouth University pollster and political scientist Patrick Murray said [Governor] Christie's proposal indicates that "politically, he doesn't want his fingerprints anywhere near this."

Murray said Democrats will first force Christie to veto their bill. Then, they will look at the political tea leaves to see if a ballot initiative can pass in November.

Even though a recent Quinnipiac University poll showed that 52 percent of New Jerseyans support gay marriage, the California ballot question in 2008 offers a lesson for Democrats.

Gay marriage there was banned, Murray said, in part because it was opposed by socially conservative African Americans who turned out in large numbers to vote for Barack Obama.

Obama is again on the ballot in November, presenting a similar potential pitfall.

Christie on Tuesday said the ballot measure should be posted for this November exactly because it's a presidential year and will bring the most voters out to the polls.

Even after a veto, Democrats still might not ask for a referendum.

Democrats "don't want to put it on the ballot and have it fail because that would probably end the debate over this for quite some time," Murray said. "It really is a very complex calculation that supporters of gay marriage would have to do before deciding to put this on the ballot."

Dear Marriage Supporter,

Good news from Governor Christie speaking in Bridgewater Tuesday morning!

Asked about the same-sex marriage bill that he had promised two years ago to give "a big red veto," Governor Christie told reporters his answer had not changed:

This issue that our state is exploring—whether or not to redefine hundreds of years of societal and religious traditions—should not be decided by 121 people in the State House in Trenton.

The fact is we're discussing huge change and I believe we need to approach this not only in a thoughtful way, not in a rushed way, but also in a way where we're able to get the most input that we can from the public.

So, if New Jersey is seriously looking to overturn hundreds of years of societal, legal and religious tradition, we need to give the issue the weight that it merits.

So, I think that this is not an issue that should rest solely in my hands, in the hands of the Senate President, or in the hands of the Speaker or the other 118 members of the Legislature.

Let's let the people of New Jersey decide what is right for the state.

Let's put the question of same-sex marriage on the ballot this fall, in the hands of the people, at the time where the most people will be voting, in the presidential election year...

So, my message to the Legislature—and this is simple—and I'm doing it today because today is the first day they're beginning to consider it. Let's stop treating this like a political football and let's let the people of New Jersey decide.

That way those who are in favor, those who are opposed, will have the opportunity to make their case over the next nine months to the people of New Jersey. And then, in the year when the most people will be voting, we get a decision. And the people decide whether or not they believe same-sex marriage should exist in this State or not.

I would certainly be willing to be governed by the decision of the people this State, especially in a year that the most people will be voting in the State.

And I would hope that the legislature would be willing to trust the people, the way I'm willing to trust the people.

This issue is too big and too consequential not to trust the people who will be governed ultimately by any change in law or maintenance of the current law.

Governor Christie got it exactly right: "the institution of marriage is too serious to be treated like a political football."

It's time to let the people of New Jersey have a VOTE to decide the future of marriage, and NOM applauds Governor Christie for his principled stance and commitment to veto same-sex marriage legislation pending in the legislature should it reach his desk.

But the threat isn't over.

Senate Democrats yesterday passed the same-sex marriage bill out of committee on a 8-4 party line vote, vowing to press on and send the bill to the governor's desk. Senate President Steve Sweeney accused Governor Christie of trying to squelch the legislative debate: "His announcement today was to try to put a damper on what we're trying to do. It's not happening. We're not backing down. We're not giving up."

And we can't let up, either!

Please click here to thank Governor Christie for being a man of his word and standing firm on marriage—and at the same time, send your legislators a message urging them to let the people of New Jersey vote on this important issue.

Then forward this email to three friends, asking them to join you in contacting your legislators.

Together we can stop this bill in its tracks. But only if we all work together.

Faithfully,

Opponents of a gay marriage in New Jersey are mobilizing their supporters with a round of “robo-calls” against legislation that is set to get its first vetting Tuesday before a state senate committee.

“There’s an attempt by wealthy activists to force same sex marriage on New Jersey without a public vote. It’s urgent that you call your state senator and urge him to vote no on same sex legislation,” the call states.

Recipients are then directed to call their specific representatives in Trenton. The calls started going out about two weeks ago to about half a million people who have expressed opposition to same sex marriage in the past, according to Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage, a group lobbying against the bill.

Legislators have received more than 10,000 calls from those opposed since the same-sex marriage legislation was first announced by Democrats two weeks ago, Brown said. Many supporters are in the southern reaches of the state, along with areas with large number of African-Americans, he said.

“It’s extensive,” Brown said of the “robo-call” effort.

Automatic calls were used by both proponents and opponents of same-sex marriage when the bill was first considered in New Jersey 2009. Democrats re-introduced gay marriage legislation two weeks ago.

Here is a transcript of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie's comments on Democrats pushing to redefine marriage through the legislature:

This issue that our state is exploring – whether or not to redefine hundreds of years of societal and religious traditions – should not be decided by 121 people in the State House in Trenton.

The fact is we’re discussing huge change and I believe we need to approach this not only in a thoughtful way, not in a rushed way, but also in a way where we’re able to get the most input that we can from the public.

So, if New Jersey is seriously looking to overturn hundreds of years of societal, legal and religious tradition, we need to give the issue the weight that it merits.

So, I think that this is not an issue that should rest solely in my hands, in the hands of the Senate President, or in the hands of the Speaker or the other 118 members of the Legislature.

Let’s let the people of New Jersey decide what is right for the state.

Let’s put the question of same-sex marriage on the ballot this fall, in the hands of the people, at the time where the most people will be voting, in the presidential election year.

I support giving New Jerseyans the ability to give voice to their support or their opposition to this issue.

... I would hope that the legislature would be willing to trust the people, the way I’m willing to trust the people.

This issue is too big and too consequential not to trust the people who will be governed ultimately by any change in law or maintenance of the current law.

Contact: Elizabeth Ray or Anath Hartmann at (703-683-5004)

"NOM supports the right of NJ voters to vote on a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman" —Brian Brown

Trenton – The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) today praised Governor Chris Christie for once again expressing his opposition to same-sex marriage and his commitment to veto same-sex marriage legislation.

"NOM supports the right of New Jersey voters to decide this issue by voting on a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman just as voters in 30 other states have been able to do," said Brian Brown, NOM's president. "We commend Governor Christie for his principled stance and commitment to veto same-sex marriage legislation pending in the Legislature should it reach his desk."

Christie said in a press conference that the issue of same-sex marriage was being used by legislators for political gain and said that such a "huge societal change" should only be considered in a vote of the people.

"The people of New Jersey do not support same-sex marriage and if given the chance to vote on a constitutional amendment would vote to preserve marriage as the union of one man and one woman," Brown said. "Voters in every state to consider this question have decided that traditional marriage should be protected and have rejected same-sex marriage. This is why legislative backers of gay marriage in New Jersey have already rejected putting a traditional marriage constitutional amendment on the ballot—they know they will lose."

"We urge all legislators to ask themselves if supporters of gay marriage are unwilling to let voters consider a constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman, is it really appropriate for legislators to impose their own views?" Brown said. "We believe that marriage, the foundational institution of society, should not be discarded under any circumstance."

To schedule an interview with Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Elizabeth Ray, eray@crcpublicrelations.com, (x130) or Anath Hartmann, ahartmann@crcpublicrelations.com, (x105) at 703-683-5004.

###

New Jersey's Statehouse will likely be crowded Tuesday when activists show up to make their case for and against a bill that would allow gay marriage.

Democratic lawmakers have said allowing gay couples to marry is one of their top priorities.

A similar bill died two years ago. But Senate President Stephen Sweeney, who abstained then, now favors allowing same-sex unions.

Two gay rights groups also have filed a lawsuit to try to force the state to recognize gay marriage.

