Brian Brown Has The Fox Debate Sadz

"The nation watched the first debate of the presidential cycle this week, as Fox News hosted the affair from Cleveland on Thursday evening. As many NOM supporters have observed, the mainstream media rarely treats the marriage issue with the importance it deserves, and even Fox News has been reluctant to give it fair and balanced coverage. Regrettably, this was evident in their handling of the marriage issue during the presidential debate. Only two candidates were asked about marriage, and it was phrased in an adversarial way, pitting support for traditional marriage as being at odds with support for a gay family member. How ridiculous! Sadly, when it came to the marriage issue, Fox News bumbled badly. We hope that future debates will give the candidates a fuller opportunity to expound on their views about protecting marriage and the actions they will take as president to reverse the illegitimate ruling of the Supreme Court. NOM is committed to helping the American people separate out the marriage champions from the pretenders by issuing our Presidential Marriage Pledge. A number of candidates have signed onto our pledge, and we will be announcing those names soon." - Hate group leader Brian Brown, writing for NOM's blog.

MAINE: State Supreme Court Rules That NOM Must Reveal Their Donors

Via the Portland Press Herald:

The National Organization for Marriage has lost another round in its attempt to hide the identities of donors to a successful 2009 referendum campaign to reverse Maine’s marriage equality law. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court on Tuesday denied NOM’s motion to block a ruling by the state’s ethics and elections commission that the organization must register as a ballot question committee and begin disclosing its donors. Last year the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices imposed a $50,250 fine on NOM, the nation’s leading organization opposing gay marriage, a ruling that could affect the way nonprofit organizations attempt to influence Maine elections. The ruling followed an investigation in which the staff of the ethics commission found that NOM failed to comply with state law by concealing its operations and donors during the drive to overturn Maine’s same-sex marriage law in 2009. The ethics vote meant that the state will require the organization to register as a ballot question committee and disclose its donors from the campaign.

The director of the ethics commission says that NOM has both paid its fine and registered as a ballot question committee "under protest."

More from the Bangor Daily News:

The National Organization for Marriage has argued that the Maine Ethics Commission misapplied the law that its donors from across the United States were supporting the organization’s general principles and not specifically the referendum in Maine. The organization also has argued that disclosing its donors would seriously hinder its ability to raise funds in the future. In May 2014, Maine Ethics Commission Chairman Walter McKee said that the National Organization for Marriage has made a “mockery” of Maine’s campaign finance disclosure laws. It was unclear whether the National Organization for Marriage has any additional legal options to avoid disclosure of the list.

NOM Money Begs ON FADA (Again)

"We have already made great progress in advancing the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA). The Senate version of FADA, S. 1598 authored by Utah Senator Mike Lee, has 36 Senate cosponsors. The House version, HR 2802 authored by Idaho Representative Raul Labrador, currently has 142 cosponsors. That means that over 40% of the entire Congress is officially supporting this critical legislation — an impressive accomplishment! Despite this high degree of Congressional support, enactment of FADA will take a fierce fight. NOM must raise $100,000 immediately to mount a full court blitz to pass this legislation. The First Amendment Defense Act is the Hyde Amendment of the marriage issue. It will protect people of faith from being forced to be involved in supporting this illegitimate attempt by the Supreme Court to redefine marriage. Please help us protect American families and the religious and charitable institutions they treasure by making a generous financial contribution to NOM today." - Hate group leader Brian Brown, who doesn't say how that $100K will be used. Today's email contains 15 links to NOM's donation page.

NOM: Alabama Should Ignore SCOTUS

"The Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell mandating same-sex marriage throughout the nation is not only wrong, but illegitimate. The oaths that elected officials take is to 'the Constitution,' not to 'the Supreme Court,' and it is high time that 'that eminent tribunal' be reminded that the very essence of its authority comes from the Constitution. As John Marshall stated in the famous decision of Marbury v. Madison, the power of judicial review does not imply a superiority of the courts to the elected branches of government, but a superiority of the Constitution to both."- NOM chairman John Eastman, in a joint press release urging the Alabama Supreme Court to act on the demand filed earlier this month by the Liberty Counsel.

