NOM tries to cover its tracks after being caught in a blatant lie

UPDATE - As you can see, NOM has changed the title of the video. For an update on this story, go here.

Last night, I posted an emergency item regarding a letter that National Organization for Marriage Brian Brown posted on NOM's blog. The letter was the typical "we have to do something before the homosexual agenda overcomes us" tripe that folks have come to expect from Brown.

The first item in the letter talked about a recent incident in Oakland, CA where students were taught lessons on gender identity:

Just when you think it can't get any weirder or more disturbing, an Oakland public school decided to teach grade-school children about multiple genders, under the banner of preventing bullying.

Watch that video. Look at the children's faces. And then look at the activist from a group called "Gender Spectrum" who wants to embed in these children's minds the idea that we all have a right to make up our own gender(s).

But when this letter was first posted, Brown originally said:

Just when you think it can't get any weirder or more disturbing, an Oakland grade school decided to teach kindergartners about multiple genders, under the banner of preventing bullying.

Watch that video. Look at the children's faces. And then look at the activist from a group called "Gender Spectrum" who wants to embed in these children's minds the idea that we all have a right to make up our own gender(s).

Not only have the words in Brown's letter have changed, but the video, which was on NOM's blog, is now gone.

And why is that? Because it proves that Brown wasn't originally telling the truth:



At .42 seconds of the video, the announcer says "these fourth graders were told that in nature, things aren't always what they seem."

Now some folks may say "what difference does this make?" It should make a big difference because neither Brown nor NOM acknowledged that the original claim - that these children were kindergartners - was made in error.

Also, the title of the video - Public School Teaches Kindergarteners There Are Multiple Genders Without Parental Consent - has not been changed.

Lastly, that part in the title about the parents not giving consent seems to also be inaccurate.

At 1:45, the announcer said, "the school maintains most parents, teachers, and students had no problem with what was taught."

This statement calls into question the accusation  that parents did not consent for their children to be taught these lessons.

A written Fox News story further calls into question that accusation.  The article quoted Oakland Unified School District spokesman Troy Flint saying that parents were given prior notice and in fact, three families opted their children out of the lesson.

Either through sloppy work or intentional distortion, NOM exploited a very useful and legal lesson regarding respect and tolerance in an Oakland school to demonize the lgbt community. And now, when caught red-handed, the group is trying to slowly maneuver itself out of the potential hole it's in.

Now I ask you.  Can anyone really trust this group to lead a civil and dignified debate on marriage equality in Minnesota or anywhere else for that matter?

NOM's Brian Brown sets record for most lies told in a letter

UPDATE -  For an update on this story, go here.


It's one thing to lie. But it's quite another to lie so poorly that you are immediately exposed and not care.

The National Organization for Marriage's president, Brian Brown post a letter on NOM's blog. In the letter, he talked about a recent incident in California in which a class was taught gender diversity:

Just when you think it can't get any weirder or more disturbing, an Oakland grade school decided to teach kindergartners about multiple genders, under the banner of preventing bullying.

Watch that video. Look at the children's faces. And then look at the activist from a group called "Gender Spectrum" who wants to embed in these children's minds the idea that we all have a right to make up our own gender(s).

Let's ignore Brown's hysterical tone and do exactly what he says.  Look at the video:




At .42 seconds of the video, the announcer says "these fourth graders were told that in nature, things aren't always what they seem."

Did you catch that? In spite of Brown's and the video claims that these are kindergartners, the announcer clearly says that they are fourth graders.

Now some folks may say "what difference does this make?" It should make a big difference. Why did Brown and NOM feel the need to lie about the grade of the children involved in the lesson plan? To add further hysteria to the false meme of "gays recruiting children," no doubt.

And that's not the only lie told by NOM.

At 1:45, the announcer said, "the school maintains most parents, teachers, and students had no problem with what was taught."

This statement calls into question the accusation lodged by Brown and the title of the video that parents did not consent for their children to be taught these lessons.

