NOM BLOG

Monthly Archives: October 2010

“Give Us the Ballot!” NOM Launches New MN Radio Ad Campaign

We’ve just released our latest radio ad, a new ad entitled “Give us the ballot,” opening with Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous words, and calling on Minnesota gubernatorial candidates Mark Dayton and Tom Horner to protect “our most important civil right” by joining Tom Emmer in supporting the right of Minnesotans to vote on marriage.

The new ad is co-sponsored by the Minnesota Family Council and began airing on radio stations across Minnesota today. Watch the ad below, and then click here to make an online donation to NOM’s work across the country.

ElectionWatch 2010: Hawaii Poll Shocker: Pro-Marriage Djou Leads Pro-SSM Hanabusa by 4 points

When NOM helped elect Republican Charles Djou in a three-way special election earlier this year, it was supposed to be merely a temporary victory.  In this Democratic district, the pundits said Djou would stand no chance of winning the general election.  But the latest poll shows pro-marriage Charles Djou 4 points up against pro-gay marriage Colleen Hanabusa.  Could an upset be in the making?

HRC to LDS Church: Change Your Religious Doctrines to Please Us!

It's kind of an extraordinary moment. Elder Boyd Packer gave a speech at a religious gathering, in which he reiterated the Mormon church’s long-held view that sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman is wrong.  "Impure" was one of the terms he used.  Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese, perhaps egged on by Judge Walker's "Finding of Fact #77" that religious beliefs hurt gays and lesbians, decided his political organization should attempt to change the LDS church's religious doctrines, delivering a petition signed by 150,000 folks telling Elder Packer to change his faith's tenets.

This is weird, strange new territory.  A signal of where the gay rights movement is headed?

MN Bishops Make Clear Declaration: Marriage between one man and one woman serves common good; Doesn’t discriminate against those with same-sex attraction

According to the Catholic News Agency all five Minnesota bishops explain that marriage as the union of husband and wife promotes the common good, does not discriminate, and should be supported by all people of good will:

“Both faith and reason agree, then, that marriage is an institution central to the life of human society,” they continued. “The committed relationship between one man and one woman calls forth the best of the spouses, not only for their own sake, but also for the well-being of their children and for the advancement of the common good. It is neither possible for us to change the definition of marriage nor wise to attempt to do so.”

Read the whole story here.

Katherine Kersten: This Year the Family is on the Ballot in Minnesota

“This year's election is supposed to be about jobs, bloated budget deficits, taxes and other economic issues. No doubt it will be. But more is at stake.

“On Nov. 2, the family -- and marriage as we know it -- will be on the ballot in Minnesota. . .

“Next year, Democrats will likely try to steamroll same-sex marriage through. If Dayton or Horner is elected, the governor will be on board -- perhaps even leading the charge.”

Read the whole story here.

You did it!!! $437,000 for marriage in just 7 days!

One week ago, I introduced you to the Human Rights Campaign's latest attack website: NOMexposed.org, and laid down a challenge, asking you to raise $200,000 in a single week, with every dollar to be matched by a matching challenge grant.

I told you this campaign would show what we are made of.

And you rose to the occasion!

"Thank you" hardly seems adequate to express my gratitude. Over the past seven days, nearly 1,000 of you contributed to what is easily our largest and most successful online campaign ever. Many of you gave sacrificially to stand up for what is right, and to remind the Human Rights Campaign that we will never back down in the face of their lies and anti-religious bigotry.

Over the past week, we received $87,583 from 985 generous supporters. And to top if off, as the campaign drew to a close I received a call from a gentleman who was outraged by HRC's attempts to silence NOM. He was calling to tell me that he would be mailing a check for $150,000, just to make sure that every dollar of the matching grant was realized.

So, I am pleased to report . . . Our ExposingNOMexposed.com matching grant campaign successfully raised at total of $237,583, qualifying for the full $200,000 matching grant contribution.

And here's the bottom line:

Because of HRC's new website, NOMexposed.org, with all its name-calling, intimidation and over-the-top graphics, we now have $437,000 that we didn’t have a week ago. That's nearly a half million dollars for marriage that would not be available were it not for NOMexposed.org.

And instead of putting that money into silly attack websites (If you still haven’t visited, I hope you’ll go have a look at NOMexposed.org for yourself!), we will use every penny to protect marriage, organizing grassroots support, holding politicians accountable, and reaching out to those who are still undecided or willing to reconsider their views on same-sex marriage.

It has been a tremendous week . . . and the best is yet to come! Thank you.

Just three hours left!

Just three hours left. One last chance to join us as we press toward our goal of $200,000 by midnight tonight!

Throughout the evening, the contributions to our ExposingNOMexposed.com challenge have kept rolling in. We're up to $81,139 contributed by 880 generous supporters. Be sure you are a part of this tremendous outpouring of support!  Every dollar donated between now and midnight Eastern Time will be doubled by our matching challenge grant.

You still have one last chance to join us as we
come down to the wire in this matching grant campaign!
Click here to make your gift right now!

12 Hours Remaining!!! Help Reach our $200K Matching Grant Goal by Midnight Tonight!

With just twelve hours remaining, we need to raise $164,331 by midnight tonight to meet our ExposingNOMexposed.com Matching Grant Challenge.

Please click here to join our online Money Bomb right now!

So far, with donations still rolling in, we have raised $35,669.00. And every dollar raised by midnight tonight will be doubled, allowing us to extend our message even further in these last three weeks before the election.

Time is short! We have just a short window of opportunity to reach the American people with our message about marriage. Please click here to make your gift right now. Then tell five friends and family right away.

Between now and the November election, we're launching hard-hitting new radio and TV ads to expose politicians supporting same-sex marriage, and to keep Americans informed.