Brian Brown On The Equality Act

"Sponsored by the grossly-misnamed Human Rights Campaign special interest group, HR 3185 is breathtaking in its scope. It would allow gay and lesbian activists to persecute Americans in virtually every area of society — in employment, public accommodations, housing, credit, and a dozen other areas of civil life. Wherever federal law prohibits racial discrimination, it would also prohibit 'discrimination' based on 'sexual orientation and gender identity.' The legislation puts in the crosshairs anyone who believes God created people male and female. It would declare that a traditional view of human sexuality is hateful and bigoted and treat Christians, Jews and other people of faith just as the law treats racists. HR 3185 specifically denies someone who has been targeted the ability to rely on the provisions of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act as a defense against the complaint of discrimination.

"Please act today to help us defeat HR 3185. Click here to send a message to your federal representatives asking them to vote against this dangerous proposal that will result in rampant persecution of Americans in virtually every area of civil life. It is imperative that members of Congress hear immediately that the American people will not tolerate the creation of powerful special rights for one segment of society, and allow them to use the power of the federal government to persecute anyone who disagrees with them." - Hate group leader Brian Brown, who is very upset at the prospect of LGBT Americans being granted the same protections that Christians have enjoyed for over half a century. And note that he evades calling the bill by its name.

British Documentary: World Congress Of Families And NOM Are Fomenting Anti-Gay Violence Across Africa

Last night Britain's Channel 4 aired Hunted: Gay And Afraid, which points to US-based Christian groups such as the World Congress Of Families and NOM as fomenting anti-LGBT violence across Africa. The Independent reviews:

MacKean's film focused not on the victims but on the "villains", specifically the World Congress of Families, an organisation which, though based in the US, has tentacles stretching into Europe, Africa and beyond. View footage of any high-level meeting to draft draconian, homophobic legislation, anywhere in the world, and it seems you'll find a WCF member or affiliate lurking in the corner of the frame. Figures such as the WCF managing director, Pastor Larry Jacobs, and Brian Brown, president of the National Organisation for Marriage, were tracked down by MacKean and confronted with the accusation that the effect of their lobbying can be to legitimise violence. This isn't news to viewers of the above-mentioned documentaries. It was striking to note how the same lobbying tactics have been replicated from country to country: First, select a biddable local politician as a frontman, then falsely conflate homosexuality with child abuse, spuriously blame gay people for public health issues and repeat as necessary.

Earlier this week the World Congress of Families issued a press release denouncing the show:

The documentary-produced by the British TV current affairs documentary series, "Dispatches" -claims to "expose the backlash against gay rights and to shed light on WCF." From its early promotional material, it appears that the documentary is filled with misinformation, intentional or otherwise, thus failing to acknowledge that WCF is not a lobbying group and has never advocated for laws that would harm, harass, or disparage those choosing an LGBT lifestyle. WCF does, however, support policies and legislation that strengthen the welfare of the natural family and protects human rights for all consistent with The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  "Reputable journalists and documentarians strive to present the truth. We ask that the producers of this documentary get correct information and not tarnish their reputation by airing falsehoods about our organization for the sole purpose of promoting a particular agenda," said Janice Shaw Crouse, a member of the Board of Directors of WCF and Executive Director of the World Congress on Families IX. "At the very least, they should seek comment or reaction from official representatives of WCF about the information they have collected."

The press release goes on to blame the SPLC and the HRC for promulgating "negative and unwarranted attacks" against them. The WCF has also issued a lengthy "Call For Civil Dialogue" which purports to contradict the charges against them. See that message, but read it carefully and you'll see that the WCF basically admits most of the claims made by the SPLC and HRC.

VIDEO: The full Channel 4 documentary has been posted online, but I'm unable to make to video player work at this writing.

RELATED: Last September Brian Brown and representatives from the World Congress of Families attended a Kremlin summit which concluded with a formal written call for more nations to enact brutal anti-LGBT laws.

