President Obama and the useful idiots of NOM

Today, Barack Obama became the first president to speak in support of marriage equality while in office. Everyone is reeling over this and with good reason because it is a major and much needed endorsement. And the effects of it is going to be felt of a long time.

For me, however, it proves a notion I have had in regards to the National Organization for Marriage.

Have you ever noticed that every time NOM receives a major victory over marriage equality, it comes back to bite the organization in the ass?

In 2008, it led the charge to pass Proposition 8 and in part galvanized the gay community. That loss led to a lot of new gay activists and just as many recharged ones.

In 2009, NOM again led the charge, this time overturning marriage equality laws in Maine. But in the wake of that victory, organization lost court case after court case in its attempt to fight that state's disclosure laws, finally leading up to a very public smackdown by the Supreme Court, causing many people to ask the question just what is NOM hiding. Maine's victory also gave America embarrassing peak into NOM's inner workings when court documents revealed that the organization was deliberately attempting to pit the gay and black community against one another.

And now this. Fresh off of an ugly victory in North Carolina, the organization finds itself slapped down by none other than the leader of the free world. What worse insult is there than having the President of the United States stand against your efforts?

It would seem to me that when it's all said and done, history will point out that while NOM's goal was the stop marriage equality, all the organization did was hasten it.

Certainly this is not to praise NOM.

NOM is like a predatory virus going from community to community, exploiting people's beliefs, fears, and prejudice until every thing reaches a fever pitch. When it's all over, NOM feeds off of the results and leaves the community in turmoil while it searches for its next victim.

But like I said earlier, today proved something to me.

The gay community is not only on the right side of this but maybe some of those folks like NOM who claim to be speaking for God got their circuits mixed up. 

Maybe God's trying to tell them something.

Fall out from Amendment One vote - the good, bad, and very ugly

You are not seeing things. Pan down for the story on this sign.

TODAY: Obama Interview On Marriage - This is starting to get interesting. It promises to be one of those historical moments that defines a presidency.

 The next step: WE DO Campaign couples will request marriage licenses in 8 NC locations - Meanwhile the fight in North Carolina has just begun.

(At least) one NC County Commissioner already trying to dismantle DP benefits - Remember what we said about the dangers of Amendment One that our opponents called mere scare tactics? Well guess what . . . 

Despite sign, voters at church vote against amendment - Now about that sign . . .

North Carolina's Vote to Ban Gay Marriage Is a Warning to Obama - Has it ever occurred to anyone that NOM's plan to drive a wedge between African-Americans and gays on the subject of marriage equality may have suggested to the organization? I'm beginning to think someone advised the organization to do this for means other than stopping marriage equality. I smell Karl Rover's hands all over this.

There will be another day for us to win

Calm it down, folks. No one on our side is happy with what happened in North Carolina last night. Nothing I can say can alleviate the bitterness and disappointment that some of us have. Nor can it assuage the ugly pangs we feel when we see and hear people like Patrick Wooden, Brian Brown, or NOM crow like roosters.

All I can say is that it comes with losing. In New York when NOM lost the fight there, we blistered the organization, making sure to draw attention to the picture of Brown sitting in the gallery supposedly crying over the vote.

So the pendulum of life swings, as it always does, on Brown and NOM's side now.

But just remember that there will be another day. Whenever Brown and company talk about how the "voters decided," always remember the words of Prop 8 lawyer David Boies starting at 2:51:



Boies:

"It's easy to sit around and debate and throw around opinions that appeal to people's fear and prejudice, [and] cite studies that either don't exist or don't say what you say they do.

"In a court of law you've got to come in and you've got to support those opinions, you've got to stand up under oath and cross-examination. And what we saw at trial is that it's very easy for the people who want to deprive gay and lesbian citizens of the right to vote [sic] to make all sorts of statements and campaign literature, or in debates where they can't be cross-examined.

"But when they come into court and they have to support those opinions and they have to defend those opinions under oath and cross-examination, those opinions just melt away. And that's what happened here. There simply wasn't any evidence, there weren't any of those studies. There weren't any empirical studies. That's just made up. That's junk science. It's easy to say that on television. But a witness stand is a lonely place to lie. And when you come into court you can't do that.

"That's what we proved: We put fear and prejudice on trial, and fear and prejudice lost."

The diapers and lies won in North Carolina

NC Amendment One, State’s Same Sex Marriage Ban, Passes By Wide Margin


It happened. Grieve and mourn for only a second, but then come up and fight like hell. This is no time for self-pitying and slack jawing.

Good interview about Amendment One this morning on MSNBC

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

It's been said that if Amendment One passes today, it will be because supporters confused voters. I think a lot of them are confused themselves. This morning on MSNBC, Pastor Mark Harris, and Amendment One supporter debated Jeremy Kennedy, the campaign manager for the Coalition to Protect All NC Families. While being questioned by Thomas Roberts, watch how Harris jumps and dodges.

Hat tip to Pam's House Blend.

'Black media calling attention to NOM's black/gay wedge strategy' and other Tuesday midday news briefs

The Root on Amendment One and the bigotry of the black-gay wedge strategy - Awesome piece in The Root featuring my blogging buddy Pam Spaulding. Now we need pieces in Ebony and various other African-American publications.

 Hate-Filled Pastor Says Anti-Gay Amendment Would Protect Marriage ‘In The Garden Of Eden’- Because apparently there was such a thing as "Adam and Steve."

New Research Meta-Analysis Makes Compelling Case For Nondiscrimination Protections - Read and learn.

Ken Hutcherson, Anti-Gay Washington Pastor, Wants To Take Back 'Gay' From The LGBT Community - Dude! You are a black pastor. The black church community wouldn't exist if in part it wasn't for gay men. I don't think you will steal anything from us, but certain labels will be attached to you.

Anti-Gay Activist Calls Bill Limiting Reparative Therapy 'Hateful Toward Children' - Apparently forcing children to go through ex-gay therapy (which generally fails and causes psychological scars) is really love.

A few words of encouragement to my North Carolina brothers and sisters

In the end, those who fight injustice never lose. Those who fight injustice embody the spirit which makes not only this country, but this world what it should be.

Never give up. Never give in. Never allow yourself to be seduced by the orgy of ego if victorious. And if at any time you lose, never give that loss any more power than it deserves, if any at all. Never allow yourself to succumb to the deceptive warmness of the pool of self-pity, discouragement, and hate.

Remember you have been picked to pave a road so that others can easily walk to where they need to be. Every stony place that makes you stumble causing you to skin your knee, every rock caught in your shoe, and every blister on your foot will be one less obstacle for those who come behind you; those who will walk on the highway paved by your tears, your worry, your work. Take comfort in their ability to reach their destination.

And always remember that they can get to where they are going because you not only pointed out the way, but also led the initial journey and drew up the maps.

Keep those fists up, brothers and sisters.

Good luck in North Carolina, folks. I still say that in spite of it all, you won: