In The Blogs

The Anti-Gay Commercial, Plus 'Talking Points'

| Thu Apr. 9, 2009 10:53 AM PDT

By now, some of you have surely seen the National Organization for Marriage's anti-gay marriage commercials being aired across the nation in response to recent developments in Vermont and Iowa. If not, you can see them online here. The Human Rights Campaign has already rebutted the commercial's claims very well, so I won't go into that except to say Mother Jones wrote extensively about the case involving the "California doctor" who says she's forced to choose "between my faith and my job."

Like others in the blogosphere, I thought the commercial was pretty heinous, not to mention factually inaccurate. But my jaw really dropped when I went to NOM's site and read the suggested "talking points" supporters can use when confronted by pro-gay marriage folks. Here's one gem: "We need a marriage amendment to settle the gay marriage issue once and for all, so we don’t have it in our face every day for the next ten years." That's right: they said "in our face." I'm taking this to mean, "Why can't you people just go back in the closet and stop asking for rights?" That said, I agree with NOM. We do need a marriage amendment. But if this map is any indication, I don't think it'll be the amendment NOM is hoping for.

Another online amusement: NOM lists answers supporters can give to common, but uncomfortable, questions such as "Are you a bigot?" and "Isn't the ban on gay marriage like bans on interracial marriage?" The suggested answers really speak for themselves. Apparently banning interracial marriage was about "keeping two races apart so one race could oppress the other." And gay marriage has absolutely nothing to with keeping two kinds of people apart or oppressing one of them, right? Right. Seriously, the rest of the questions and answers are pretty priceless. You can check them out here.

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Jen Phillips is an assistant editor at Mother Jones. For more of her stories, click here.

Comments

I like the talking

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri Apr. 10, 2009 12:21 PM PDT.

I like the talking point/bald face lie: “Religious groups like Catholic Charities or the Salvation Army may lose their tax exemptions, or be denied the use of parks and other public facilities, unless they endorse gay marriage."

Lying and the Right

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri Apr. 10, 2009 2:38 PM PDT.

When did facts ever enter into it for the Right? For them, it's all propaganda all the time -- this stuff is fundamentally about using fear and hate to get the bottom feeders to the polls and to write checks to hate groups like Focus on the Fambly. Silent bystanders aren't, I think, taking into account the impact that bald-face lying has on quality decisionmaking, whether it's about who gets elected or who gets bailed out or whether the Arctic ice is melting. I guess we'll all be finding out, huh.

Huh?

Submitted by KeithInMO (not verified) on Fri Apr. 10, 2009 3:16 PM PDT.

If you are against gay marriage, don't marry "a gay"!! It's that simple.

Interesting

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed Jan. 20, 2010 7:10 PM PST.

I am not for or against gay marriage. Really, I think everyone should have the same rights. My problem is that I have served in the United States Armed Forces, and I didn't fight for our freedom's to be oppressed. Like I said, I don't care if gay marriage is passed or turned down. What pisses me off is the statement "I am forced to choose between my faith and my job." Well that's bull. A long time ago we chose to defend the unalienable rights of our people. We also decided a long time ago that church and state are not separate. What the Bible says should have no bearing on any decisions. I think Iowa did a great thing by allowing gay marriage. They are one of few who saw this for what it is. I think people should voice their opinion. Thank Goodness for that 1st Amendment.