Paging Brian Brown

(Tipped by JMG reader Lynda)

Ted Cruz Convenes Senate Hearing On "SCOTUS Activism" - Calls Hate Group Leader John Eastman As Witness

Yesterday Ted Cruz convened a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight, which he chairs, in order to call for reining in the "judicial tyranny" of the Supreme Court. One of the three witnesses he called was NOM chairman John Eastman. MSNBC reports:

Eastman agreed with Cruz’s proposals on judicial term limits and retention elections, but added one more “check” to the judicial branch – that states be given the ability to override “egregiously wrong decisions of the Supreme Court.” Cruz seemed interested in the idea, and asked for Eastman to elaborate. “The massive transfer of power from states to the federal government that came in the wake of the Civil War … unmoored the courts,” Eastman said. “A simple majority of the states ought to be able to override those kinds of decisions of the Supreme Court.”

The irony of such prescriptions was undoubtedly not lost on many of those watching Wednesday’s hearing. In order to correct what Cruz views as a series of decisions that have no basis in the U.S. Constitution, as well as what he considers to be an unconstitutional transgression by the justices into the realm of policy making, Cruz entertained several solutions – such as judicial term limits, retention elections, and state or Congressional overrides of “egregiously wrong decisions” – that would serve to dramatically alter the U.S. Constitution, not restore or strengthen it,

Today Cruz posted his opening statement to his presidential campaign channel on YouTube.

Brian Brown: We Can Still Undo This

Via press release from NOM:

Brian Brown, President of the National Organization for Marriage, recently joined Republican presidential candidates and conservative luminaries in addressing the 2,500 activists who attended the FAMiLY LEADER’s Family Leadership Summit, which NOM was proud to co-sponsor. In his interview, Brown discussed the Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision, and counseled conservatives on what to do next. "We must overturn this decision. This point is a particularly daunting task. In the upcoming election we need to elect a president who will champion the cause for the family, and work to overturn this decision within the next election cycle. Until we overturn Obergefell, we must contain the effects of the decision. There are a number of ways to contain the effects of the ruling, including FADA, a bill that guarantees first amendment rights." Brown ended on an optimistic note, saying never to give up hope; all things are possible with God. He then said that we should be glad that we are to be persecuted—for we have an extraordinary opportunity to stand up for truth.

Brian Brown: Internet Meanies Are Trolling Ryan Anderson's New Anti-Gay Book

"An important new book has been published today that we highly recommend to you. Authored by Ryan Anderson, a great friend of NOM's and a scholar at The Heritage Foundation, the book 'Truth Overruled: The Future of Marriage and Religious Freedom' is a tour-de-force examination of the issues in the marriage debate and an enlightening reflection on what is at stake. Please consider purchasing a copy today. And if you agree with us that the book is extraordinary, please write a favorable review. As you might imagine, the 'haters' among our opponents are busy trolling the Internet to criticize the book because they realize that it is a powerful, principled witness to the truth of preserving marriage as the union of one man and one woman." - Hate group leader Brian Brown, in today's money beg.

NOM: This Is No Time To Panic

"Despite the dreadful blow the Court dealt to traditional marriage, it is not time to panic. Instead, we must massively expand our efforts to restore marriage in America as the union between one man and one woman. We must take action! We must fight back! This is not just about marriage — it is about protecting the rights of people of faith, houses of worship and religious institutions — the very foundation of our nation. Because you are reading this, I believe you are a defender of marriage. But it is not time to stay silent! Take an important step RIGHT NOW by making a gift to the National Organization for Marriage. We need your immediate contribution if we are not to lose a day in this critical fight. We must raise $500,000 in the next 60 days — an amount that is reachable if everyone, including you, gives your best gift right now to help us restore marriage in America." - Hate group leader Brian Brown, a money beg that contains eleven links to their donation page.