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."

Dear Marriage Supporter,

It's time to stand up and be counted!

Please, if there is any way you can arrange your schedule, come to Trenton on Tuesday morning for a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the same-sex marriage bill.

The hearing is scheduled for Tuesday morning at 11am, but please come early as large crowds are expected.

Senate President Steve Sweeney is working to fast-track a vote on the same-sex marriage bill, and this public hearing is the first step in that plan.

Please come early and bring 3 friends with you. Same-sex marriage activists are calling for a "massive crowd" to fill the committee room and to testify in support of the bill. You don't have to testify—just be there to show your support for marriage.

Let your legislators know that you care about marriage—enough to take time out of your week to come to Trenton.

New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 @ 11am
Committee Room 4
125 West State Street
Trenton, NJ 08625
(click here for directions)

Meanwhile, whether you can attend the hearing or not, it's critical that we ramp up the pressure on your state senators and representatives with phone calls and emails!

Use this link to take action now!

Gay marriage advocates are pulling out all the stops. The only way to stop them is for you—and all your friends and family—to let your legislators know exactly where you stand on marriage.

• Click here to look up phone numbers for your state senator and representative.
• Click here to send your legislators an email today.

Please, take five minutes to contact your legislators right now. Then forward this email to five friends, post it on Facebook, or print a copy and take it with you to church.

Together we can stop this effort, but it's going to take all of us.

Christie noted in a interview with WNYC on Wednesday that the Legislature hasn’t been succeeded so far in passing a same-sex marriage bill, and emphasized that his opposition has been “very well publicized.”

“I think this type of societal change is something we need to do very deliberately and have as much public input as we possibly can,” the Republican governor said. -- Wall Street Journal's Metropolis Blog

Dear Marriage Supporter,

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has won the respect and trust of many on both sides of the political aisle with his straight talk, common sense, and fearlessness in taking on special interests.

That's why his comments on marriage last week were so troubling.

In 2009, Governor-elect Christie had this to say to a group of New Jersey Republicans:

"If a same-sex marriage bill comes to the desk of Governor Christie, it will be returned to the legislature with a big red veto across it. Because, one, I believe that and I made it very clear to people during the entire campaign that that was my position and so there will be no surprise for the 1.2 million people who voted for me that that was and that is my position." (read his full statement with video here)

But just last week, Governor Christie seemed to back down, suggesting he had not yet decided how he would handle a same-sex marriage bill if passed by the legislature, telling a reporter, "When forced to make a decision, if forced to make a decision on it, I'll make a decision."

Is he being coy? Is he backing away from his previous commitment?

Neither reaction is like the Governor Christie we've come to know and respect.

The outcome of any vote in the New Jersey legislature is still very much up in the air, and it's unlike Governor Christie to back down from a controversial issue. As Governor he has a bully pulpit to influence the outcome of what will be a very close vote in the legislature. And with many Republicans urging him to run for national office, he surely knows that becoming the first Republican governor to sign a same-sex marriage bill would be highly damaging to any future aspirations and to the integrity of the Republican Party.

Please take a moment today to send a message to Governor Christie. Click here to send your message right now.

Respectfully let him know that voters are looking to him as a man we can trust—a politician who keeps his word. He promised that if a same-sex marriage bill ever came to his desk, he'd give it the "big red veto," and we expect him to do just that if the same-sex marriage bill passes the legislature this year.

Then forward this message to five friends, especially your Republican friends or anyone you know who lives in New Jersey. Governor Christie needs to know just how much we respect his refreshingly upfront and honest approach to politics, and that we also expect him to keep his promise and be a man of his word when it comes to marriage.

Faithfully,

A once pro-choice Gov Chris Christie said his unborn daughter's beating heart caused him to become pro-life, but while the pounding state Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-3) heard from Steven Goldstein and Garden State Equality prompted Sweeney's own change of heart on gay marriage, there was no evidence today that Christie heard anything new.

A week after Democrats stood at attention and declared their determination to ramrod S1, a marraige equality bill, Christie didn't mention it as part of his agenda, touching instead on tax relief, education reform and anti-crime intiatives.

On Meet the Press with David Gregory, when asked about same-sex marriage, Christie said (emphasis ours):

“In New Jersey, we have a civil union law, and we had a very vigorous debate in late 2009, early 2010 before I became governor about same-sex marriage and it failed in the state legislature under Democratic legislature under Democrat governor Jon Corzine, and so my view on it is, in our state, we’re going to continue to pursue civil unions. I am not a fan of same-sex marriage. It’s not something I support. I believe marriage should be between one man and one woman. That’s my view and that will be the view of our state because I wouldn’t sign a bill like the one that was in New York."

In an interview with Piers Morgan, when asked about changing his mind on gay marriage, Christie said (emphasis ours):

“I don’t think so. I believe marriage is an institution between one man and one woman. I think it’s special and unique in society. And I think we can have civil unions that can help to give the same type of legal rights to same-sex couples that marriage gives them but I just think marriage is a special connotation. I couldn’t see myself changing my mind on that but I am in favor of making sure that homosexual couples have the same type of legal rights that heterosexual couples have.”

“If a same-sex marriage bill comes to the desk of Governor Christie, it will be returned to the legislature with a big red veto across it [applause] because, one, I believe that and I made it very clear to people during the entire campaign that that was my position and so there will be no surprise for the 1.2 million people who voted for me that that was and that is my position.

But also because if societal change like that is to occur, it has to be approved by the voters, by the people of this state, not by the senate, men and women in black robes, and certainly not by 120 people in the state legislature it should have to be done if it’s going to be done, it has to be done by the voters not by a group of elected or appointed people. And so the principle is not only mine that I hold personally but I think it’s a broader principle about how that type of significant historic societal change needs to be made.

And so we’ll continue to stand for those things and many others that I won’t continue to interrupt your dinner with, but those issues – making New Jersey more affordable, less taxes, less spending, and standing up for the values we believe in so strongly as a society and setting an example at the top for saying those things, even at times when they may be politically unpopular is what I think people expect of leaders. I don’t think we always expect to agree with our leaders, I happen to think if we do then we’re going to be sadly mistaken. I don’t even agree with myself all the time. I’ve changed my mind over the years about issues, and I’m sure you have too, so we need to look to our leaders to be steadfast about the things they truly believe in and to speak the truth to us, we speak the truth to each other, then there are no surprises and no deception. And if we honestly disagree we live in a democratic society, we can make that disagreement publicly, and then the majority rule which is the tradition of our country.”

Here is the video:

As Gov. Chris Christie prepares to give his State of the State address Tuesday, Democrats have already drawn their battle lines.

Last week, Democratic legislative leaders announced that they will put gay marriage at the top of their agenda, forcing Christie to either make good on his pledge to veto it or change his mind.

... So far, Christie hasn’t taken the bait. At a news conference Thursday, he wouldn’t say whether he’d veto the gay marriage bill Democrats are sending to him, despite his saying he would not support it in the past.

..."Clearly, the core constituency among Republican primary voters is opposed to gay marriage," she said, "but of course, that’s not where (Christie) is facing his next election."

A New Jersey judge ruled Thursday that a church group violated the state's discrimination laws when it prevented a lesbian couple from holding a civil union ceremony on its property in 2007.

The dispute began when the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association stopped the couple from using its boardwalk pavilion, an area it rented out for weddings.

Administrative Law Judge Solomon Metzger wrote in Thursday's ruling that the pavilion was a public space that advertised itself as a wedding venue without any mention of religious preconditions.

He rejected the church's contention that the pavilion was an extension of its wedding ministry, noting that weddings had been performed at the pavilion for at least 10 years before the dispute arose and that there was no proof that couples, "particularly those that chose secular vows, or that were of other faiths, were ever told that they were participating in a ministry."

