Speaking to the Christian Broadcast Network about the weekend rally, National Organization for Marriage (NOM) spokewoman Maggie Gallagher Mrs. Srivistav called reversing New York's marriage equality "mission critical and promised "a bloody mess" along the way.
Maybe it's just me, but if I was trying to distance myself from my own supporters that message such things like the "solution to gay marriage is lynchings," gays "are worthy to death," and "gay marriage is worse than murder," I'd avoid the "bloody" rhetoric.
In the interview Maggie Gallagher Mrs. Srivistav again claims 10,000 people attended her rally, police told media 3,000. Whatever.
Even her interviewer seems to be a little more in touch with reality than Maggie Gallagher Mrs. Srivistav, he says:
"It appears now the camel no longer has his nose in the tent, he's knocked the tent down, do you really hold out hope in your organization that you are able to stem the tide, we're not talking about public opinion, but stem the tide of legislatures around the country?"
Maggie complains that the press doesn't report their victories in California and Maine. Huh? "Lamestream" media bias! Those poor homophobes can't get their message out!
Calling 2012 defeat of the four NY Republicans that voted for marriage equality "mission critical" she again brings up the specter of Dede Scozzafava saying "she's not a congressman from New York because she voted for gay marriage."
Scozzafava was their poster-child/boogeyman to scare legislators to vote against it. In truth, her campaign had many, many problems, the least of which was her vote on marriage equality in 2008.
Maggie Gallagher Mrs. Srivistav goes on to say:
It's going to be a bloody mess in New York but after the 2012 elections it's going to be very clear to the Republican Party it's going to be a very bad idea to vote for gay marriage if you're a Republican.
Of course the crumbling of the the GOP lockstep opposition to marriage equality is a nightmare come true for
Maggie Gallagher Mrs. Srivistav. Her organization has always had the luxury of presuming that all GOP representatives were in her camp. Her organization will have to spread itself twice at thin to
scare the shit out of lobby both sides of the aisle in future fights. The field for equality expands at the expense of her own field.
If she succeeds in 2012 in taking out Senators Saland, McDonald, Grisanti, and Alesi, it will be a big win for her, chilling the possibility for the LGBT community to develop bipartisan support for their goal of equality. We can expect that if any of these Senators are defeated they, like Scozzafava, will become future poster boys for the electoral disaster that follows voting for equality under the law.
Maggie Gallagher Mrs. Srivistav repeatedly plugs her "Let The People Vote" campaign. Let's take a closer look at what legislative mastermind Brian Brown has cooked up.
Here it is:
Oh wait, that's not it. That's the Underpants Gnomes' get-rich scheme.
Here is the legislative plan as explained on NOM's blog:
PHASE 1:
Elect pro-marriage majorities next November that will approve a marriage amendment in both the Assembly and Senate during the 2013 legislative session.
PHASE 2:
Protect pro-marriage candidates in the 2014 elections, so that the amendment can receive final legislative approval in the 2015 legislative session.
PHASE 3:
Successfully pass the ballot measure when it goes before voters in November 2015.
A 4-year process seems like a long time—and it is—but it's achievable.
Sure it is. Of course, this can be accomplished only if people give money,
give money, give money.
Even if they succeed in their grandiose task of defeating dozens and dozens of incumbent Assembly persons and Senators, and reelecting foes the following cycle, they'll still have to get over public opinion polling that is 58% in favor of marriage equality in 2011. New York support has ticked a few points upward every year for a decade. By 2015, it could well be at 66% support, not even accounting for any acceleration of support that actually having marriage equality in the state may provide. And that was a pretty awesome public relations campaign the movement got Sunday (see 60 Awesome Portraits Of Gay Couples Just Married In New York State). Not exactly congruent with the picture of impending apocalypse that opponents are always screaming is imminent.
It's interesting to note that even the right-wing outlet Wall Street Journal called the "Let The People Vote" campaign, "deceptive advertising."
James Taranto, writing about the weekend call to action in Wall Street Journal says:
If the National Organization for Marriage were a commercial enterprise, its "Let the People Vote" campaign would be a case of deceptive advertising.
Taken in whole, Taranto's article is shameful collection of credulous repeating of right-wing talking points, ignorance, and race-baiting rhetoric. It even includes a picture captioned, "The Gay KK" (apparently a single marriage equality supporter holding a sign makes gays no different from the Klan). The writer also expresses his support for civil rights issues going to popular referendums. But to Taranto's credit, even his obvious sympathy for
Maggie Gallagher Mrs. Srivistav's cause and naked animus to gay people won't permit him to deny basic reality. He writes:
Putting a constitutional amendment on the New York ballot requires an act of the Legislature--or rather two acts, in successive legislative sessions. Thus, for the National Organization for Marriage to have its way, many of the lawmakers who enacted same-sex marriage a month ago would essentially have to reverse themselves. The state Senate approved same-sex marriage 33-29, the Assembly 80-63.
[snip]
We searched LetThePeopleVote.com for a description of the procedure for putting a amendment on the New York ballot and couldn't find one. Instead, the language on the site implies that the Legislature acted illegitimately when it "imposed same-sex marriage on New York with no vote of the people." Such a vote is not part of the ordinary procedure for enacting legislation in New York, and it is misleading to pretend otherwise.
Indeed, 100% pure snake-oil Maggie Gallagher Mrs. Srivistav is selling—and to her own supporters even! Both Defense of Marriage Act getting repealed in 2012, and Michele Bachmann being sworn in as President have a higher likelihood of occurring than NOM's grand scheme.
Now, if I may, I'd like to suggest a faster, easier, more realistic alternative plan NOM may consider pursuing to achieve her endgoal:
PHASE 1:
Obtain a nuclear missile, point it at the moon.
PHASE 2:
Issue a directive to the New York legislature and Governor Cuomo demanding marriage equality be repealed immediately or the moon will be destroyed.
PHASE 3:
Detonate missile over Fire Island to celebrate victory over teh evil gays.
Easy.
This Just In!
More proof
Maggie Gallagher Mrs. Srivistavis out of step with the New York frame of mind.
New York's Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has filed a friend of the court brief on behalf of New York state supporting the ACLU's Constitutional challenge of the Defense of Marriage Act in the case of Windsor vs. United States, slated to go to trial later this fall.
From the NY Daily News:
"The federal Defense of Marriage Act clearly violates the principle of equal justice under law as enshrined int he U.S. Constitution and improperly intrudes on the traditional role of states in defining marriage," Schneiderman said. in a statement.
"The state of New York has long recognized out-of-state, same-sex marriages and the enactment of the Marriage Equality Act further cements our state's position on this critical civil rights issue. My office will fight every day to defend the fundamental guarantee of equal protection under law for all New Yorkers."
[snip]
Schneiderman in his brief argues that redefining the term marriage violates the equal protection guarantees, is an improper tampling of states' rights, and discriminates based on sex and sexual orientation. He adds that DOMA fails any level of scrutiny because it does not advance any legitimate federal interest.
I never doubted AG Schneiderman would step up. He's a good progressive, good to the LGBT community and a good man. I was very happy he won AG last fall.