The National Organization for Marriage is perhaps best known as the anti-gay group with those odd lightning commercials that were parodied so effectively. Now, however, NOM may become even better known for some internal memos that highlight the group's divisive strategies.
The leading opponents of same-sex marriage planned to defeat campaigns for gay marriage by "fanning the hostility" between black voters from gay voters and by casting President Obama as a radical foe of marriage, according to confidential documents made public in a Maine court today.
The documents, circulated by the gay rights group Human Rights Campaign, are marked "confidential" and detail the internal strategy of the National Organization for Marriage.
NOM doesn't exactly come across well in its internal documents. The group said in no uncertain terms that it intended to "drive a wedge between gays and blacks," bait the LGBT community into attacking African-American spokespersons, and convince Latino voters that anti-gay animus is a "symbol of resistance to inappropriate assimilation."
The group's materials also point to a $20 million effort in 2012 to defeat "the pro-gay Obama agenda" and expose the president "as a social radical." Under a section headed "Sideswiping Obama," NOM apparently planned to talk about pornography in order to undermine the Obama campaign -- though I have no idea how the group intended to connect the two.
In related news, the Obama administration yesterday directed a "health insurance company to cover the same-sex spouse of a federal employee," a move experts believe is a historic first, and announced that same-sex families will be able to cross the U.S. border together, rather than the previous policy that forced married same-sex couples to go through customs separately.
One assumes the National Organization for Marriage was not pleased with the news.
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Not quite ready for the fainting couch just yet....this is NOT shocking news. NOM's tactics have always smacked of bigotry and cynicism. This just confirms all of that. It is nice to know what marriage equality is up against, though, don't you think?
Newt definitely should be their spokesman.
"lightning", not "lightening" =)
Did NOM not get the memo that Obama is divisive and has failed to deliver on his promise to unite the country?
Just so we're clear... WHICH people are we supposed to be uniting, cuz we can hardly blame our president if black people aren't properly demonizing gays. We need SPECIFICS, here, people. WHICH Americans should unite and which should we ostracize (I say "we" fully aware that perhaps I'm not among those you wish to unite with; but I'm white, male, and straight, so I'm playing the odds here). When you call for a united America, it would really help if you added the "except..." part during your speeches. We liberals are not terribly good at reading your minds, noticing when you wink, or checking for crossed fingers behind your back.
speaking for everyone in the LGBT population (sarc)...
I think I'd just settle for someone who thinks I'm entitled to the equal protection of the laws. When I applied for benefits for my same-sex partner, a colleague who filled out paperwork at the same time I did noted with surprise the sheaf of paperwork I had to bring in. He said, "I don't think I could come up with all of that to document the fact that I'm married to my wife!" Yet I was held to a higher standard, just so they could be double-triple absolutely positively sure that I was really in a committed relationship. Since I had to show a lot more paperwork than he did (he only had to check the box that said he wished to enroll his wife as a dependent), I tend to think that while I do technically enjoy a right that many others have not been able to obtain, it took a heck of a lot more effort/documentation than is required of any straight person.
I'm not sure I've ever seen something so disgusting, immoral, anti-American and just plain hateful. How any organization could legitimately conceive and implement such a horrific "strategy" to further their pathetic and hateful cause is mind boggling. Every American has rights that no law, no lawmaker, no bigoted organization can ever take away. Here is the perfect time for our president to "evolve" on this issue and offer his uniquely qualified opinion on why this particular development is so heinous. http://www.sunstateactivist.org
Unfortunately, I wouldn't be surprised if this divide-and-conquer tactic worked. Many in the Black religious community (Eddie Long, aside) are on record as fervently anti-gay. Contrary to popular belief, in certain enclaves African Americans can tend towards the uber-conservative with regard to social issues. There were a lot of Black people who voted for Bush in 2004 because the gay marriage issue came up then, and they turned out in huge numbers for the Prop 8 Vote in California in 2008.
And never try to liken LGBT rights the minority Civil Rights... Some Black people will go apoplectic...
@Sgt. Gym Bubby, I agree. It makes me very sad. I mostly blame Black churches for this kind of thinking. Black clergy have always been at the forefront of our civil rights movement. Where are they now when Gays are fighting for rights denied to them?!? It's a shame.