A written Fox News story further calls into question the accusation by Brown and NOM that this situation took place without parental consent. The article quoted Oakland Unified School District spokesman Troy Flint saying that parents were given prior notice and in fact, three families opted their children out of the lesson.

The rest of Brown's letter is filled with pathos and descriptions of morality and truth - in between the phony anecdotes of gays persecuting Christians. He even mentions the Catholic Charities in Illinois controversy while omitting the crucial part about taxpayer money and an incident involving a therapist who was busted using "ex-gay" therapy in Great Britain - making sure to make her sound like the victim of course. For the truth of that story, go here.

He even mentions  NOM's efforts to ban marriage equality Minnesota, making sure to omit the ugliness regarding his organization's partner in that effort, the Minnesota Family Council, and its manual linking homosexuality to pedophilia, bestiality, urine and feces consuming:

In 2012, we hope, pray and expect that the people of Minnesota, after a dignified and civil debate, will join 31 other states in voting to protect marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

I think he can kiss that hope goodbye. Finally Brown ends his letter in part with:

Thank you for all you make possible. At NOM we want no less than to be your voice for your values—and for the truth about the human person: We are born male and female, called to come together in love so that the future can happen.

I know what you are thinking because I was thinking it too.

Why can't that old wives tale about lightning striking audacious liars be true?

NOM is running a sugary con game on America

From Equality Matters comes something which I noticed but didn't talk about that much. The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) is only pretending to be an organization solely concerned about "traditional marriage."

While NOM chairwoman Maggie Gallagher talks all sweetness and light about how NOM is about the philosophies of love and proving that "children need a mother and a father," the organization is running an anti-gay chop shop which is geared at denigrating the lgbt community on levels that go beyond opposing marriage equality:

In reality, NOM is a run of the mill anti-gay hate group, intent on spreading fear and misinformation to prevent LGBT equality.

This May, Equality Matters decided to examine just how far away from its only-marriage message NOM has strayed.

The results might (not at all) surprise you.

Roughly 20% of the entries on NOM’s blog in the month of May were unrelated to the organization’s stated goal of “protecting marriage.” Instead, these posts dealt with a number of more traditional anti-gay topics.

According to Equality Matters, these topics include:

Opposing Civil Unions

NOM’s opposition to marriage equality is just part of the organization’s broader opposition to any legal recognition of same-sex couples. Using the argument that civil unions create a “backdoor” into same-sex marriage, the group has aggressively opposed efforts to provide same-sex couples with even fraction of the rights and protections currently afforded to heterosexual couples.

May 4: Press Release: NOM-RI Critiques New Civil Union Legislation in Rhode Island

May 5: Gay Rights Groups Seek to Exclude Religious Adoption Agencies

May 12: ADF, NOM, and GLAD All Agree - Civil Union Legislation is a Bad Deal for Rhode Island

May 12: Breaking News from AP: Civil Unions Bill Flops in Rhode Island

May 12: Rhode Island Hispanics Deliver 2,000+ Signatures Against CU Bill

May 13: IL Religious Adoption Agencies Push for Right to Help Kids

May 16: Ted Olson Comes Out Against Civil Unions for New York

May 17: Gay Activists Stage "Kiss In" During Mass after Brazil High Court OKs Civil Unions

May 19: Rhode Island House Committee Approves Civil Unions Bill Nobody Likes

May 27: Breaking News: Catholic Charities of Rockford Ceases Adoptions, Foster Care

Opposing Pro-LGBT Curriculum

In recent weeks, NOM has become increasingly involved in the fight against anti-bullying efforts that attempt to teach kids to respect and appreciate their LGBT peers. These lessons have nothing to do with marriage, but NOM opposes them anyways. In May, NOM pushed polls opposing Harvey Milk Day, fear-mongered about a “gender diversity” lesson in California, and freaked out about a Queerty post that supported teaching students about “queer sexuality.”

