Defense of Marriage Updates

In New Hampshire this week, the same-sex "marriage" actvists maintained their perfect record: zero victories whenever the people have a chance to have their say. They only win when they can bring a lot of pressure on a small number of people, like a legislature, or when a judge rules in their favor.


Meanwhile in California, the Bay Area Reporter and the San Francisco Bay Times (both are gay targeted publications) had stories on last weekend's "Equality Leadership Summit," which included the reults of the "Poll for Equality." From the BAR:


"Press kicked out of summit over poll"
by Cynthia Laird


"Reporters were ordered to leave last Sunday's equality leadership summit in Fresno during a discussion of recent polling data after meeting organizers, and groups that paid for the poll, expressed fears that the "sensitive" information would provide ammunition to opponents of same-sex marriage.

An examination of the poll, a copy of which was leaked to reporters, shows that indeed, marriage equality supporters have a tough road ahead as they prepare for a ballot measure to repeal Proposition 8, which eliminated same-sex marriage after 52 percent of California voters approved it last November."

And from the SF Bay Times:

"Poll 4 Equality Says There’s No Change in California’s Support for Same Sex Marriage Since November"
By Kim Corsaro

"At a cost of $85,000 a broad coalition of faith, civil rights, labor and LGBT groups banded together earlier this year to commission a private poll to determine how Californians feel about another ballot battle on the issue of same-sex marriage, and when best that battle should take place: 2010 or 2012. The poll, conducted in the week before the Supreme Court released their decision upholding Prop 8, was entitled “Poll 4 Equality” and was conducted by David Binder of Binder Research and Amy R. Simon of Goodwin Simon Victoria Research.....

On the face of it, the poll is somewhat discouraging. It indicates that there really hasn’t been much of a shift in voter opinion since the November 2008 election. The margins remain steady at 2-4 points against same sex marriage, pretty much no matter how the question is asked. All of the fears voters expressed around their religious freedom being trampled and their children being educated that gay marriage is OK ring out loud and clear in all the poll results."

Polls are irrelevant--but we know our opponents will be extremely well funded, and that they get unlimited free advertising in the media. The SF Bay Times author admitted as much:

"The only real education that has been done on our behalf has been in the media. That’s why younger voters are so heavily in favor of same sex marriage; they’ve gotten to know us through Hollywood."

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From the pro-marriage side, we received an email from Bill May, of Catholics for the Common Good:

"A statewide effort to repeal California Prop 8 was launched last weekend by traditional marriage opponents.

To date, Catholics for the Common Good is the only organization that has started training and deploying volunteer leaders in what will become a huge public educational effort to regain the offense on marriage and the family. The first Southern California training has already been held, and has generated much excitement and confidence among participants. Others are planned around the state including Fresno and the Bay Area tentatively scheduled for July 25 and August 1 respectively.Yet we are struggling to pay our rent. Last month, for the first time, we fell short of meeting our obligations. We have since covered them, but to continue operations, we need to raise at least $20,000 by the end of the June, and for every month thereafter."

"Please make a tax-deductible donation today!"

You can go to http://www.ccgaction.org/donate/CCGIdonation to donate online.

Posted by Gibbons J. Cooney