  • In New Hampshire, we just launched our biggest ad campaign yet, showing voters how Governor Lynch says one thing, but does just the opposite.
  • In Minnesota, we're letting voters know that two of the three candidates for governor oppose the civil right of Minnesotans to vote on marriage.
  • We just launched a new Spanish language ad in California, making voters aware of Barbara Boxer's extreme views on same-sex marriage and abortion, as well as her opposition to a guest worker program allowing immigrants to work in the U.S. legally.
  • And in Iowa, we're making sure voters know it's their right to reject the three supreme court judges on the ballot who forced same-sex marriage on the state last year.

And there's more to come, I promise you. But only if we have the resources to get the word out in these last few days while people are paying close attention to what their politicians think about marriage. Please make your gift today!

The Human Rights Campaign is engaged in a coordinated effort to slander, misrepresent, and discredit NOM's message and mission. They are obsessed with stopping our amazing success over the past three years. And they have launched this series of vicious attacks on NOM because they know our message is getting through.

The worst of it is their blatant anti-religious bigotry – accusing NOM of "deep ties to the Mormon Church, the Catholic Church hierarchy and right-wing evangelical pastors and organizations." Somehow, HRC thinks this is a scandal. But we couldn’t be prouder of our support from people of faith.

The only way they can succeed is if they can force you and me to keep silent.

And we won't back down. Ever.

The only question is whether we will have the resources to keep spreading our message far and wide. I appreciate the emails from many of you expressing outrage over HRC's attempt to vilify NOM, our staff, and our supporters.

I'm asking you to help us send a message to HRC.
Show them that their attacks helped raise $400,000 to protect marriage over just
the past week. Click here to make your gift of $25, $50 or even $100 or more today!

I am heartened with the strong show of support we have received from so many in these past six days. Many of you are new supporters who have never before given to the work we are doing, and I thank you for joining us in this fight.

But there is much work left to be done. Tens of thousands of you reading this message have never yet donated to protect marriage. If you're not in a position to donate, please know that your prayers, phone calls, emails and letters are critical to this marriage fight. But most of us could afford $20 – the cost of a family dinner at McDonalds. And every gift today will be doubled!

Please keep spreading the word. Tell your family and friends. We have just a few hours remaining. Please make your contribution right now!

Minnesota Star Tribune: The Church has a Right to Advocate!

Archbishop Nienstedt's courage has provoked a firestorm of protest in Minnesota, some of which has taken the ugly form of threats to take away the Catholic Church's tax-exempt status, or otherwise suggesting that the Archbishop communications to his flock were somehow illegitimate. The Star-Tribune, in the best Minnesota tradition, reiterates its support for gay marriage--but defends the Catholic Church's right to speak:

"Advocacy is nothing new to the Catholic Church or many other religious groups. Clerics have historically been at the forefront of politics in debates over (among other things) slavery, child labor, prohibition, obscenity in books and films, civil rights, Roe vs. Wade, the war in Vietnam and the war in Iraq. . .The perceived insensitivity of the DVD in such a climate may cost Catholics some parishioners. Others will be inspired to see their church sailing into the headwinds of unsettling social change. As always, each individual must decide what conscience dictates.

“But a free society should respect the Catholic Church's right to advocate for its principles"

Brazilian Pastor Threatened by Government for Speaking Against Abortion, Gay Marriage

When Pastor Paschoal Piragine Jr. of the First Baptist Church of Curitiba, warned his flock that the ruling Brazilian Labor Party (PT) is seeking to create "institutionalized evil" in Brazil, and that video went viral, the government responded by threatening "legal" action. Story here.

3 million have already viewed this YouTube video of the pastor’s message.

NOM Releases New Spanish Language Ad in California – Nuestros Valores

With Boxer and Fiorina locked in a tight race in California three weeks before the election, NOM has just released a new Spanish language TV ad that will begin airing in California markets today. The ad, entitled “Nuestros Valores” (Our Values), highlights Boxer’s unabashed support for abortion and same-sex marriage, while opposing a legal immigration reform.  Watch the ad below, and then click here to make a gift to help support NOM’s work holding those politicians throughout our country who seek destroy marriage accountable.

NOM Releases New Ad Exposing NH Gov. Lynch: “He’s Changed”

New Hampshire Governor John Lynch has changed. On taxes. On spending. On gay marriage. The John Lynch of today isn’t the same John Lynch that New Hampshire voters first elected six years ago.  And NOM is teaming up with Cornerstone Action on a new TV ad campaign exposing John Lynch’s changing record.  Watch our new TV ad, and if you can afford a few dollars to expose politicians across the country who say one thing and do another, click here to make a donation today.

Supreme Court to Judge Walker: No Release of Videotapes, Ever.

The 9th Circuit was stewing about what to do with the videotapes Judge Walker insisted on creating. The Supreme Court once again stepped in to say: No broadcast. We mean it.

Read more here.

New Iowa Poll: Iowa Judges Headed for Historic Election Loss Over SSM

The Des Moines Register just published a poll showing the Iowa judges race is essentially a toss up, shocking the political experts.  J. Ann Selzer, the pollster for The Des Moines Register's Iowa Poll, predicted: "I think it suggests that some justices, and perhaps all, will be removed. It lines up along Democrat and Republican lines pretty easily, except for low-income voters, which is typically a Democratic constituency."

"Those poll numbers are stunning," said Brian T. Fitzpatrick, a Vanderbilt University associate law professor who has followed Iowa's retention debate. "It is virtually unheard-of for a judge to lose a retention race."

Watch the NOM ads which have kept Iowa voters informed here.

Comparing the Left's "One Nation Rally" to Glenn Beck's Restore Honor Rally

Glenn Beck's Restore Honor Rally(Above) - The Left's One Nation Rally(Below)