Frothy Mix Signs NOM's Hate Pledge

Via press release from Brian Brown:

Sen. Rick Santorum gave the keynote address to NOM's Second Annual Marriage Gala in Washington, DC on July 2nd. Sen. Santorum ripped the US Supreme Court for their illegitimate ruling and pledged as president to work to reverse it, saying "this will not stand," bringing the crowd of nearly 400 people to their feet. NOM's Marriage Gala is an opportunity to bring together many of our strongest supporters from throughout the country to hear from NOM's team of leaders, including our Chairman, John Eastman, and Co-Founder, Professor Robert George. It was announced at the Gala that Sen. Santorum has become the first 2016 presidential candidate to sign NOM's Presidential Marriage Pledge, promising to take specific actions as president to restore traditional marriage and protect supporters of marriage against attempts to marginalize and punish them. NOM expects a number of other candidates to join Sen. Santorum as signatories of the Presidential Marriage Pledge in coming days.

At the gala Santorum was also given NOM's "prestigious Marriage Champion Award."

NOM Money Beg: We Can Reverse This

"If you believe that our next President of the United States must be a champion for true marriage, then we ask you to donate today so that we can make this a reality in the future. There are other elements of our plan to go forward, and I will discuss these in future communications. For now, rest assured that NOM is in this fight for the long haul, and we trust you will be there with us. This is a dark day, but we are not defeated. Indeed, we have been reenergized and are more determined than ever to reverse this injustice and restore God's institution of marriage to its proper place in American law and culture. Our opponents are now counting on you to give up, and so is a majority of the US Supreme Court. Remember it was Justice Ginsburg who violated judicial ethics to comment publicly that the American people will easily accept this illegitimate decision. Please act today to prove her wrong! Your contribution of $25, $50, $100, $500 or $1,000 or more will be an investment in the next phase of this struggle and allow us to begin to fight back and ultimately reverse this terrible decision." - Hate group leader Brian Brown, via email.

Brian Brown Has The Sadz

"Though expected, today's decision is completely illegitimate. We reject it and so will the American people. It represents nothing but judicial activism, legislating from the bench, with a bare majority of the Justices on the Supreme Court exercising raw political power to impose their own preferences on marriage when they have no constitutional authority to do so. It is a lawless ruling that contravenes the decisions of over 50 million voters and their elected representatives. It is a decision that is reminiscent of other illegitimate Court rulings such as Dred Scott and Roe v Wade and will further plunge the Supreme Court into public disrepute.

"Make no mistake about it: The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) and countless millions of Americans do not accept this ruling. Instead, we will work at every turn to reverse it. The US Supreme Court does not have the authority to redefine something it did not create. Marriage was created long before the United States and our constitution came into existence. Our constitution says nothing about marriage. The majority who issued today's ruling have simply made it up out of thin air with no constitutional authority. Today's decision of the Supreme Court lacks both constitutional and moral authority. There is no eternal or natural law that allows for marriage to be redefined." - Hate group leader Brian Brown, in a press release stained with bitter impotent tears.

NOM Is Hanging On By A Thread

Matt Baume: Marriage News Watch

"We're down to the last few days before the Supreme Court rules on marriage. In the mean time, the National Organization for Marriage is asking all of the GOP presidential candidates to sign an anti-equality pledge. Let's take a look at just how crazy this pledge gets."

NOM's Hate Pledge 2016 Site Is Live

NOM anti-gay marriage hate pledge site has gone live. From the press release: 

The NOM Presidential Pledge was extremely influential in the 2012 Republican primary process. Not only did every major Republican candidate sign our pledge, including eventual nominee Mitt Romney, but it forced all the candidates to address the marriage issue during the course of their campaigns for the presidency. NOM spent more than a quarter million dollars promoting our pledge. We expect our 2016 pledge to play an extremely important role in the selection of the eventual Republican nominee, and we will invest heavily in promoting it. You see, NOM's pledge doesn't just ask the candidates to make some generic statements in support of preserving marriage as the union of one man and one woman; it asks them to take specific actions when elected, letting the American people know exactly how they will govern concerning marriage when they are elected.

