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Secret Memo Scandal Rocks NOM

By Matt Baume

Leaked memos show the National Organization for Marriage tried to manipulate minority groups. Meanwhile, marriage organizers press ahead for equality in Ohio, but not everyone is on board. And we’re just days away from a showdown over DOMA — it’s going to happen this Wednesday, April 4th.

We got an incredible peek inside the National Organization for Marriage this week, when a federal judge ordered them to release a series of secret 2009 memos about fundraising and strategy. It’s our best glimpse yet into the most powerful anti-equality organization in the country. One of the most intriguing insights is their strategy to “drive a wedge between gays and blacks,” an incredibly offensive tactic, not to mention impossible in the case of people who are both gay and black.

But one of the overlooked revelations is the amount of money that they budgeted back in 2009 for projects that failed or simply faded away. Remember the ludicrously-named “Two Million for Marriage?” They set aside three million dollars for that. Then there was the one million dollar fund to roll back marriage equality in Iowa — that was a bust. And they budgeted two million for ending marriage in New Hampshire, a project that culminated just last week in their colossal defeat.

The real story that these 2009 memos tell is that as the years go by, NOM’s clout is getting weaker and weaker and weaker.

But they’re not out of the game yet, and we still have a lot of work to do. A new survey this week shows a tough challenge ahead in North Carolina, and that many voters don’t understand what Amendment One would actually do. Some think it would just ban marriage, some people think it only apples to gay people, and some people think it legalizes marriage. For the record, Amendment One prohibits all protections for all unmarried couples, gay or straight, and their children. There’s just a few weeks to go before the May election.

This week Richard Vinroot, the former mayor of Charlotte and former Republican candidate for governor, came out in opposition to the anti-gay North Carolina measure. And even House Speaker Thom Tillis, a Republican who sponsored the bill, admitted this week that even if it passes, it’ll probably be reversed within 20 years. And if those leaked NOM memos are any indication, it might be reversed even sooner.

Meanwhile, polling in Maryland right now is too close to call. Forty-three precent of voters oppose marriage equality, and forty percent support it. A referendum on marriage equality legislation is likely to appear on the Maryland ballot this November.

Two weeks ago we reported that Ohio’s attempt to overturn an anti-gay Constitutional amendment ran into a roadblock when the state Attorney General rejected it. But now Freedom to Marry Ohio has bounced back, re-filing the petition with revised language. Once it’s approved, they’ll need to collect nearly a half million signatures to qualify for the ballot. But as it happens, the measure’s main backer is Ian James, the CEO of a signature-gathering firm. The state’s leading equality organization, Equality Ohio, has not yet taken a position for or against the effort, pointing to unresolved questions about its process and timing.

And finally this week, watch for big news on Wednesday, April Fourth. That’s when two of the many lawsuits over the federal Defense of Marriage Act goes before a panel of judges in Boston. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice recently asked a California court to move with greater than usual speed to hear arguments in a third DOMA lawsuit.

Remember to subscribe to this channel for breaking news alerts to stay on top of this story and more, and do your part for marriage equality by giving this video a Like and sharing it with family and friends. We’ll see you next week.

5 Comments April 3, 2012

Help is on the way, but will it be enough?

By Matt Baume

A big win for marriage in New Hampshire, and California Democrats pledge to help the campaign to stop an anti-gay measure in North Carolina. But with alarming poll numbers out this week, will that help be enough?

Anti-gay activists got a smackdown last week in New Hampshire, where the legislature overwhelmingly rejected a bill to eliminate marriage equality. It was huge bi-partisan success, with a majority of Republicans and all but one Democrat voting to protect LGBT couples’ rights. Anti-gay politicians could try again next year, but so far their momentum has dwindled with every attempt.

And fresh off our success in New Hampshire, Ohio organizers are pushing for marriage. Thousands rallied in Cleveland this weekend, and over 200 couples staged a mass wedding. Earlier this year, organizers had attempted to overturn the state’s Constitutional ban on marriage. But the Attorney General Mike DeWine rejected their petition on technical grounds. Now Freedom to Marry Ohio has announced that they expect to resubmit a revised petition later this week. Additional rallies are planned for the evening of Wednesday, April 11th.

The California Democratic Party has pledged its support to the campaign to defeat an anti-gay constitutional amendment in North Carolina. Our side will need all the help it can get to win that election: a poll last week shows voters supporting the anti-marriage amendment 58 to 36 percent. 

But a Michigan tribe is considering an amendment to their constitution that would legalize marriage equality. The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians is currently accepting public comment on the measure.

And finally this week a marriage equality bill has passed an initial round of debate in Finland, and now heads to committee. The bill’s chances of passing this year aren’t great. Despite widespread public support for marriage equality, conservative MPs have held back marriage reforms for Finland for the last few years.

Those are the headlines. Don’t forget to subscribe to this channel for weekly marriage news updates, and do your part for marriage equality by sharing this video with family and friends.