The church had argued that its freedom of religious expression would be violated if it was forced to allow same-sex ceremonies to be performed on its property.

Next month, the state Legislature will gather to repeat an exercise we saw in the waning days of the Corzine administration: Democrats will push a same-sex marriage bill that has no chance of becoming law.

The reason it won’t become law is that the Republican governor, Chris Christie, won’t sign it. And the Democrats have no chance of getting the two-thirds vote needed to override the governor.

There’s a simple way out of this, and former Corzine staffer Josh Zeitz laid it out on these pages last week: The backers of same-sex marriage should push for a constitutional amendment. Such an amendment requires only a three-fifths majority.

... why don’t [pro-SSM activists] take Zeitz’s advice and hold a referendum? Simple. They’re afraid they’d lose.

When they’re trying to get laws passed permitting same-sex marriage, the advocates cite polls showing public support. But in the only polls that count — referendums — same-sex marriage gets voted down even in liberal states such as Maine and California.

That’s why they keep going to the courts. But again, they’re stalemated. Christie gets to put two judges on the seven-person state Supreme Court this spring. And those two are unlikely to engage in the sort of activist gymnastics needed to find a right to same-sex
marriage in a state constitution written in 1947.

As for the argument by Weinberg and others that civil rights should not be settled by referendum, the framers considered that as well. They disagreed. The only way to amend the state constitution to recognize a new right is through referendum.

So what are we waiting for? This could all be settled by 8 p.m. on the first Tuesday in November.

A New Jersey Church that refused to allow two women to hold a civil-union ceremony on its property four years ago broke the law, a state administrative law judge said Thursday.

Since the judge works for the state’s Division on Civil Rights, his opinion doesn’t have the force of one coming from a state or federal court — but the Alliance Defense Fund, which is representing the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, is considering its next steps in protecting the church’s religious rights.

“The government should not be able to force a private Christian organization to use its property in a way that would violate its own religious beliefs,” Litigation Staff Counsel Jim Campbell said. “Religious groups have the right to use their private property in a way that is consistent with their beliefs. That right, protected by both the New Jersey and U.S. Constitutions, obviously trumps any law enacted by the state’s legislature.”

The New Jersey Division on Civil Rights has 45 days to adopt, modify or reject the ruling. If the director takes no action, it automatically becomes final.

A ministry that follows the dictates of its faith is engaging in wrongdoing, according to a New Jersey judge who recommended today that the state Division on Civil Rights find the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association violated the state’s nondiscrimination law.

“The respondent violated the [Law Against Discrimination] when it refused to conduct a civil-union ceremony for Ms. Bernstein and Ms. Paster,” wrote Solomon Metzger, an administrative law judge whose determination will become final if not overturned by the Division of Civil Rights.

... The seaside location has been popular for years for weddings, but the association, which is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, determined it could not biblically allow same-sex ceremonies to take place on its property.

So when Harriet Bernstein and Luisa Paster signed up for such a ceremony, they were turned down. They filed the discrimination complaint, and the state’s Division on Civil Rights joined their cause.

You can download a PDF of the ruling here.

The Union Township school board has filed tenure charges against Viki Knox, the high school English teacher whose anti-gay remarks on Facebook raised a firestorm over her free speech rights and her role as a public school teacher.

The board formally filed the charges against Knox in late December, a step that begins the lengthy and costly process to fire Knox, school board president Ray Perkins said. He could not comment on the findings of the district's three-month investigation of Knox's conduct.

... Knox could not immediately be reached for comment about the board's action. In September, Knox's husband spoke publicly defending her comments as expression of her religion.

"The people of New Jersey can and will stop this bill."
—Brian Brown, NOM president—

Trenton, N.J. – The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) today pledged an all-out effort to prevent same-sex marriage from becoming law in New Jersey, and said it would spend upward of $500,000 to support legislators who stood to preserve traditional marriage and hold those accountable who impose same-sex marriage in the state. Backers of gay marriage today unveiled yet another legislative attempt to redefine marriage in New Jersey.

"The media is reporting that gay marriage is sure to pass through the Legislature, but we heard the same false story in 2009 and 2010. The people of New Jersey can and will stop this bill." said Brian Brown, NOM's president.

Governor Chris Christie has previously pledged to veto any same-sex marriage legislation that is passed by the Legislature.

"We commend Governor Christie for his position that marriage is the union of one man and one woman, just as it has been throughout history. Even though the governor has pledged to veto the legislation, we are committed to holding legislators accountable for their own views and will work to assure that he never has to exercise his veto power," Brown said. "NOM will spend $500,000 in New Jersey legislative races to support those who stand with us in defense of traditional marriage, and hold those who abandon marriage accountable to voters."

NOM cautioned legislators that imposing gay marriage will have profound consequences for children and eliminate children from the marriage equation in New Jersey.

"States license marriage because of their inherent interest in ensuring that any children born of the sexual union of men and women have the best opportunity to be raised by their own mother and father," Brown said. "Same-sex marriage changes the focus of our marriage laws from a child-centered institution to one that exists only to satisfy the demands of adults. Children suffer because of this."

Brown noted that in other states that have legalized gay marriage children as young as second grade have been taught it in public school. This has already occurred in Massachusetts, New York and California.

"Legislators need to know that a vote for same-sex marriage is a vote to have it taught to kids in public schools, including to seven and eight year old children," Brown said. "This is not a ‘feel good' vote for political correctness; it will have profound consequences on families and especially children in New Jersey. It has happened in Massachusetts and right across the river in New York, and that is what legislators are being asked to support in New Jersey."

To schedule an interview with Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, please contact Elizabeth Ray (x130), eray@crcpublicrelations.com, or Anath Hartmann, ahartmann@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).

Now gay marriage activists are once again attempting to claim that if New Jersey redefines marriage it would result in the state bringing in an extra $500 million dollars over three years. That figure is based on the claims Brad Sears of the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law made back in 2008.

Really it confounds me why gay marriage activists continue to lead with this argument, because it's hard to find one more obviously false.

For instance, the Williams Institute claimed that Washington, DC's economy would be boosted by over $50 million dollars once they legalized gay marriage. That hasn't remotely materialized, as a local businessman explained last month. Last year the New York City's Comptroller office claimed legalizing gay marriage would boost the city's economy by almost $150 million dollars over three years. The clock is ticking on this claim now, and I'm not holding my breath.

In fact, California's non-partisan Legislative Analyst's Office and Department of Finance, when they examined the economic impact of redefining marriage back in 2008, found that it would be "negligible" over the long run. And as we wrote a couple weeks ago, there's plenty of evidence they didn't take into account that discarding our marriage traditional will result in real economic harm.

Meanwhile, the arguments proposed by Rick Santorum and other GOP presidential candidates on the campaign trail that healthy families and an intact marriage culture will result in less government spending and more economic output continues to gain traction -- and, most importantly -- a growing listening audience, especially as the harmful economic consequences of a weakened marriage culture become more apparent all around us.

In a dramatic move, Democratic leaders plan to announce at a news conference tomorrow that a bill legalizing gay marriage will be the first measure introduced in the new session of the Senate and the Assembly, sources with knowledge of their intentions said last night.

A unified Democratic leadership represents the best chance supporters will have to see a bill legalizing gay marriage move through both houses, according to three sources who requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the plan.

... But there’s a major obstacle: Gov. Chris Christie.

A spokesman for the governor, Michael Drewniak, declined to comment on the move. But Christie has emphasized in the past that he opposes gay marriage and supports civil unions, civil unions, which New Jersey currently allows.

I’m writing to inform you of another Union Board of Education meeting taking place tomorrow night at the Union High School library.

