Quote Of The Day - Peter Sprigg

"Advocates of same-sex 'marriage' would have you believe that a majority of Americans are now ready to throw man-woman marriage and mother-father households on the ash heap of history. Don't believe it. Like the voters in 31 out of 31 states that have voted on the issue, this new poll makes clear that a solid majority of Americans still believe that marriage is the union of a man and a woman. I hope the members of the New York State Senate will consider this before they make a foolish decision to redefine our most fundamental social institution." - Family Research Council spokesdouche Peter Sprigg.

NOTE: This new poll Sprigg refers to? It was paid for by the anti-gay Nazis at the Alliance Defense Fund.

Anti-Gay Groups Vow DOMA Defense

Anti-gay legal groups from the Alliance Defense Fund to the Heritage Foundation are saying that the president's decision yesterday clears the way for them to mount a "truly rigorous" defense of DOMA.

Chuck Donovan, senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, says the government's decision to abandon the federal law is outrageous because it is now understood that the administration's defense of DOMA in court has only been a pretense. "The silver lining, though, is that now, we're going to get away from this farce of a representation we've had out of the Obama Justice Department," Donovan suggests. That means "we'll have a clear attempt...by others in Congress to interject the congressional view and defend marriage." The Department of Justice has already told one federal court that DOMA is unconstitutional, while maintaining in another case that the government could make a defense, even though the agency believes the law is unconstitutional. "It's embarrassing for the administration to have it play out this way," the research fellow decides. "It looks very political. But actually, there's a chance that DOMA will now get a much better defense."

An ADF attorney says, "The Department of Justice has a constitutional duty to defend the laws duly enacted by Congress. And the refusal of the attorney general to defend the federal Defense of Marriage Act just because they don't like it politically is really inexcusable."

Alliance Defense Fund Celebrates Win On "Keeping God" In Pledge Of Allegiance

DOJ Declines To Appeal Ruling Allowing Christianists To Proselytize In Parks

The Department of Justice has elected to let stand a court ruling which allows Christianists and other religious groups to demonstrate, preach, and proselytize in federal parks. The original case was brought by the anti-gay Alliance Defense Fund over a preacher who was made to stop handing out pamphlets at Mount Rushmore.

"It was a bureaucratic nightmare," said Nate Kellum, senior counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund, a nonprofit Christian legal defense group. "He was completely stymied from sharing his Christian views with anybody else." The case "establishes that national parks are no different than any other public park," Kellum said. "There's no distinction now between Mount Rushmore and the city park down the street." Groups of 25 or fewer people may now demonstrate or distribute or sell printed material in designated areas of national parks and historic sites without a permit, according to interim regulations to be published soon in the Federal Register.

Even though this decision by the DOJ is unrelated to DADT, Servicemembers United feels it is emblematic of the Obama administration's hypocrisy. Via press release:

"In the very same week, the administration says that it absolutely must appeal a federal court's decision on 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' while it orders the Justice Department not to appeal a federal court's ruling in favor of the conservative Alliance Defense Fund. This contradiction is simply incomprehensible and insulting," said Alexander Nicholson, Executive Director of Servicemembers United and the sole named veteran plaintiff in the case along with the Log Cabin Republicans. "Servicemembers United renews its call for the administration to withdraw its appeal of both the 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' ruling and the injunction pursuant to that ruling."

"Bishop" Harry Jackson Petitions Supreme Court To Overturn DC Gay Marriage

With the backing of the anti-gay Alliance Defense Fund, Maryland-based carpetbagger Bishop Harry Jackson has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court in a last-ditch effort to overturn same-sex marriage in Washington DC. (Screencaps above, PDF here.) The Human Rights Campaign reacts via press release:

Today, Bishop Harry Jackson – who pastors a Maryland congregation and has been the leading voice against marriage equality in the District of Columbia – petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a case attempting to put the rights of District citizens up to a vote of the people. Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese issued the following statement: “Today’s petition by Bishop Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court is nothing more than a last-ditch attempt by outside interests to try to eliminate marriage equality in the District. Every court that has reviewed this case, including two Superior Court judges and the full Court of Appeals, has found Jackson’s arguments to be without merit. We are confident that the District’s highest court properly decided that the Council had the right to broadly protect human rights for all District residents by prohibiting discriminatory ballot initiatives. “The Council and Mayor, representing District residents, overwhelmingly approved legislation providing for marriage equality. And we will remain vigilant against any efforts to take it away.”