This kind of crap happens in Washington, and political campaigns all the time, but when you are a group simply in existence to further anti-gay fear and animus to prevent a civil right from those people, this is heinous. I really hope this blows up, and exposes this kind of hatred as irrational, and furthers the compassion for fairness the LGBT community well deserves.
note to investors:
Hatred is a growth industry. . .
Once again, Black Americans are targets for abuse. This time, it is through a nefarious conspiracy of misinformation and lies used to coerce Blacks into doing the NOM's bidding for them.
I know the heart of this issue is about equal dignity for LGBT Americans. But let's not lose sight of the fact that Black Americans are the victims here of NOM too.
yeah, but no more sympathy for "dumb" blacks-they know what theyre doing-blacks went through so much discrimination and manipulation by white religious bigots-and now they perpetuate it against another minority-they should eb deeply ashamed-no wonder they, a as peopl-kill each other and never progress-its pathetic-not sad at all anymore
Can't wait to see the Rev. Al and Rachell today. Especially the reverend, as his support for marriage equality is not common among black clergy, or most religious leaders for that matter. GO GETTEM' RACHELL! I love it when you say "GOTCHA!"
NOM is fighting a losing battle. Attitudes are changing along with the demographics of the population. Eventually, they will find themselves talking to themselves and no one else.
Agreed!
SUCH good 'christians' aren't they? I love the ones that promise to 'pray for me' because I'm so deluded. Uh huh.
"I'm praying for you" isn't all that heartwarming when it's accompanied by a shook fist under your nose.
It is hard for me to fathom what kind of people would fight tooth and nail just so others can't get married. Talk about misguided. Their lives (and their marriages) must be truly miserable.
An important question for some enterprising investigative reporter -- after Prop 8 passed, there were plenty of stories published about how it had passed "because" African-Americans had voted for it. This turned out to be completely false; sure, there was some support from the African-American community, but there just weren't enough of them in California for it to be "their fault."
So the question is, was NOM behind these stories? It certainly seems like it would be in line with their appalling "strategy." Enquiring minds want to know.
Honestly, I kind of lean away from thinking that NOM was behind those stories, though it's certainly possible. The story on First Read about this has some interesting poll numbers regarding views on same-sex marriage among ethnic minorities.
From First Read:
"Among African Americans, a majority (50 percent) said they were in favor (41 were opposed). That's a big change from October 2009, when just a third (32 percent) were in favor and a majority (53 percent) were opposed."
This is a fairly large difference in polling numbers, and shows how attitudes have changed since the Prop 8 election. Mix in with that the fact that while the pro-Marriage equality side was throwing money at San Francisco and Hollywood (places that the money didn't need to be spent), the groups like NOM were spending it in areas that might lean gay-friendly, but could still be brought over to their way of thinking. Mix in good old-fashioned misinformation and fear tactics and you have yourself a winning group.
So no, I can buy that African Americans did in fact turn out in large numbers in '08, and while they may have voted for a progressive President, they voted for a regressive proposition based on common values in their community. While this probably wasn't enough to say that the African American community caused the bill to pass, it's enough to say they certainly helped.
I'd like to point out the difference here between the pro and anti-gay marriage sides. Most of the conversations I've had, or heard about, we discuss reaching out to regligious groups and minority groups and discussing the issue, seeing if we can change some minds. What we don't talk about is trying to "drive a wedge" between anyone, or trying to say that if you don't agree with us, as an immigrant, you're "assimilating" incorrectly.
Has anyone else had a different experience with the LGBT community? Is this just me? Or is this really a huge difference in the way the two sides approach things?
Robert George, founder of NOM, just was appointed to the US Commission for International Religious Freedom. NOM’s talking points, arguments and strategies come from this man, who calls for the arrest and imprisonment and promoting bigotry of LGBT people. If you believe NOM’s tactics are reprehensible, please take the time to fill out this petition on the White House’s webpage condemning the appointment of Robert George. Pass the word along and post where you it is appropriate.
https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions/!/petition/condemn-appointment-bigot-robert-george-us-commission-international-religious-freedom/TFPJSmSh?utm_source=wh.gov&utm_medium=shorturl&utm_campaign=shorturl