From information that we’ve received, there appears to be a witch hunt taking place against Viki Knox, the teacher who objected to a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History Month display in the school’s hallways.

In the latest turn of events, the Board of Education’s investigation of Mrs. Knox’s comments appears to have degenerated into a witch hunt, consisting of spurious charges and intimidating tactics towards Mrs. Knox.

We know it’s almost Christmas and are mindful of your need to prepare. But for those who are able to come out and either speak in the public comments session or just be visible, we ask you to consider lending your presence and support to assist this fellow Christian in her undeserved distress.

You can sign NOM's petition in support of Viki Knox HERE.

Two years ago, state Sen. Jennifer Beck (R-Monmouth) voted against gay marriage.

It is well-known that Beck has done an about-face on the issue. But The Auditor has learned that not only is she a solid "yes" vote for gay marriage, but that she plans to co-sponsor the bill when it is introduced.

"She said she would vote to override if the governor vetoes," said state Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union), who, with Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen), is a prime sponsor of the legislation.

... Lesniak did not say when he would introduce the bill or when he hoped to see it up for a vote. -- The Auditor/The Star Ledger

A few months back, same-sex couples filed suit in New Jersey, seeking to avoid the legislative process and force same-sex “marriage” on New Jersey through the courts. This month, Judge Linda Feinberg agreed to hear their case, but only on limited grounds. Since the state constitution does not grant same-sex couples a legal right to solemnize their relationships as “marriages,” she rejected the claim that New Jersey’s same-sex couples are being denied a civil right. The case will now proceed on the grounds of whether New Jersey’s civil union law fails to provide benefits equal with marriage.

For the 57% of New Jerseyans who do not wish to see marriage eviscerated and redefined in law, Judge Feinberg’s ruling is encouraging for several reasons. Only 2.2% of New Jersey’s estimated 245,100 homosexuals have entered into civil unions since they became available in 2006. In five years, only fifteen of those 5,447 couples have filed complaints with the state’s Civil Rights Commission to claim that civil unions are unequal to marriage, and twelve of those have been resolved. So three couples are still unhappy, which means six people in New Jersey might have grounds to argue that civil unions are unequal. The rest of the homosexual population remains uninterested in entering civil unions themselves. Thus, the homosexual activists must meet a very high threshold to prove that civil unions are not carrying out the Legislature’s intentions.

In the latest attempt to legalize gay marriage in New Jersey, same-sex couples are headed to court today to try to convince a judge their partnerships are more than civil unions.

The couples, defeated in their efforts last year to get the state Legislature to recognize same-sex marriages, turned to the courts to obtain what they say would be true marriage equality.

Superior Court Assignment Judge Linda Feinberg will hear arguments from Garden State Equality, a civil rights organization for same-sex couples, and the state Attorney General’s Office, which is defending New Jersey’s civil union law.

The latest lawsuit that seeks to force New Jersey to recognize gay marriage will soon be going before a judge for the first time.

State Superior Court Judge Linda Feinberg has scheduled a hearing for Friday on the state's motion to have the suit dismissed. The state Attorney General's Office says the matter is already settled.

The state Supreme Court ruled five years ago that New Jersey had to give committed gay same-sex couples all the legal rights and benefits that married couples have — but said it didn't have to recognize gay marriage.

Here's how they answered:

This video captures the protest that gay activists staged outside of the school where Viki teachers, and interviews some participants -- including Viki's sister who was there to support her:

About 300 people turned out Tuesday night for a Union Township school board meeting to both denounce and defend Viki Knox, the high school teacher whose anti-gay Facebook comments have ignited a robust debate over free speech, gay rights and the separation of church and state.

... representatives from Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay-rights association, attended to deliver a petition signed by 75,000 supporters calling for Knox’s firing.

... Union parent Ondria Caffey said she corresponded at length with district administrators to express her dismay over the LGBT display — weeks before she learned of Knox’s comments.

"I rely on UHS for teaching my child academics, not for what this display represents," Caffey said at the meeting.

The pastor of a high school teacher who has been vilified for an anti-gay tirade on Facebook came to the woman’s defense, calling her a “very loving person” who should not be fired for expressing her religious beliefs.

The Rev. Milton B. Hobbs, pastor of New Covenant Fellowship in Clark, N.J., said special education teacher Viki Knox is not homophobic and that her comments, when taken in the context of the Bible, were not false.

...Hobbs said his greater concern is the possibility Knox will be disciplined for expressing an opinion on a personal Web page, noting she did not incite violence or advocate harm.

“Any Christian who makes a stand that’s unpopular can expect to be persecuted. That’s in the Bible, too,” Hobbs said. “But no American should expect to be prosecuted for exercising free speech. At what point does that stop?”

We've written about the Viki Knox story on the NOM blog here.

The Star-Ledger

School officials in Union Township are investigating allegations that a teacher at Union High School posted comments on her Facebook site criticizing a school display recognizing Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender History Month and calling homosexuality ["a perverted spirit that has existed from the beginning of creation."]

On Saturday, a local attorney who said he had initially been contacted by a parent, wrote to the district calling for the teacher’s dismissal.

... "Hateful public comments from a teacher cannot be tolerated," wrote Paragano, also a former Union Township Municipal Court judge. "She has a right to say it. But she does not have a right to keep her job after saying it."

... Garden State Equality, a gay rights group, joined the lawyer Paragano in calling for the teacher’s dismissal.

"Teachers are supposed to be role models for our children, not hatemongers," said Steven Goldstein, who chairs the group.

The 2010 census overestimated the number of households with same-sex married couples by more than 160%, the U.S. Census Bureau announced Tuesday.

The 2010 census first reported that there were 349,377 same-sex married-couple households and 552,620 same-sex unmarried-partner households across the country.

On Tuesday officials said they had revised the count to 131,729 same-sex married-couple[s] and 514,735 same-sex unmarried-partner households.

In other words, the actual number of same-sex households in America is tiny - only 0.773%.

Of course, these revised national numbers also change the landscape on the state level.

In Minnesota for instance, the StarTribune reports:

The original census data counted 4,325 same-sex couples who identified themselves as married and living together in Minnesota -- three times higher than the revised figure [~1,300]. The original census data also counted 13,718 same-sex couples living together in Minnesota, regardless of marital status, while the revised estimate is now only 10,207.

And in New Jersey, the Star-Ledger reports:

"...the U.S. Census Bureau said a statistical snafu inflated earlier totals, and there are actually fewer gay and lesbian couples living together in the Garden State than previously estimated.

The Census now says there were 16,875 same-sex couples living together in 2010, down from original estimate of 24,112 released two months ago. Notably, the new figures drop the number of married same-sex couples living together in New Jersey to 4,447 down from nearly 11,000."

Or, take a look at California, via the Sacramento Bee:

In California, the Census Bureau said, 0.726 percent of households are same-sex couples, markedly lower than the 2000 census figure for the state.

Again, less than one percent.

State Sens. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen) and Ray Lesniak (D-Union) — sponsors of the original failed legislation — will meet Friday in New York with Alphonso David, New York State’s deputy secretary for civil rights. [...] Lesniak said they’re likely to reintroduce the bill in the Senate, where it failed early last year — even though Gov. Chris Christie has said he’ll veto it.

“We’re leaning toward doing it and asking Christie, when he vetoes it, to send a Gov. Tom Kean-like message to the Legislature that this vote is a matter of conscience they have to personally and individually examine in the override vote,” Lesniak said. -- The Auditor/Star-Ledger

Two books, one containing an explicit depiction of statutory lesbian rape, and the other a homosexual orgy, have been ousted from a local high school by outraged New Jersey parents.

... The books, school officials say, were included on the list by a group of teachers, librarians, and administrators, and approved by the board of education. Chuck Earling, superintendent of Monroe Township Schools in Williamstown, N.J., told Fox News that the committee “didn’t feel it was inappropriate based on the language that’s used, common language used on the street.”

However, after outrage from local parents, the district yanked the books, and Earling apologized. “We were not trying to create controversy. We were just trying to get students to read,” he said. --LifeNews

The New Jersey Family Policy Council added this warning to parents:

The tragedy of this story is not just that the books were assigned, but that they were pulled from the list so late. We have only a few more days before the start of school. Parents, pay attention to your children’s curricula, and do so early. It is you who knows best for your child, not the district, and it is you who must watch your child grow. Your children will come on their own to a point where they can deal with postmodern literature. Its pro-homosexual message does not need to be shoveled down their throats before they can understand its assumptions and its meaning. Be their advocate until then.

As we reported last week, Public Policy Polling released an announcement at the end of July that a majority of New Jerseyans support legalizing same-sex “marriage.” But a reporter at Politicker NJ did a little homework on the statistics and discovered that PPP’s judgment was too hasty—or perhaps loaded from the start.

The polling organization asked two questions: should same-sex marriage be legal or illegal, and should legal recognition take the form of marriage or of civil unions. 47% of respondents said same-sex unions should be recognized—only five percent more than the 42% who said they should not. But on the second question, “if the choice was between gay marriage, civil unions and no recognition at all, the public evenly splits between gay marriage (41%) and civil unions (40%).”

The way to read these results is not that the two opinions are neck and neck, with same-sex “marriage” proponents having a slight edge. If you add the 40% who prefer civil unions to the 17% who want no legal recognition at all, the picture changes. The poll reflects a clear 57% majority opposed to same-sex marriage!

FOXNews

A New Jersey school district has apologized to parents after requiring high school students to read books that include graphic depictions of lesbian sex and a homosexual orgy.

... The books were on a required summer reading list for middle school and high school students. The district decided to pull the book off the list, with the start of school just days away.

... “I don’t think [the subject matter is] relevant for any teenager,” parent Robin Myers told the newspaper. Her daughter was assigned to read the book. “I was just kind of in shock,” she said.

... the school district’s summer reading list was prepared by a committee made up of teachers, librarians and school administrators. The board of education ultimately approved the list.

“They read the books,” said [Chuck Earling, superintendent of Monroe Township Schools in Williamstown, N.J]. “They didn’t feel it was inappropriate based on the language that’s used, common language used on the street.”

The poll [PDF], by the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling, found 47 percent of voters [in New Jersey] wanted to legalize marriage between same-sex partners, while 42 percent wanted to keep it illegal.

... But when the pollster asked the question a different way, a majority of voters opposed gay marriage. When asked if gay couples should be able to legally marry, enter into civil unions but not marry, or not have their relationship recognized at all, 41 percent favored marriage, 40 percent favored civil unions but not marriage, and 17 percent wanted no recognition.

"Lambda Legal to Announce Marriage Equality Lawsuit with Garden State Equality on Wednesday at 10:00 am."

No matter what the outcome in New York, neighboring New Jersey will likely be the next new arena for marriage equality. Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer), the state’s only openly gay legislator, introduced a marriage equality bill there on June 13.

The New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney on June 20 apologized on the floor of the Senate for not voting in favor of marriage equality in January 2010, when it was defeated. Sweeney’s apology prompted Steven Goldstein, chair of New Jersey’s leading LGBT political group, Garden State Equality, to issue a statement noting that the votes are there to pass marriage equality in both houses of the legislature -- but not to override the expected veto from Governor Chris Christie (R). That means, Goldstein said, that "New Jersey will have to win marriage equality through other means."

He added, "Stay tuned for an announcement very, very soon."

The New Jersey Supreme Court in June 2010 refused to hear a case that claimed the state’s civil union law did not provide full equality. It said the case must first go through the trial court process -- making such a process the likely next step for advocates of marriage equality. --Bay Windows

"They’re talking about it in New York," said Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer), the state’s only openly gay lawmaker, who proposed a bill (A4130) on Monday to legalize same-sex marriage. "Why aren’t we talking about it in New Jersey?"

... In New Jersey, it’s the first time a lawmaker has put forward a bill on gay marriage since it was defeated in the state Senate in January 2010 — just before Gov. Chris Christie took office.Nor is it likely to go much further in New Jersey this time. Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York, a Democrat, says he’ll sign a measure approving gay marriage, but Christie, a Republican, is not so inclined. Although supporters say they’ve persuaded several New Jersey Democrats who abstained last time to vote yes, that won’t matter unless they can get every Democrat on board and pick off three Republicans to make a veto-proof majority of 27 votes.

Steven Goldstein, chairman of Garden State Equality, said the best way to pursue gay marriage is through the courts.

What would you think if 28 percent of the members of Congress were unelected and were making critical decisions every day affecting your taxes, health care and the environment?

How about if 28 percent of your local school board was unelected and thereby unaccountable but was crafting your district’s school budget and making curriculum decisions on what your children should learn in school?

I suspect that in both instances you would not like it very much and would try to do something about it by raising your voice.

However, that is exactly what is happening today on the New Jersey Supreme Court, where one seat is being deliberately left vacant by an obstinate Senate President and another is being compromised by a sitting Justice as a form of protest. This dysfunctional court, made so by the Senate’s inaction, is currently considering cases regarding school funding, whether internet bloggers are protected by the state’s “Shield Law” and attorney malpractice -- to name just a few.

As President of the National Organization for Marriage, I am particularly concerned about an issue that may very well soon come before this 5/7th Court: the definition of marriage. I don’t want a dysfunctional Court considering whether to change thousands of years of societal norms that value bringing men and women together in marriage to help ensure that kids have a mom and a dad. You may not share my concern about how the marriage issue will be decided but whether you are concerned about marriage, the environment, taxes, school funding or any other issue facing the state, every New Jerseyan should share my concern about what is happening on the Court.

What's the solution? Simple - the Senate should do its job:

The Senate President must immediately schedule hearings for the Governor’s nominee. The full Senate should then give her an up or down vote. It has been nearly nine months since the Governor nominated Mrs. Patterson, enough time to create an entire new human life. The Senate President has made whatever point he was trying to make last Spring and now it is way past time to fulfill his Constitutional obligation to the people of New Jersey and restore the Court to its full complement of legally appointed and affirmed justices.

Personally, I have no idea what the nominee's views are on the issue of marriage or any other issue. I do not know her judicial philosophy nor do I have evidence as to her demeanor. I do know this, however: Without a hearing, I and every citizen of New Jersey, will never know. And that is not fair.

Dear Friends of Marriage,

Late last week, Newark Archbishop John Myers -- a great friend of marriage -- publicly expressed concern over a new course on same-sex marriage to be offered at Seton Hall University next fall, calling on the board of regents to take action to protect Catholic teaching on marriage.

As Archbishop of Newark, Archbishop Myers provides oversight for Catholic educational institutions in the archdiocese, and is responsible for ensuring adherence to Catholic doctrine and teaching.

Particularly in the college and university setting, there is continual pressure from academic elites for religious institutions to quietly back away from faithful adherence to church teaching, in the name of "diversity" or "academic freedom."  Dozens of schools have already abanonded the religious teaching that earlier characterized the institution.  It requires continual vigilance to ensure the "authentic and orthodox Catholic teaching" that Archbishop Myers is protecting here.

With respect to marriage in particular, the cultural attack in higher education is intense. Across the country, our young people are being told there is no good reason to oppose same-sex marriage. Before long, the future of marriage will be handed over to the next generation, and it's imperative that we transmit a marriage culture to our young people -- that's the goal of NOM's Ruth Institute and other next generation projects.