CORRECTION: The PDF link above now goes to the correct document. The HRC sends its apologies.

Family Research Council: The Obama Administration Is Planning To Kill DOMA

Family Research Council douchenozzle Tony Perkins says that the Obama administration is deliberately sabotaging the defense of DOMA. But he says the haters have an ace in the hole in GOP Rep. Lamar Smith (TX). Via press release:

When a federal district court ruled in July that DOMA was unconstitutional, it fell to Obama's Justice Department to fight for the law. But so far, the fight has been one-sided. As of this week, the Department of Justice (DOJ) hadn't lifted a finger to appeal the ruling. Enter Congressman Lamar Smith (R-Texas). If the federal government won't defend its own marriage law, then he will. Together with the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), the GOP's ranking member on the House Judiciary committee is petitioning the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts to intervene. And just in the nick of time.

By the Left's calculations, the deadline for entering an appeal is this Tuesday, October 12th. If the motion succeeds, Rep. Smith will fill the vacuum left by this administration. In a press release announcing the partnership, ADF points out " The DOJ's current DOMA defense, which happens to fit the current administration's policy preferences, is really no defense at all." As the motion states, "The DOJ's [indifference] is especially alarming here because people have the right to rely on the government to make a good defense of laws passed by their congressional representatives." Now that Congressman Smith has called their bluff, it will be interesting to see how the DOJ's attorneys respond. Ironically, the October 12th deadline falls right after National Coming Out Day. I wonder if the administration will take the opportunity to come out of the closet about its strategy to kill DOMA?

Christianist Groups To Gather To Defy IRS Rules On Political Activism

The anti-gay Alliance Defense Fund is organizing a meeting of about 100 pastors who will preach "biblical perspectives on the positions of electoral candidates or current government officials" in defiance of IRS rules against such activism by tax-exempt religious organizations.

Pulpit Freedom Sunday is an event associated with the ADF Pulpit Initiative, a legal effort designed to secure the First Amendment rights of pastors in the pulpit. The Pulpit Initiative is part of the larger ADF Church Project. Participating pastors preaching on Pulpit Freedom Sunday will address the subject of current candidates for office, including the positions held by those candidates, in light of Scripture. “Pastors and churches shouldn’t live in fear of being punished or penalized by the government—in this case, the IRS,” said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Erik Stanley. “ADF is not trying to get politics into the pulpit; we want to get government out of the pulpit. Churches should be allowed to decide for themselves what they want to talk about. The IRS should not be the one making the decision by threatening to revoke a church’s tax-exempt status.”

The ADF is hoping to force the courts to address the constitutionality of the 1954 law.

LOS ANGELES: Student Loses Suit Against College For Stopping His Anti-Gay Speech

Shortly after the passage of Proposition 8, Los Angeles City College student Jonathan Lopez was stopped by his public speaking professor as he attempted to deliver a speech against marriage equality. Lopez alleged that the professor called him a "fascist bastard" and told him to "ask God what your grade is." He then won the right to sue the college for violating his First Amendment rights. On Friday the Ninth Circuit Court overturned that decision.

Lopez, a self-described Christian, claimed a professor stopped him mid-speech, deeming his words sexual harassment under the Los Angeles Community College District's code of conduct. He sued the district in February 2009 in Los Angeles federal court, claiming the code was so broad that it limited his right to free speech. U.S. Circuit Court Judge Sandra S. Ikuta wrote in the opinion handed down today that Lopez, "failed to make a clear showing that his intended speech on religious topics gave rise to a specific and credible threat of adverse action from college officials under the college's sexual harassment policy.''

Lopez' lawsuit has been closely followed by Christianist websites who claim that his case is yet another example of Christian speech being stifled at the nation's universities. He was represented by the anti-gay Alliance Defense Fund.

PhoboQuotable - Wally Leimgruber

I don't judge any person because they don't participate in the same heterosexual lifestyle as my wife and me. But when you tell me that homosexual marriage is a normal thing, it's like telling me the Earth is flat. I took an oath to uphold the Constitution, and the law of California says that homosexual marriage is illegal. So if nobody else in government will defend the law, then I guess it's up to us. The Alliance Defense Fund called me in November and told me it was necessary that a governmental entity get involved. I knew right away it was the right thing for us." - Imperial County Supervisor Wally Leimgruber, explaining why his county has filed to defend Prop 8.

