An Inch At A Time: Reflections on the Journey: NOM(D) -- National Organization for Marriage Discrimination -- Launches NY Campaign

Monday, July 11, 2011

NOM(D) -- National Organization for Marriage Discrimination -- Launches NY Campaign

It's called NOM and it bills itself as the National Organization for Marriage ... and it was one of the driving forces behind the effort to unconstitutionally write discrimination into the California Constitution via the 2008 Prop 8 campaign. Which is why I'm advocating for a name change to NOM(D) ... National Organization for Marriage Discrimination.

It is a much more fitting name for an organization that embraces lying-through-your-teeth as a Biblical Value and promotes Family Values that devalue gay and lesbian families; for a deeply homophobic enterprise that has nothing whatsoever to do with protecting marriage and everything to do with perpetuating bigotry.

And now they're turning their sights on New York ... launching a campaign with this fundraising letter to oust what they're calling "pro-equality Republicans." (Because being in favor of equality is a bad thing?) Check it out:

Republicans ... sold out the party's base, the party's principles, and the timeless institution of marriage. They imposed gay marriage without a vote of the people!

Newsflash for the National Organization for Marriage Discrimination:

The poll numbers tell us even "the base" is tired of the Chicken Little Culture Wars around LGBT equality

The historic principles of the GOP (and I was a registered Republican until 1992 so I know of which I speak) tell us they do NOT include writing discrimination into the Constitution (see also Barry Goldwater ... for example)

And history tells us "the timeless institution of marriage" has evolved down through history from a property transaction between two men (father selling daughter to husband) to the commitment of two people to love, honor and cherish until death do they part.

It's time for a Protect Marriage Movement that protects ALL marriages and a Family Values Coalition that values ALL families.

Call the NOM(D) on it's crap whenever and wherever you can ... Letters to the Editors; Comments on news blogs; Twitter, Facebook, Whatever.

Stand up. Speak out. Together we can:

End the lies.

End the madness.

End the discrimination.

(Maybe it's time to start NOAM -- the National Organization for ALL Marriages! Anybody in?)

1 comment:

Patricia Brush said...: I read NOM(D)'s letter, and I read the comments section that follows.

There are a lot of commenters who are incredibly uneducated as to what the Bible says or what the US Constitution says, but who have extreme views on the matter. It makes me sad to know that people are living with this much unnecessary hatred and fear.

There are several gay or gay champion commenters doing their best. (So, since they are on the side of good, are they trolls?)

I hesitated about weighing in. They are so entrenched in their beliefs, they couldn't see the truth if it smacked them between the eyes.; 6:48 AM

... where I try to be really clear about what I'm clear about. For example:

Religious persecution is when you're prevented from exercising your beliefs, not when you're prevented from IMPOSING your beliefs.

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Using "biblical standards" to condemn those who understand that sexual orientation is morally neutral makes as much sense as using "biblical standards" to condemn astronomers who understand that the earth revolves around the sun. The Bible may have said it but that doesn't always settle it.

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It's liberty and justice for all -- not some. It's respect the dignity of every human being -- not just straight ones. Got it? Great. Let's do it.

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In order to keep moving forward toward liberty and justice for all we can't just be right about what the 1st Amendment protects. We have to be smart about how we respond to those who skipped the 9th Commandment and think lying is a Traditional Family Value.

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Jesus said "Love your neighbor." Not "Love your neighbor unless your neighbor is gay."

Smart things other people have said you should know about

“Faith in action is called politics. Spirituality without action is fruitless and social action without spirituality is heartless. We are boldly political without being partisan. Having a partisan-free place to stand liberates the religious patriot to see clearly, speak courageously, and act daringly.” -- Ed Bacon

“Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"It's time for "tolerant" religious people to acknowledge the straight line between the official anti-gay theologies of their denominations and the deaths of these young people. Nothing short of changing our theology of human sexuality will save these young and precious lives." -- The Rt Rev Gene Robinson

"How can you initiate someone into the Body of Christ and then treat them like they’re half-assed baptized?" - The Rt Rev Barbara Harris

“I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ~ Elie Wiesel, 1986 Nobel Peace Prize

"Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant with the weak and wrong. Sometime in your life, you will have been all of these." — Siddhārtha Gautama

"I'm so glad Mary didn't wait for the formulation of a Doctrine of the Incarnation before she said 'Yes' to God." -- Ed Bacon

"The great Easter truth is not that we will be born again someday but that we are to be alive here and now by the power of the resurrection." -- Philips Brooks (paraphrase)

"History belongs to the intercessors, who believe the future into being.” -- Walter Wink

“Patience, a quality of holiness may be sloth in the soul when associated with the lack of righteous indignation.” -- Abraham Heschel

"Don't tell me what you believe. Tell me what difference it makes that you believe!" -- Verna Dozier

“We establish no religion in this country, we command no worship, we mandate no belief. Nor will we ever. Church and state are, and must remain, separate. All are free to believe or not believe, all are free to practice a faith or not, and those who believe are free and should be free, to speak of and act on their belief. At the same time as our constitution prohibits state religion, establishment of it protects the free exercise of all religions. And walking this fine line requires government to be strictly neutral.” -- Ronald Reagan

Let's be clear. The fact that the State authorizes a marriage in no way compels any Church to perform or recognize it. Marriage equality merely guarantees equality under the law to all citizens; it does not compel churches to do anything.-- Katherine Ragsdale