We can't afford to have Catholic and other religious institutions abandon traditional teachings on marriage, and are grateful to Archbishop Myers for his courage in taking a public stand for marriage.

Please take a moment to send Archbishop Myers a message thanking him for protecting marriage at Seton Hall. Click here to send Archbishop Myers an email today!

Faithfully,

Brian S. Brown
President
National Organization for Marriage
20 Nassau Street, Suite 242
Princeton, NJ 08542
bbrown@nationformarriage.org

Dear Friends of Marriage,

Victory in New Jersey! A few minutes ago, the New Jersey Senate rejected the same-sex marriage bill by a vote of 20-14!

Thank you! Thank you!

Many, many thanks to each of you who made phone calls, sent emails, and prayed to help protect marriage in New Jersey. Yet again, we have witnessed a tremendous victory for marriage in a state where just a few months ago, victory seemed unlikely at best.

And it is your involvement that has made the difference. First in Maine. Then in New York. Now in New Jersey, today's vote marks a major victory possible only because of the tireless efforts of many, many coalition members, and the overwhelming voter outcry against same-sex marriage.

Today's victory likely blocks same-sex marriage in New Jersey for at least four years, as incoming Governor Christie has promised to veto any same-sex marriage measure that would come to his desk.

It is a day to celebrate, even as we ready for the next challenges looming on the horizon.

Would you consider a gift of $25, $50, or even $500 to help us start the year strong as we work to protect marriage all across the nation? Your gift today will help us replenish our emergency fund that was emptied in Maine, New York and New Jersey this fall, and will help us carry the momentum into 2010!

Thank you again, for all you to do protect marriage in this great land! 

Faithfully,
Brian S. Brown
Executive Director
National Organization for Marriage
20 Nassau Street, Suite 242
Princeton, NJ 08542
bbrown@nationformarriage.org

Dear Friends of Marriage,

Two days ago, NOM asked its friends and supporters to do whatever was in their power to help stop same-sex marriage in New Jersey. For some of you, that was taking time off work to go to the State House in Trenton. For others, it was making phone calls or sending emails to your state senators.

And for all of us, it was to pray, and contact our friends in New Jersey.

When we mobilized our network of supporters like you, I never guessed how dramatically things would play out in just 24 hours!

Yesterday, faced with the prospects of defeat in the Senate, bill sponsors Loretta Weinberg and Ray Lesniak petitioned Senate President Richard Codey to postpone the vote. It has now been postponed indefinitely!

Of course, Loretta Weinberg refuses to admit her defeat, but the evidence is indisputable. Four Democrat senators have now publicly stated their opposition to same-sex marriage, with just one Republican defector -- virtually assuring the bill's demise.

And our internal vote count suggests it could have been a landslide -- just like we saw in New York last week.

Same-sex marriage advocates couldn't stomach another overwhelming and very public defeat. So rather than bring the bill to a vote, with little or no chance for victory and significant risk of being humiliated, they have put the vote off indefinitely.

The bill now goes to a House Committee, where a hearing is yet to be scheduled, and it is far from certain that the bill will be advanced by the 6-member committee. It looks as though the gay marriage lobby in New Jersey may just run out the clock on Governor Corzine's term -- conceding quietly rather than with a headline-grabbing Senate vote count.

We don't know yet how things will play out in New Jersey over the next 5 weeks. But this we do know:

Gay marriage advocates used their political muscle to insist on a vote in New Jersey on gay marriage on Thursday, and they called it off for one reason alone: they knew they were going to lose. The overwhelming outpouring of phone calls and letters from regular voters was opposed to gay marriage in New Jersey, as it was in New York.

The tide has turned. The mantle of inevitability claimed by gay marriage activists is being shown for the charade it always has been.

As we near the end of 2009, please consider a generous gift to NOM to help cement these victories for marriage. Click here to make a secure online donation that will help rebuild our emergency fund and organize the grassroots army that will protect marriage at both the state and federal level in 2010.

With your help, I firmly believe that 2010 will be the year in which the gay marriage movement cedes momentum back to the defenders of right and decency in our society. Shocked by consecutive defeats deep in blue state territory, gay marriage activists must now regroup and rethink their strategy. Click here to help keep the pressure on the gay marriage lobby with your gift of $35, $50, or even $500 or more today!

Meanwhile, our movement is growing stronger by the day. From a small startup just two years ago, NOM has grown to a powerful national organization, spending nearly $8 million in 2009 to protect marriage and religious liberty all across the nation, including $3 million spent on just these past three victories alone -- $1.8 million in Maine, and $600,000 each in New York and New Jersey.

And the results have been unmistakable. When we started the year, gay marriage advocates had a decade's worth of organizational and lobbying experience in New England states that our side simply couldn't match. Thanks to your help, that will never be the case again. Never again will gay marriage advocates be able to push their agenda through simply on the basis of organizational superiority.

In 2010, we will likely see an effort to repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act. We have now proven at the state level that your phone calls and emails, especially when they number in the tens of thousands, are a powerful voice that legislators can't ignore. Next year, we need to take that state model and expand it nationally, identifying thousands of pro-marriage activists in every congressional district across the country. We want each of the 435 members of Congress to know that their own constituents are ready and waiting, even on a moment's notice, to stand up and speak out for marriage -- and that if they mess with marriage, they do so at their own electoral peril.

But in order to make this national grassroots army for marriage a reality, we urgently need your help today. No effort of this magnitude to protect marriage has ever been undertaken before. Reaching the two million Americans needed to save DOMA will require direct mail campaigns, TV and radio ads, an internet ad campaign, automated phone calls, and of course word of mouth, as you tell your friends about this vital effort to protect marriage.

We've leveraged everything we had in order to win in Maine, New York and New Jersey this fall. And it appears we're on the verge of a most amazing trifecta -- dramatic wins in all three states! But our emergency fund has been emptied.

We urgently need your help to make sure we have the resources as we enter 2010 to meet the gay marriage agenda all across the nation. I know times are tight for many right now, but if you have the means, please consider your most generous gift of $35, $50, or even $500 or more today.

And even if you're not in a position to give right now, you can help by forwarding this message to five friends who need to join our grassroots army to protect marriage! Have them visit www.twomillionformarriage.com to join us today!

You have stood with us so faithfully in the past. We need your help right now!

Faithfully,
Brian S. Brown
Executive Director
National Organization for Marriage
20 Nassau Street, Suite 242
Princeton, NJ 08542
bbrown@nationformarriage.org

P.S.: I firmly believe that the dramatic victories we've seen in the past 6 weeks are just the beginning. Next year, I'm looking forward to taking the battle to our opponents, as we begin working to repeal the same-sex marriage regimes being forced on the people of Iowa, New Hampshire and elsewhere. Your gift today will help turn our bold and aggressive goals into strategic and far-reaching victories!

P.P.S.: If you haven't yet been to TwoMillionforMarriage.com, please take a minute right now to sign the petition and help send a strong message to Congress: Don't Mess with DOMA!

Dear Friends of Marriage,

 We've just received word that Senators Loretta Weinberg and Ray Lesniak -- in a startling admission of failure and a slap in the face to voters who had rearranged their schedule to be in Trenton -- have asked to have tomorrow's vote on the same-sex marriage bill postponed. It is being reported that Senate President Richard Codey will accept their request to delay the vote.

Of course, they claim this delay has nothing to do with the fact that they're falling short of the 21 votes they need for passage. But the admission couldn't be clearer -- If they had the votes, there's no doubt the Senate would be voting tomorrow.

With tomorrow's vote canceled, we are calling off tomorrow's rally at the State House.

To those of you who had rearranged your schedule at the last minute so that you could be at the State House tomorrow, thank you. It is that sort of "minuteman" commitment that speaks so loudly to legislators.  

