The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) today kicked off their bigotry hate fest, the “Summer for Marriage Tour 2010,†and shared this photo of NOM President Brian Brown holding his son. Take a close look at the bus. I’d like to know if those are “real” couples or just models. And don’t you just love how the Caucasians are at the front of the bus, and the Blacks (look hard –through the trees…) are at the back of the bus?… Their bigotry is striking, and worse, they are so unaware of it.
A NOM press release says the tour “will crisscross the east coast, mid-west and southern states holding a series of 20 rallies encouraging supporters to stand up for marriage. Starting July 14th, the month-long tour will stop in key battleground areas of the marriage debate, educating local communities on why marriage between one man and one woman should be defended and preserved in our nation.”
“We’re excited to get on the road and meet people face-to-face, sharing with them the importance of marriage and how critical the future of marriage is to our country,†said Brian Brown, NOM’s president. “Marriage will be a key national issue once the California Prop 8 battle gets to the Supreme Court. We need Americans to rally behind marriage as the union of one man and one woman and tell the Courts and state legislatures that marriage matters.â€
Marriage does matter. So much that, I’ll remind you, Brian, the Supreme Court said,
“Marriage is one of the “basic civil rights of man,” fundamental to our very existence and survival…”
But facts and rulings were never something NOM cared much about. Why bother when they just get in the way of Maggie Gallagher’s fundraising and wallet-filling machine?
Fortunately, we have good on our side, and Evan Wolfson, whose organization, “Freedom To Marry” today kicked off their own “Summer for Marriage.” Evan writes,
“Together with individuals and organizations across the country, Freedom to Marry is making this a Summer for Marriage. In advertising their anti-gay bus tour, NOM referred to supporters of the freedom to marry as those who ‘pillage the values of our Nation.’ At Freedom to Marry, we know that the American values of liberty, equality, and justice for all are, in fact, for all Americans. Families and communities are strengthened when we support everyone’s ability to take care of their loved ones. Ending the exclusion of committed same-sex couples from marriage – and the critical safety net of responsibilities and protections that marriage brings – will strengthen those families and strengthen marriage itself.”
“Opponents of the freedom to marry are unable to defend their position on its merits and point to any harm from loving and committed same-sex couples sharing in the freedom to marry. Anti-gay groups like NOM rely on diversion, division, and fear-mongering to distract from the reality that when committed couples join in marriage, families are helped and no one is hurt. Americans are now witnessing that reality in five states and the District of Columbia, and with our Summer for Marriage tour, Freedom to Marry and our partners are going to show what being for marriage really looks like.”
Indeed.