Hate Group Vs. Hate Group!

The anti-gay Liberty Counsel wanted to be one of the hate groups arguing Prop 8. The anti-gay Alliance Defense Fund blocked their involvement, saying, "No fucking way, bitches. We're the only haters up in this here case." Protect Marriage even dissed the Liberty Counsel as the "extreme fringe" of the hate movement and "not part of the coalition that got Prop 8 passed."

And ever since Walker ruled, the Liberty Counsel's Matt Staver has been screaming about the lousy job the ADF did, whining that ADF didn't hate nearly hard enough during the case. Why, they never even said that dirty homos were doomed to eternal damnation!

"First was a misplaced idea of competition or domination of the case," he said. "And second, a desire to narrow the defense so as not to focus or even address the consequences of homosexuality and homosexual marriage." "We wanted to include that as part of our defense," he continued. According to Staver, the ADF "basically gave away the essence of the case, because they wanted to shy away from homosexuality and really were not willing to take the issue directly head on." The ADF wished to stipulate, he said, that counseling some homosexuals to change could be harmful, that homosexual partners form long and lasting relationships, and that homosexuality does not impair any area of life. Liberty Counsel was not willing to do so.

Regardless of the reason that the ADF opposed Liberty Counsel’s entrance, the attitude that the ADF wished to project towards the court was reflected in the witnesses they planned on calling: at least three seemed to think that homosexuality, in itself, was perfectly fine. Katherine Young and Paul Nathanson had been slated to testify before the court for the proponents of Proposition 8, but they were both withdrawn before they did so.

Advocates of same-sex “marriage,” however, used Young’s and Nathanson’s videotaped depositions to help bolster their own arguments. In Nathanson's deposition he stated that homosexuals can be good parents, while Young said in his videotaped testimony that homosexuality is a normal variant of human sexuality and that homosexuals have the same potential and desire as heterosexual couples to raise children. In 2003, Katherine Young and Paul Nathanson wrote that although legalizing "same sex marriage is a bad idea" they only opposed "gay marriage, not gay relationships." "There's nothing wrong with homosexuality," they stated. "One of us, in fact, is gay."

Staver further bitches that none of the Liberty Counsel's suggested witnesses, all of whom were ready to testify about the inherent eeee-ville of teh gay, were ever contacted, much less asked to appear in court.

Alliance Defense Fund Calls For Prayers: Please Jeebus, Let Us Keep Prop 8

(Tipped by JMG reader Mark)

WASHINGTON: Appeals Court Rejects Bid To Force DC Marriage Referendum

The Washington DC Court of Appeals ruled 5-4 this morning to reject a bid to put marriage equality to a public vote. The Human Rights Campaign reports via press release:

“The court’s ruling today is a significant victory for justice, the rule of law and the protection of all D.C. residents against discrimination,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "It’s time for the National Organization for Marriage to realize equality is here to stay no matter how much money they want to throw at turning back the clock." In its decision, the Court of Appeals, D.C.’s highest court, decided 5-4 that the Council properly exercised its authority under the D.C. Charter in establishing the requirement that a proposed initiative may not authorize, or have the effect of authorizing, discrimination prohibited by the D.C. Human Rights Act.

The Court ruled unanimously that the proposed initiative would in fact impermissibly permit discrimination against gays and lesbians in the District. “The D.C. Council made a wise decision decades ago that no initiative should be permitted to strip away any individual’s civil rights. The Court unanimously found that the proposed anti-marriage initiative would have the effect of causing discrimination, and in doing so, stood up for the entire D.C. community,” said Solmonese.

The HRC notes that while Maryland-based Bishop Harry Jackson (above) is the person most connected with the bid to overturn gay marriage in DC, the driving forces behind the now-failed initiative were the Alliance Defense Fund and NOM. Another win for the good guys today and a big FAIL buzzer for Bishop Harry!

PhoboQuotable - Michael Carroll

"I see no purpose in extending a societal imprimatur – and not insubstantial benefits – to folks whose relationships are of essentially no societal consequence. Taxpayers should not be in the business of subsidizing friendships, however close. Only when people enter into a relationship which presumptively involves the bearing and rearing of children does society have an interest in that relationship." - New Jersey Assemblyman Michael Carroll, explaining why he has joined the Alliance Defense Fund in their challenge to Lambda Legal's marriage equality lawsuit against the state.