And thanks to all of you who have contacted your legislators this week. This extraordinary turn of events could never have happened without the outpouring of phone calls and emails that our Senators are receiving. Thank you!

At least four Democratic senators are now publicly reported to be opposed to the same-sex marriage bill, and both Republicans and Democrats are telling us that their phones are ringing off the hook! Keep up the great work!

Now, it appears the bill will go to the Assembly for hearings and a vote, before returning to the Senate late this month or in early January.  I'll keep you posted as we learn more.

Meanwhile, keep the phone calls and emails coming!

Click here to look up the phone number for your Senator and Assemblymembers.
Click here to send an email to your Senator and Assemblymembers. 

Faithfully,
Brian S. Brown
Executive Director
National Organization for Marriage
20 Nassau Street, Suite 242
Princeton, NJ 08542
bbrown@nationformarriage.org

Dear Friends of Marriage,

In just two days, the New Jersey Senate will decide the future of marriage in New Jersey. Please make time in your schedule to join us at the State House for the debate and vote on Thursday!

After more than 7 hours of hearing, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 7-6 late yesterday in favor of advancing the same-sex marriage bill to the full Senate for a vote expected Thursday.

Thanks to your strong presence, plus calls and emails, we were very nearly able to stop the bill in committee. Two Democratic Senators (Committee Chairman Paul Sarlo and Vice Chairman John Girgenti) voted against the bill. That would have been enough to kill it, except for the betrayal by Republican Senator Bill Baroni, who introduced a religious liberty fig leaf amendment in order to justify his vote for the bill, giving the last vote needed to push the bill through committee by the slimmest of margins.

If you live in New Jersey, please click here to say "Thank you!" to the six committee members who took a bold stand for marriage yesterday. These six senators continue to be under intense pressure as the floor vote approaches, and we need to thank them and urge them to stand strong!

But that was just the precursor. On Thursday, the stakes are even higher. If you've never taken action before, please do it now!

We have two days in which to stop same-sex marriage in New Jersey for four years. Incoming Governor Christie has promised to veto any SSM bill that reaches his desk. If the bill passes the Senate, gay marriage advocates are confident they can push it through the Assembly, too. This is the end of the line. We must hold it here.

Gay marriage advocates accepted the Baroni amendment that pretends to protect the liberties of religious groups -- but only if they "serve a particular faith or denomination." As the Becket Fund for Religious Liberties wrote today, such a limitation makes the protection virtually meaningless. For example, if a Lutheran church were to rent a banquet hall to a Presbyterian couple for a wedding reception, it would instantly lose all protections under this sham amendment. 

It is imperative that New Jersey Senators hear from as many of their constituents as possible over the next two days. Tell them you won't stand for this deceptive religious liberty amendment.

If you live in New Jersey:

(1) Click here to look up the phone number for your state senators. Call and tell your senator that the new religious liberty language is a sham and does nothing to provide real protections for people of faith. Same-sex marriage is a disaster for religious believers and institutions, and the new language offers nothing to protect them.

(2) Click here to send an email to your state senators and assembly members.

(3) Come to the State House Thursday morning at 9am. (Click here for directions.)  Take off work, or do whatever you possibly can to come to the State House on Thursday. Please come early and prepare to stay for a long day. The loudest message we can send NJ Senators at this point is the overwhelming physical presence of thousands of New Jerseyans who support marriage. Gay marriage advocates will be out in force, and we're aiming to fill the State House with New Jerseyans who are willing to sacrifice their time -- and even a day's pay if necessary -- so that they can help protect marriage. This is an historic moment. So come early and stay as long as you can. If you can't stay for the whole day, please come for whatever time you're able. Your presence sends a powerful message to our legislators.

If you live outside New Jersey:

(1) Please forward this message to everyone you know who lives in New Jersey. The need is urgent. Do it right now.

We saw in New York just last week how many legislators can be swayed by an outpouring of calls and emails from their constituents. It's time to make it happen in New Jersey. Even if you've called and emailed repeatedly in the past months, do it again today!

Pray. Call. Email. And then bring your friends to Trenton on Thursday.  

Faithfully,
Brian S. Brown
Executive Director
National Organization for Marriage
20 Nassau Street, Suite 242
Princeton, NJ 08542
bbrown@nationformarriage.org

Dear Friends of Marriage,

On Monday, at 1pm, the New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing and vote on same-sex marriage. If passed out of committee, the bill could be voted on by the full Senate as early as Thursday.

Please make time to call the Senate Judiciary Committee members today. And if there's any way you can make time to attend the hearing on Monday, your presence will be GREATLY appreciated!

Our opponents are organizing "the most massive crowd ever." They know this is a do or die moment for same-sex marriage in New Jersey -- at least for the next 4 years. Once Governor Christie takes office in January, he's promised to veto any same-sex marriage bill that reaches his desk.

All of us are busy this time of year, but we have to protect marriage for the next 4 weeks. The first step is to contact the Senate Judiciary Committee right now.

Here's what I need you to do!

1) Call the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Urge them to vote NO on the same-sex marriage bill. A lame duck session is no time to push through a same-sex marriage bill that has been too controversial for the legislature to touch for the past four years.

Sen. Paul Sarlo (Chair): (201) 804-8118
Sen. John Girgenti (Vice-Chair): (973) 427-1229
Sen. Bill Baroni: (609) 631-9988
Sen. Christopher Bateman: (908) 526-3600
Sen. Jennifer Beck: (732) 933-1591
Sen. Gerard Cardinale: (201) 567-2324
Sen. Nia Gill: (973) 509-0388
Sen. Joseph Kyrillos: (732) 671-3206
Sen. Raymond Lesnick: (908) 624-0880
Sen. Nicholas Scutari: (908) 587-0404
Sen. Bob Smith: (732) 752-0770
Sen. Brian Stack: (201) 861-5091
Sen. Loretta Weinberg: (201) 928-0100

2) Attend the hearing on Monday! We need as many people as possible to show up at the State House on Monday for the hearing. Same-sex marriage advocates will be out in force, and it is essential that we make a strong showing. The hearing starts at 1pm and may last most of the day, but please come for whatever time you can.

The hearing is being held in the State House Annex, Committee Room 4 on the 1st floor.  Click here for directions and parking info, and please plan to arrive by noon, as the committee room will fill up quickly.

3) Send an email to your own state senators and assemblymembers. Even while the attention is focused on Monday's committee vote, we need to keep up the pressure on every state official, especially members of the New Jersey Senate, who could be asked to vote on the bill yet next week. Click here to email your state senators and assemblymembers.

Our opponents are pouring resources into New Jersey. Please take action right now to help protect marriage over these next four weeks!

Faithfully,
Brian S. Brown
Executive Director
National Organization for Marriage
20 Nassau Street, Suite 242
Princeton, NJ 08542
bbrown@nationformarriage.org

Dear Friends of Marriage,

The battle for marriage is heating up in New Jersey!

During four years with Jon Corzine as Governor, the New Jersey Legislature didn't touch same-sex marriage -- it was just too controversial. But now, with Governor Christie set to take office in just a few weeks, and the next election nearly two years away, gay marriage advocates are making a last ditch effort to force the issue during the lame duck transition session -- while voters are paying attention to things like Thanksgiving and Christmas plans, and trying to balance the family checkbook in the middle of an economic crisis that has left many families struggling to make ends meet.

But we're taking the issue right to New Jersey voters.

New Jerseyans deserve to know what their legislators are up to. And we've launched a $500,000 voter outreach campaign to make sure they know what's going on in Trenton. The campaign is highlighted by a new radio ad "Give me a break," (click here to listen), which began running on New Jersey radio stations yesterday and will continue for at least two weeks.

