For those of you who know me and may not know what I am all about, GLBT issues are my pet issue. Although I am (mostly) straight, I have no issue standing with a gay man or woman and saying that I am their brother. I don't really know a better way to put it, but there it is. I can see no greater issue in America today than intolerance.
I am a member of HRC, the Human Rights Campaign, that promotes equality for all peoples, especially championong GLBT rights. Every other day or so I get an email from them that tells me a little bit more about the hatred that GLBT individuals experience daily. This is no joke to me. I feel very strongly about this issue, and I have seen in my life people that are very close to me that have had major psychological issues to overcome due solely to the intolerance of other people weho hate gays or blacks or arabs or whatever...I think it is time that we put all of this to an end
Here is an example of the messages I get, please let me know if you want to be included in these emails, I will send them to you:
HRC Back Story
Working for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equal rights
BLOG HOMECONTACT USHRC HOME
VIDEO: Joe Solmonese discusses the Vermont marriage victory on CNNVolunteers call Maine voters to urge their support for marriage equality bill
National Organization for Marriage Creates Fake Ad for Fake Problems
April 8, 2009 1:32PM
Chris Johnson
YES, THEY TRIED IT: HRC today called out the National Organization for Marriage for producing a lying television spot thats set to run on CNN, the Fox News Channel, and MSNBC in the coming days. In the ad, actors make long disproven claims about marriage for lesbian and gay couples.
HRC spokesperson Brad Luna lets them have it:
Whats next for the National Organization for Marriage? Will they hire legendary infomercial pitchman Ron Popeil to hawk their phony agenda? This ad is full of outrageous falsehoodsand they dont even come out of the mouths of real people.
According to sources, the phony ad is set to run eight times per day in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and California. Watch their crazy ad below:
The nuttiness of this ad becomes even more apparent when you watch these hilarious actor audition reels. QUICK: Somebody grab my wellies! I can practically feel the storm clouds gathering over my head:
We added the National Organization for Marriage and Maggie Gallagher to the interactive wall at EndtheLies.org after the group created an anti- marriage equality radio ad that played in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
Heres Brad again:
Again and again, opponents of equality have claimed one shallow victory after another by telling lies about who we are as individuals, as loving couples and as families. These lies must be called out for what they are every time the right-wing seeks to derail our progress by spreading distortions and inciting fear mongering.
HRC decided to set the record straight on the claims made in this ad:
The Real Truth Behind the Fake Ad
The general argument of the ad is that the push for marriage equality isnt just about rights for same-sex couples, its about imposing contrary values on people of faith. The examples they cite in the ad are:
(1) A California doctor who must choose between her faith and her job
(2) A member of New Jersey church group which is punished by the state because they cant support same-sex marriage
(3) A Massachusetts parent who stands by helpless while the state teaches her son that gay marriage is okay
The facts indicate that (1) refers to the Benitez decision in California, determining that a doctor cannot violate California anti-discrimination law by refusing to treat a lesbian based on religious belief, (2) refers to the Ocean Grove, New Jersey Methodist pavilion that was open to the general public for events but refused access for civil union ceremonies (and was fined by the state for doing so) and (3) refers to the Parker decision in Massachusetts, where parents unsuccessfully sought to end public school discussions of family diversity, including of same-sex couples.
All three examples involve religious people who enter the public sphere, but dont want to abide by the general non-discriminatory rules everyone else does. Both (1) and (2) are really about state laws against sexual orientation discrimination, rather than specifically about marriage. And (3) is about two pairs of religious parents trying to impose their beliefs on all children in public schools.
The real facts of each case are:
The California doctor entered a profession that promises to first, do no harm and the law requires her to treat a patient in need gay or straight, Christian or Muslim regardless of her religious beliefs. The law does not, and cannot, dictate her faith it can only insist that she follow her oath as a medical professional.
The New Jersey church group runs, and profits from, a beachside pavilion that it rents out to the general public for all manner of occasions concerts, debates and even Civil War reenactments but balks at permitting couples to hold civil union ceremonies there. The law does not challenge the church organizations beliefs about homosexuality it merely requires that a pavilion that had been open to all for years comply with laws protecting everyone from discrimination, including gays and lesbians.
The Massachusetts parent disagrees with an aspect of her sons public education, a discussion of the many different kinds of families he will likely encounter in life, including gay and lesbian couples. The law does not stop her from disagreeing, from teaching him consistently with her differing beliefs at home, or even educating her child in a setting that is more in line with her faith traditions. But it does not allow any one parent to dictate the curriculum for all students based on her familys religious traditions.
Categories: Marriage & Relationship Recognition Uncategorized Permalink
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Listed below are links to weblogs that reference National Organization for Marriage Creates Fake Ad for Fake Problems:
April 9, 2009 Theres a storm a brewin Feminocracy [...] group is somehow being hassled by the government. Feministes post about the ad has a link to the truth behind the...
April 10, 2009 RachelWatch: One lump or two? | Feature Story on 365gay.com [...] Human Rights Campaign not only debunked the ad, but got their hands on the audition footage which is, at times, magnificent....
April 10, 2009 Textphish Friday Mornings Shock [...] that they as human beings deserve. Thankfully for us and not-so-thankfully for them, we have the Gay Superhero HRC to stand...
