In a recent newsletter, the National Organization for Marriage cites a new government study as evidence that gay marriage will hurt kids, because the research finds that kids suffer less abuse with married biological parents than with a single parent, a parent living with an unmarried partner, or a parent and step-parent.

They got it half right. Having two married biological parents is good for kids, and better than the alternatives the study examined. We here at IGF are all for it. But that doesn't make having, say, an unmarried mom and mom better than having a married mom and mom. As a correspondent points out:

Does NOM never, ever learn? These same figures indicate that for either two-adult family structure (both biological parents, or one biological and one step-parent) the chance of abuse to the child goes down drastically IF THE COUPLE GETS MARRIED. For the first kind of family, the risk drops 80 percent. For the second kind of family, the risk drops nearly 60 percent. Even for single biological parents, the child's risk drops by about 15 percent if that single parent finds and marries someone.

Labels: cohabitation, gay marriage, gay parenting, Jonathan Rauch, Maggie Gallagher, Marriage, NOM, parenting, remarriage, single parenting

VOTE

The New York Times, and now Wikipedia, have defined the National Organization for Marriage as a Christian conservative organization. It's not the worst label in the world from my perspective, but that still doesn't make it exactly true.
 
For the record: NOM's mission is "protecting marriage and the faith communities that sustain it." NOM is not itself an exclusively Christian or even religious organization; we welcome people of all faiths or no faith who want to work to protect marriage as the union of husband and wife. Marriage is the union of male and female, not only in this society, but throughout the world's diverse human cultures, for reasons that transcend particular theologies, and are apparent to rational people. We welcome the many people of various parties or ideologies who understand the importance of protecting in law and culture this core meaning of marriage.

Labels: NOM

VOTE

The Susan B. Anthony List, an anti-abortion advocacy group, has bought 13 1/3 hours of airtime on country, Christian and news radio stations for a radio ad supporting Doug Hoffman, the Conservative candidate for the 23rd Congressional District.

Executive Director Marjorie Dannenfelser told me Sunday that her group is part of a larger coalition of conservative groups spending $350,000 to get Mr. Hoffman elected. The body includes the National Organization for Marriage, Campaign for Working Families and the Eagle Forum, among others.

Labels: New York, NOM

VOTE

A few years ago a highly visible and influential member of the Christian Right appeared on one of the cable news shows talking about homosexual marriage. He said that homosexuality was harmful to society and to the individuals who practiced it. A week later this same man appeared again on the same topic only this time he said opposition to homosexual marriage was not about condemning homosexuals but about protecting children who need moms and dads, something homosexual couples can never provide. Sometime between his first appearance and his second, he was visited by one of the wisest social analysts in the country, Maggie Gallagher of the National Movement for Marriage.

Labels: gay marriage, Maggie Gallagher, NOM

VOTE

On the day in which a press conference is scheduled to determine Carrie Prejean's reign as Miss California, here's a look at Prejean's own news conference from April 30.

In this media session, she takes questions about her beliefs, what she learned from her mother and the Bible, about going into politics, dating ex-gay men, and misrepresenting the state of California.

On her beliefs that marriage is only between a man and a woman: "That's how I've been raised from my mother when I was a little girl, that I was going to marry a man when I grew up, and it says in the Bible. That's what I believe."

Labels: culture, gay marriage, NOM

VOTE

In order to fully understand what’s going on in this ad, you need to start with the concept of mortality salience. Basically, mortality salience is the idea that being reminded of the fact of death (i.e. one’s own mortality) can essentially prime people into a different mindset —one which makes them more likely to fear other races, religions, and nations; which makes them prefer charismatic over pragmatic leaders; and which heightens their attraction to traditional mores. ...

What does this ad do to spark fear, or mortality salience? Well, the entire ominous “storm” motif is pretty sinister, with dark clouds and strikes of lightning. And there’s the nice touch at the end, where the sun comes out as a spokesman promises that a “rainbow coalition of love” will come together to fend off teh gays.

Then, there’s the text, put in the mouths of various actors of various races and genders: “There’s a storm gathering. The clouds are dark, and the winds are strong. And I am afraid.” The “I am afraid” line, the most direct appeal to fear, is read by a pretty, innocent-looking, young African American woman (perhaps even meant to evoke instincts of protection in males, empathy in females). And the kicker toward the end: “The storm is coming.”

You are going to die.

Labels: gay marriage, NOM

VOTE

Labels: adultery, Connecticut, gay marriage, NOM, religious liberty

VOTE

..."Go get married!" Dennis Johnson, a Des Moines lawyer who helped represent the gay and lesbian couples in the case, told the gathering at the hotel. "Live happily ever after. Live the American dream." ...

In contrast to states that have barred the marriages with voter-led ballot measures, Iowa voters cannot directly initiate constitutional amendments. Instead, an amendment requires approval by state lawmakers during two legislative sessions and then approval by voters. That means the earliest a prospective ban could take effect would be 2012.

Same-sex marriage opponents want state lawmakers, who are a few weeks from finishing their annual session, to begin the process now. But the idea seemed to have no backing among legislative leaders.

"We're just going to say no to amending our constitution and putting discrimination into our constitution," said Michael Gronstal, a Democrat and state Senate leader.

Gronstal noted that such an amendment failed in the Senate several years ago, even before the suit that led to Friday's ruling. ...

"The gay marriage movement has once again used the power of the courts to push an untruth on unwilling Iowans," said Brian Brown, executive director of the National Organization for Marriage, a group formed in 2007 to preserve traditional marriage.

Labels: gay marriage, Iowa, NOM

VOTE

The same-sex marriage debate has prompted a radio ad war.

Last week, the months-old Rhode Island affiliate of the National Organization for Marriage hit the airwaves with a spot that urges listeners to call their state legislators and tell them: “Stop messing with marriage and get back to work.”

Prompted by the scheduling of a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Thursday night on a packet of bills for and against same-sex marriage, the ad revolves around an imaginary conversation between a child and an adult.

“Our kids will be taught a new way of thinking ... and soon, they will be thinking the unthinkable,” says the adult. “If my dad married a man, who would be my mom?” the child’s voice asks. ...

In response to the ad campaign, members of Marriage Equality of Rhode Island began soliciting donations over the weekend for a response.

Labels: gay marriage, NOM

VOTE