The new radio ad underscores that Governor Corzine had four years to push a same-sex marriage bill, and shouldn't be wasting the legislature's time now when there is a critical budget deficit and economic crisis to be attending to.  The ad will be supplemented with direct mail, telephone calls, and online advertising.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!
I hope you've taken a minute to listen to the New Jersey radio ad above (click here to listen). This is the type of hard-hitting ad that we've been able to bring to the marriage debate not only in New Jersey, but in every state where legislators have tried to push same-sex marriage. (Click here to see all of our TV and radio ads that have aired across the country.)

Thanks to your generosity, we've been the largest single contributors to the campaigns in California and Maine, and have been able to provide much-needed reinforcements to the state groups working on the ground in places like New York, New Jersey and elsewhere.

While funds for our New Jersey campaign have already been set aside, we need your help to replenish our emergency fund for the days ahead. We poured everything we had into Maine (and would do it again in an instant!) to assure victory there. The New Jersey funds we have were set aside weeks ago as we anticipated this desperate attempt to force SSM through during the lame duck session.

But in order for us to have the same kind of dramatic impact in 2010 that we've been able to have over the past year, we need your help today! Already, we know there will be continuing battles in New York and Washington, DC. next year.  Undoubtedly, there will be other urgent needs as well, as legislators look ahead to the 2010 elections.

Will you stand with us today? Your gift of $50, $100, or even $1000 or more if you have the ability, would make a powerful statement as we rebuild our emergency fund. [We know our opponents read these emails, too -- and sometime publish them on the web -- and they know we've poured everything we had into Maine and New Jersey.]

We can't afford to enter 2010 without a strong funding base. Our opponents press when and where they think we are the weakest. Thanks to your generosity, we've always had the resources to fight back.

I'm looking to identify 100 new monthly donors over the next two weeks. Whether it's $10 a month, or $100 a month, our monthly donors provide the sturdy foundation that allows us to extend ourselves in places like Maine and New Jersey when the need arises. Would you join our monthly donor team today? Click here to make your most generous donation today!

And for every dollar given, we make this solemn promise: We will do everything within our power to make it as effective as possible. We don't have the bloated infrastructure and overhead that many organizations do. Every dollar is focused on mission effectiveness.

California and Maine campaign manager Frank Schubert recently said: "I believe that NOM is the most effective national advocacy group in the nation. They are swift, nimble, completely mission focused and extremely effective."

That's our promise -- to be as swift, nimble, focused and effective as possible with every dollar.

Thank you for standing with us and enabling us to make an impact for marriage all across the nation. Will you stand with us again today?

Faithfully,
Brian S. Brown
Executive Director
National Organization for Marriage
20 Nassau Street, Suite 242
Princeton, NJ 08542
bbrown@nationformarriage.org

Dear Friends of Marriage,

Same-sex marriage advocates are pulling out all the stops in a last-ditch effort to pass a gay marriage bill in New Jersey before Governor Christie takes office in January.

As of today they don't have the votes, and they know it.

The legislature is back in Trenton for a lame duck session this week, and Garden State Equality has declared today an urgent lobby day at the statehouse, calling same-sex couples from around the state to descend on Trenton to push for same-sex marriage.

Don't let theirs be the only voices our legislators hear today.
Take a moment to make your voice heard! Click here to send an email
to your state senator and assemblymembers!

The Democratic leadership in the Senate has expressed a reluctance to put their members on record unless they know they have the votes to pass it. Judiciary Committee Chair Paul Sarlo recently said he wouldn't move the SSM bill through committee unless the votes were already in place to pass the bill when it got to the floor of the Senate. And incoming Senate President Steve Sweeney suggested to reporters last week that the Senate should use the lame duck session to fix the economy, rather than debate same-sex marriage.

But these leaders have been under tremendous pressure, and late last week, Sen. Loretta Weinberg told the press that she had obtained a commitment from Senate Democratic leaders to move the same-sex marriage bill during this week's lame duck session.

That's right -- same-sex marriage could be voted on in New Jersey before Thanksgiving!
Your legislators need to hear from you right now!

The same-sex marriage bill is not on the published agenda for today's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. But in the lame duck session things can move quickly and we need to put our legislators on notice: Don't Mess with Marriage!

Please click here right now to email your state senator and assemblymembers, and then forward this email to everyone you know who will help us stop same-sex marriage at this critical moment. Pass it on to friends and neighbors. Mention it to people from church, and talk about it with your family.

Today, NOM is launching a $500,000 campaign to shine the light on Trenton, making sure all New Jerseyans know about the misguided priorities of Governor Corzine and legislators who, after four years in office, have decided that now, after Governor Corzine's failed reelection bid, is the time to push a gay marriage bill. Click here to listen to our new radio ad.

Faithfully,
Brian S. Brown
Executive Director
National Organization for Marriage
20 Nassau Street, Suite 242
Princeton, NJ 08542
bbrown@nationformarriage.org

Dear Friends of Marriage,

The next two months will shape the future of marriage in New Jersey. We need your help today!

After last week's election, gay marriage advocates know they have just two months to pass a same-sex marriage bill in New Jersey. Once Governor-elect Christie is inaugurated in January, he has promised to veto any same-sex marriage bill that reaches his desk for the next four years.

Governor Corzine decided to make same-sex marriage one of the signature issues of his campaign -- even choosing Loretta Weinberg, the Senate's longtime advocate of same-sex marriage, to be his running mate. ("Tears of Joy" is how Garden State Equality announced the news that Weinberg would be on the ticket.)

But they lost.

So now Governor Corzine is trying to push same-sex marriage through in the lame duck session. And all too many legislators are happy to go along -- happy to keep their vote on gay marriage as far away from the next election as possible!

We need your help to keep the pressure on now!

Immediately after last week's election, Garden State Equality went on the air with TV ads aimed at undecided legislators. Within days, hundreds of activists had attended emergency strategy meetings to lay the groundwork for their lame duck campaign. And it won't stop there. New Jersey legislators -- especially in the Senate -- will be bombarded with calls, emails and personal meetings over the next few weeks, as gay marriage advocates make a last ditch effort to put a same-sex marriage bill on Governor Corzine's desk before he leaves office in January.

But we can put a stop to this desperate attempt to redefine marriage!

NOM is pleased to be part of the largest grassroots campaign ever organized to protect marriage in New Jersey, as we all work together to stop this latest gay marriage push. Last week, NOM launched a $250,000 radio ad campaign to make New Jerseyans aware of the radical agenda being pushed in Trenton during the lame duck session.

Already, we're seeing reports of divisions within the Senate Democratic caucus. Just a few days ago, Senate President Richard Codey admitted to a WNYC reporter that he doesn't have enough Democratic votes to pass the bill, despite a 23-17 party advantage in the Senate. And he's not sure he has enough Republican votes, either.

Gay marriage advocates are working frantically to swing enough votes in the Senate to pass same-sex marriage. If we can hold the line here, for the next ten weeks, we can save marriage in New Jersey for at least four years.Here's what I need you to do:

1) Click here to email your state senator and assemblymembers right now. Tell them that marriage deserves a full and fair hearing, not a rushed vote while the voters aren't looking. Marriage is too important to be rammed through with backroom deals during a lame duck session.

2) Spread the word! Tell everyone you know that we need them right now. Forward this email to your friends. Tell people at church. Make sure every member of your family contacts your state senator over the next few weeks. Together we can stop this bill!

Will you stand with us today? Don't put it off. We don't know exactly when a vote might take place. Take action today!

Faithfully,

Brian S. Brown
Executive Director
National Organization for Marriage
20 Nassau Street, Suite 242
Princeton, NJ 08542
bbrown@nationformarriage.org