Gay Marriage Opponents Spent $11.3 Million In Four States — And Lost

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Opponents of same-sex marriage spent at least $11.3 million to fight ballot measures on LGBT equality in four states this year, and lost every single battle. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) just published a study noting that among the largest financial backers of the anti-gay marriage movement this cycle of course was NOM, the National Organization For Marriage, which spent approximately $5.2, and the Catholic Church, which spent an estimated $2 million.

READ: Pope Escalates Anti-Gay Marriage Holy War, Compares Gay Marriage To Polygamy

“Marriage equality opponents across the four states raised $11.3 million,” reports HRC’s NOM Exposed, in “The Roman Catholic Hierarchy’s Devotion to Fighting Marriage Equality.”

The Catholic Church’s contributions make up 17 percent of that total figure. When you add in the contributions of Church ally NOM, the reality of the coordinated effort becomes clear: the Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus and NOM are responsible for funding nearly 65 percent of all anti-equality efforts in Minnesota, Maryland, Washington State and Maine.

“Dioceses from across the country supported these efforts financially, thought it’s doubtful that the parishioners fueling these contributions had any idea that their money was being used to fund discrimination,” HRC adds.

According to Public Religion Research Institute, nearly 60 percent of Catholics support marriage equality. And an astounding 83 percent of Catholics in the United States say they don’t feel compelled to vote in accordance with the political preaching of bishops. These numbers from the laity represent people who, whether they know it or not, are living out their faith daily – Catholic social teaching promotes treating everyone with love, dignity, and respect.

But despite the values of the laity, the Catholic Church hierarchy is pouring immense resources into preventing loving, committed same-sex couples from marrying. . In fact, in the wake of last week’s historic victories for equality, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops doubled down and vowed to continue funding efforts to discriminate against LGBT people. The Roman Catholic Church will make these investments at the same time and with the same dollars that would otherwise go to support soup kitchens, homeless shelters and domestic violence programs.

Around the country, the Catholic Church is closing dozens if not hundreds of schools, claiming they cannot support them financially, while they literally pour millions of dollars — likely culled from unsuspecting parishioners who assume their Sunday donations are going to support their local church — into anti-gay hate campaigns.

What would Jesus do?