4 Comments March 28, 2012

Close Call for Marriage Equality in WA

By Matt Baume

It’s coming down the wire in North Carolina. Meanwhile Denver Republicans vote to support civil unions, we’ll get a vote this week on ending marriage equality in New Hampshire, and President Obama speaks out against an anti-gay ballot measure.

A close call this week in Washington. The state will likely vote on marriage this November, and the proposed ballot measure contained the phrase “redefine marriage.” But this week a judge rejected that language, opting for a more neutral tone.

Those two words may seem like a minor quibble, but nowhere has their importance been more evident than in the UK. This week the respected Populus poll showed that 65 percent of voters support the freedom to marry when it’s described as an “equal right.” But at the same time, a push poll by the group Catholic Voices found just the opposite: by asking loaded questions, they were able to get 70% of respondents to turn against LGBTs.

So with signature-gathering starting last week in Washington, that ballot language is pretty important.

Signature-gathering has also started in Maryland. Like Washington, that state’s marriage equality bill is on hold while opponents gather signatures.

But we’re making progress in Colorado, where 56% of Denver Republicans voted to support civil unions.

And a measure in New Hampshire that would end marriage equality finally has a voting date: this Wednesday, March 21. The bill is very unpopular with voters, with about 60% opposed, but it remains to be seen how legislators will handle it.

And hundreds rallied in Raleigh, North Carolina this week. The crowd opposes Amendment One, which would add a double-ban on marriage to the state Constitution. Our opponents have been talking about activist judges and gays, but Amendment One goes beyond those issues and has the potential to harm all families, gay and straight.

So far, the polling in North Carolina is not looking good. But this week President Obama spoke out against the measure, calling it discriminatory.

And finally this week, the Prime Minister of Denmark has promised to enact marriage equality legislation by June, so mark your calendars and book your flights.

To sign up for breaking news alerts on all these stories and more, visit MarriageNewsWatch.com. And for more on the federal fight to overturn Prop 8, head over to AFER.org.

9 Comments March 19, 2012

Tons of Favorable Polls

By Matt Baume

Sorry we missed an episode last week — we were a little busy livestreaming Brad Pitt and George Clooney to the entire world. Meanwhile, there’s been a ton of new polling data from around the country, and it’s all encouraging. And more bad news for NOM: they’re under investigation by the Minnesota Elections Board, and the US Supreme Court has refused to play along with their attempts to hide donors. And after a brief flurry of activity, efforts to overturn a marriage ban in Ohio appear to have stalled out.

Well it was a sold-out crowd at the Wilshire Ebell for last week’s production of “8,” but the show went global with a livestream on YouTube. A quarter million people tuned in to see it live, and since then a half million more have watched. And there new developments in case: last week lawyers for the plaintiffs asked the Ninth Circuit to deny a rehearing and to let our decisive victory stand.

In national news, another poll shows increasing support for marriage equality. The latest is from NBC News and the Wall Street Journal, and gives us a 49 to 40 percent advantage. This follows eight other polls over the last two years that show a majority supports the freedom to marry.

State polls are also encouraging, with a survey in Maryland showing 54 to 44 support for marriage equality. Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley signed a marriage bill last week, but anti-gay opponents are likely to force it to a referendum.

New polls in Maine are still close, showing that 51 to 41 percent support overturning that state’s marriage ban. And last week the US Supreme Court put an end to NOM’s attempts to hide their donors. It’s unclear when those donors’ identities will finally be revealed, but it’s likely to be before the November elections.

In New Jersey, our lead is even stronger: 57 to 37 percent in favor of marriage equality. A new study there shows that marriage equality would bring $119 million to the state.

In Iowa, voters favor keeping marriage equality, 56 to 36 percent. And the final survey of the week comes from California, which shows us with 59% support.

These numbers are all pretty good — but it’s important to keep in mind that surveys aren’t the same as votes. None of these states currently have anti-gay campaign ads running, so the numbers are likely to change dramatically as we approach November. There’s still a lot of work to do.

And last this week, there’s been a bump in the road in Ohio. Organizers there had attempted to overturn the state’s marriage ban. But this week the Attorney General announced that their measure lacked an adequate description, which means we may have to wait until next year. In the mean time, Equality Ohio will continue its work promoting safe schools and non-discrimination.

Those are the headlines, visit us over at MarriageNewsWatch.com for more on all these stories and more. And AFER.org for more on the fight to win full federal marriage equality. I’m Matt Baume at the American Foundation for Equal Rights. We’ll see you next week.

28 Comments March 13, 2012

Watch: Full video of Prop “8″ performance in LA with all-star cast

By Adam Bink

For those of you who watched last night, what a performance, eh? I watched about half and realized I would one day like Martin Sheen and his gorgeous voice to narrate my biopic. John C. Reilly was absolutely perfect as David Blankenhorn and Jane Lynch as rude, interrupting, angry Maggie Gallagher — what a gem.

Here’s the full performance for those who missed it:

What do you think?

22 Comments March 4, 2012

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