I am a member of HRC, the Human Rights Campaign, that promotes equality for all peoples, especially championong GLBT rights. Every other day or so I get an email from them that tells me a little bit more about the hatred that GLBT individuals experience daily. This is no joke to me. I feel very strongly about this issue, and I have seen in my life people that are very close to me that have had major psychological issues to overcome due solely to the intolerance of other people weho hate gays or blacks or arabs or whatever...I think it is time that we put all of this to an end

Here is an example of the messages I get, please let me know if you want to be included in these emails, I will send them to you:
HRC Back Story
Working for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equal rights
BLOG HOMECONTACT USHRC HOME
VIDEO: Joe Solmonese discusses the Vermont marriage victory on CNNVolunteers call Maine voters to urge their support for marriage equality bill
National Organization for Marriage Creates Fake Ad for Fake Problems
April 8, 2009 1:32PM
Chris Johnson
YES, THEY TRIED IT: HRC today called out the National Organization for Marriage for producing a lying television spot thats set to run on CNN, the Fox News Channel, and MSNBC in the coming days. In the ad, actors make long disproven claims about marriage for lesbian and gay couples.
HRC spokesperson Brad Luna lets them have it:
Whats next for the National Organization for Marriage? Will they hire legendary infomercial pitchman Ron Popeil to hawk their phony agenda? This ad is full of outrageous falsehoodsand they dont even come out of the mouths of real people.
According to sources, the phony ad is set to run eight times per day in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and California. Watch their crazy ad below:
The nuttiness of this ad becomes even more apparent when you watch these hilarious actor audition reels. QUICK: Somebody grab my wellies! I can practically feel the storm clouds gathering over my head:
We added the National Organization for Marriage and Maggie Gallagher to the interactive wall at EndtheLies.org after the group created an anti- marriage equality radio ad that played in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
Heres Brad again:
Again and again, opponents of equality have claimed one shallow victory after another by telling lies about who we are as individuals, as loving couples and as families. These lies must be called out for what they are every time the right-wing seeks to derail our progress by spreading distortions and inciting fear mongering.
HRC decided to set the record straight on the claims made in this ad:
The Real Truth Behind the Fake Ad
The general argument of the ad is that the push for marriage equality isnt just about rights for same-sex couples, its about imposing contrary values on people of faith. The examples they cite in the ad are:
(1) A California doctor who must choose between her faith and her job
(2) A member of New Jersey church group which is punished by the state because they cant support same-sex marriage
(3) A Massachusetts parent who stands by helpless while the state teaches her son that gay marriage is okay
The facts indicate that (1) refers to the Benitez decision in California, determining that a doctor cannot violate California anti-discrimination law by refusing to treat a lesbian based on religious belief, (2) refers to the Ocean Grove, New Jersey Methodist pavilion that was open to the general public for events but refused access for civil union ceremonies (and was fined by the state for doing so) and (3) refers to the Parker decision in Massachusetts, where parents unsuccessfully sought to end public school discussions of family diversity, including of same-sex couples.
All three examples involve religious people who enter the public sphere, but dont want to abide by the general non-discriminatory rules everyone else does. Both (1) and (2) are really about state laws against sexual orientation discrimination, rather than specifically about marriage. And (3) is about two pairs of religious parents trying to impose their beliefs on all children in public schools.
The real facts of each case are:
The California doctor entered a profession that promises to first, do no harm and the law requires her to treat a patient in need gay or straight, Christian or Muslim regardless of her religious beliefs. The law does not, and cannot, dictate her faith it can only insist that she follow her oath as a medical professional.
The New Jersey church group runs, and profits from, a beachside pavilion that it rents out to the general public for all manner of occasions concerts, debates and even Civil War reenactments but balks at permitting couples to hold civil union ceremonies there. The law does not challenge the church organizations beliefs about homosexuality it merely requires that a pavilion that had been open to all for years comply with laws protecting everyone from discrimination, including gays and lesbians.
The Massachusetts parent disagrees with an aspect of her sons public education, a discussion of the many different kinds of families he will likely encounter in life, including gay and lesbian couples. The law does not stop her from disagreeing, from teaching him consistently with her differing beliefs at home, or even educating her child in a setting that is more in line with her faith traditions. But it does not allow any one parent to dictate the curriculum for all students based on her familys religious traditions.
Categories: Marriage & Relationship Recognition Uncategorized Permalink
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.hrcbackstory.org/2009/04/national-organization-for-marriage-creates-fake-ad-for-fake-problems/trackback/
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference National Organization for Marriage Creates Fake Ad for Fake Problems:
April 9, 2009 Theres a storm a brewin Feminocracy [...] group is somehow being hassled by the government. Feministes post about the ad has a link to the truth behind the...
April 10, 2009 RachelWatch: One lump or two? | Feature Story on 365gay.com [...] Human Rights Campaign not only debunked the ad, but got their hands on the audition footage which is, at times, magnificent....
April 10, 2009 Textphish Friday Mornings Shock [...] that they as human beings deserve. Thankfully for us and not-so-thankfully for them, we have the Gay Superhero HRC to stand...
VIEW 3 of 3 COMMENTS
elviss:
It is terrible. It pisses me off. Im sorry I caught your blog so late but I want you to know that I feel the exact same way, coming from a gay home and living amongst many gay people whom I love and care for. This video is incredible, and not in a good way at all. It makes me sick with anger and hurt for those who will a) watch and believe it and b) watch it and feel its deep seeded lies about their lives. I cannot believe for a second that any educated human being allowed this THING to air... Anyway. Grrrr
warning:
I'm a mega fuckin dork man. Can't help it.