Predictably, the site also includes a money beg portion they calling "The People's Pledge."

NOM Launches 2016 Hate Pledge

As it did in 2012, today NOM will ask all GOP presidential candidates to sign its hate pledge promising to support a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.

"Republicans need to not just give lip service to marriage," Brian Brown, president of the organization, told CNN in an interview. "By signing the pledge they are committing to concrete steps to protect marriage." Among other things, an advance copy of the five-point pledge provided to CNN calls on candidates to support a constitutional amendment. The National Organization for Marriage issued a similar marriage pledge in the 2012 Republican presidential primary, which was signed by most of the candidates including eventual nominee Mitt Romney.

Brown said his organization would send the pledge to the publicly announced GOP candidates on Thursday with a request for it to be returned within two weeks. Potential GOP candidates such as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker would be sent the pledge to sign once they formally announced their intentions to run for the White House. "Our hope is that as many candidates as possible sign, but at the end of the day what we want is a champion for marriage, someone who will stand up and do what is necessary to protect it," Brown said. "So whether we end up having four candidates or 15 we are going to support he candidates that stand up and sign the pledge."

Here is the text of the 2016 pledge.

NOM Presidential Pledge: I,__________________________, pledge to the American people that if elected President, I will: One, support a federal constitutional amendment that protects marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

Two, oppose and work to overturn any Supreme Court decision that illegitimately finds a constitutional "right" to the redefinition of marriage. This includes nominating to the U.S. Supreme Court and federal bench judges who are committed to restraint and applying the original meaning of the Constitution, and appointing an attorney general similarly committed.

Three, conduct a review of regulatory, administrative and executive actions taken by the current Administration that have the effect of undermining marriage and work to restore our policies to be consistent with the proper understanding of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Consistent with this, prevent the promotion of a redefined version of marriage in public schools and other government entities.

Four, support the First Amendment Defense Act and other legislation that recognizes the right of organizations and individuals to act in the public square consistent with their belief that marriage is the union of one man and one woman without fear of retaliation from the government.

Five, direct the Department of Justice to investigate, document and publicize cases of Americans who have been harassed or threatened for exercising key civil rights to organize, to speak, to donate or to vote for marriage and to propose new protections, if needed.

GOP Clown Car Loads Up For 2015 Faith And Freedom Conference Of Crackpottery

Disgraced Christian activist Ralph Reed's Faith & Freedom Coalition will hold its sixth annual "Road To Majority" conference this week in Washington DC. Confirmed speakers include eight of the eleven declared GOP presidential candidates, as well as notorious crackpot figures Todd Starnes, the Benham brothers, and Michael Medved. Not yet listed as attending are Huckabee, Santorum, and Pataki, however still undeclared candidates Jindal, Walker, and Christie will be there.

Also attending: Reince Priebus, Phyllis Schlafly, Gary Bauer, and Penny Nance, who is the head of Concernstipated Women, this year's title sponsor. Other 2015 sponsors include NOM, the World Congress Of Families, Tea Party Patriots, Townhall, Liberty University, and (rather curiously) the Humane Society. The event kicks off with a VIP dinner on Wednesday night, followed by a "full lobbying day on Capitol Hill." See the list of breakout sessions here.

Brian Brown Celebrates North Carolina

"The House of Representatives in North Carolina just voted 69-41 to override Governor Pat McCrory's veto of Senate Bill 2, the critical legislation that will protect marriage and religious liberty. The state Senate previously voted to override McCrory's veto meaning that this important legislation now becomes law! This is a huge victory for supporters of marriage and was brought about because of the efforts of NOM's members and others working in support of allies in North Carolina including the NC Values Coalition. SB 2 allows clerks, magistrates and Registers of Deeds to refuse to participate in a same-sex 'wedding' ceremony if doing so violates their deeply-held beliefs. This protects people of faith from having to choose between keeping their job and upholding their beliefs. It was outrageous that Governor McCrory, a Republican, would veto this legislation and we will work with allies to hold him accountable." - Hate group leader Brian Brown, via press release.