May 3: New Poll: 65%-22% Americans Reject Teaching Gay Subjects in Grade School

May 16: Queerty: Can We Admit That We Do Want To Indoctrinate Kids?

May 16: Queerty's Wrong About One Thing

May 16: Should Public Schools Teach About Gay Marriage? (Includes Video)

May 17: Prominent Gay Blogger: Not educating kids about SSM "makes them ignorant, hateful little morons."

May 19: Poll: Should California Public Schools Celebrate Harvey Milk's Birthday?

May 19: What's Next After SSM? BC Parents Face School Policies Condemning "Heterosexist" Ideas

May 24: School Teaching Kindergartners That There Are More Than Two Genders

May 27: CA Elementary School Students Get Lessons in Gender

May 27: Education Author: Some Fish Change Sex, Humans Don't

May 31: UNESCO Approves Sexually Explicit Instruction Under Anti-Homophobia Label, Brazil's President Rejects After Public Outcry

Opposing Same-Sex Parenting

NOM relies heavily on the myth that same-sex parents aren’t fit to raise children in order to promote their agenda against marriage equality. NOM’s chairwoman Maggie Gallagher advanced this assertion under oath during a House hearing on the Defense Of Marriage Act, so it’s not surprise that NOM’s blog is following in lock-step.

May 12: New Book: Psychologist Writes of Daughters' Father Hunger

May 17: Sociologist Brad Wilcox: The “Elite Wisdom” on Moms & Dads is Dead Wrong

May 19: Dr. Jenet Erickson on Why Having a Mother Really Matters

May 26: Canadian Sociologist on Why Mothers Matter

May 27: Gender Confusion over at Slate

Opposing Non-Discrimination Laws

NOM is also in the business of opposing non-discrimination laws that protect LGBT Americans. The group routinely downplays the existence of oppression of the LGBT community and supports clearly discriminatory laws and policies on the grounds of religious liberty. This past month, NOM focused on protecting religious adoption agencies that choose to discriminate against (non-married) same-sex parents. The organization also criticized an ABC show for exposing the impact that NOM’s talking points can have on LGBT families. 

May 5: Australian Gay Groups Seek to Narrow Religious Liberty Protections for Schools, Ministries

May 17: UK High Court Rules Against Last Catholic Adoption Agency

May 24: After Pushing Out Christians, England Faces Foster Shortage

May 24: ABC News Propaganda: People who Think Children Need Moms and Dads are Intolerant Bigots Who Accost Families in Restaurants

There are a multitude of other topics, but I think these will suffice to prove the basic point that NOM is not concerned with "traditional marriage." It, like so many other anti-gay groups, busies itself with demonizing the lgbt community and reducing our dignity and worth.

At least with the Family Research Council and the American Family Association, the lgbt community knows where it stands - even if it is in quicksand.

NOM should take off the mask of sweetness and light  and bare its fangs because no one is fooled any longer.

Another NOM ally linking homosexuality with bestiality and other Thursday midday news briefs

Watch: Anti-Gay NY Senator Ruben Diaz Defends Comparing Homosexuality to Bestiality - Didn't he just hold a "dignity" march in New York with the National Organization for Marriage last month? I swear between him in New York and the Minnesota Family Council in that state, I'm guessing that NOM really doesn't want a "civil" discussion on marriage equality, no matter what the organization says.

It gets better, batter: SF Giants release pro-equality clip - This is not only cool but very necessary.

Obama Administration Seeks To Address Homeless Crisis Among Gay Teens - It's about time too.

In South Africa's black townships, being gay can be fatal - Pray for our brothers and sisters in other countries.

In issue of adoption, Catholic charities must adhere to basic fairness

The Family Research Council is upset over a recent development in Illinois regarding a Catholic charity:

The Roman Catholic diocese in Rockford has announced that it will close its doors on the church's adoption program before subjecting children to placement in homosexual homes. Like it did in Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., the Catholic Church refused to violate its convictions. Unfortunately, it's only a matter of time before other dioceses follow suit. For the church, this is an act of self-defense. Without a religious exemption, the law makes programs like this one vulnerable to lawsuits or state budget cuts. Much to the frustration of the bill's own sponsor, the state refused to carve out special protections for the religious organizations like this one.

Horror stories like this are common in religious right propaganda - i.e. the gay agenda is causing discrimination against Christians. One of the talking points from the National Organization for Marriage claims that marriage equality will cause Catholic Charities to close, thus depriving children a chance to be placed in a good home.

Of course the real story is a bit more complicated.

When FRC and NOM paints this as an issue of discrimination against Christians, they omit one crucial detail - the Catholic Church is receiving taxpayer funds for its adoption programs. When it canceled the adoption program, the Roman Catholic diocese in Rockford said goodbye to $7.5 million dollars in state contracts. In fact, Catholic Charities in Illinois receive $30 million in taxpayer money for its adoption program.

So this isn't a question of the supposed gay agenda, but rather an entity (the Catholic Church) using taxpayer money but not wanting to follow the laws which come attached to that money.

And in this case, asking for a religious exemption just won't cut it. While I understand wanting to adhere to one's faith, this is an issue in which the welfare of the child must come first. Studies have shown that children do not suffer from a same-sex household. Other than religious teaching, there is no justifiable reason for the church to deny gay couples to adopt children.

So in essence,  Catholic Charities are telling Illinois gay residents, "we think that your households aren't good enough to raise children and yes we will take an obscenely large amount of your money to adhere to this belief." 

That's neither right nor fair. It's not right nor fair to the child - who is denied a chance at a good home simply because of religious doctrine. And it's certainly not right or fair to the gay couples - who are hardworking taxpayers and should be treated with the dignity and respect which comes with that title.

NOM showing large scale hypocrisy in Minnesota

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NOM pushing 'gay marriage will confuse children' distortion

On its blog, the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) has an item about a California class which teaches children about gender diversity:

Video: Coming to a Public School Near YOU?

Fox News covered a class full of kindergartners in California being taught that you can feel like a girl, feel like a boy, feel like both, or feel like neither.

Watch it and tell us what you think:

The blog post then shows a video of the lesson and ends with:

The group brought in to teach children these lessons (allegedly to prevent bullying) is called Gender Spectrum.

"People can be girls, feel like girls, they can feel like boys, they can feel like both, and they can even feel, like I said, kinda like neither."

Now let's be clear here. We all know why NOM chose to push this item. The organization is implying  that marriage equality will confuse children, i.e. making them think that "gender doesn't matter."

It's yet another way the organization is seeking to scare people into voting against marriage equality.

And like all of its other tactics, this one by NOM is blatantly dishonest.

While seeking to attack people's visual senses by showing the video, NOM omits (maybe intentionally, maybe not intentionally) two pertinent facts which destroys the organization's horror story:

1. The children who took part in this lesson were not required to.  According to the article, all parents were informed of the lesson plan beforehand and were able to opt their children out of it if they chose to do so. So this was case of parents still having control over what is being taught to their children.

2. These lessons had nothing to do with marriage equality but the issues of gender identity and bullying. Whether the religious right wants to adhere to the fact or not, the issues of gender identity are becoming more widely known and some parents are finding that they have to deal with this issue.

Both of these facts are relatively easy to find because they are contained in the Fox News story which NOM referred to but chose not link to.

And as I asked before, what's so wrong with talking about this issue to children in a reasonable manner? Children aren't porcelain or glass. And they won't remain children forever. Teaching a child respect and understanding at an early age is hardly a bad idea.

But the fact of the matter here is not what the lessons teach. It's the fact that in spite of all of its talk about having an intelligent conversation on the pros (and mostly cons) of marriage equality, NOM has no problem calling on the gay boogeyman lie yet again.