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HOMOPHOBIC FRINGE GROUP LAUNCHES "YOUR VALUES" INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURE FOR PALIN-ENDORSED CALIFORNIA SENATE CANDIDATE
Courage Campaign tells Carly Fiorina "Bigotry has no place in the United States Senate" as it tracks "National Organization for Marriage" tour across America
LOS ANGELES -- Amidst its anti-gay bus tour across 23 eastern and midwestern cities, the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) has joined a $1 million independent expenditure campaign called "Tus Valores" -- or "Your Values" -- to support Sarah Palin endorsed California Senate Candidate Carly Fiorina.
"In NOM, Carly Fiorina has aligned herself with a fringe group that relies on lies and fear to advocate discrimination and second-class citizenship for millions of loving American families," said Courage Campaign Chairman and Founder Rick Jacobs. "Bigotry is not a family value and it has no place in the United States Senate."
NOM came to fame during the 2008 California Proposition 8 campaign, with its now infamous "Gathering Storm" ad depicting marriage equality as a threat to freedom and family. The ad has long since been debunked as devoid of any basis in fact, and remains a frequent subject of parody and satire.
Earlier this month, Courage Campaign Equality launched the NOM Tour Tracker (www.nomtourtracker.com) -- a blog of first hand accounts, photos, videos, and interviews from NOM's ongoing "Summer for Marriage Tour" as well as counter rallies at each tour stop.
Among other things, the Tracker has chronicled supporters at NOM's sparsely attended rallies speaking in tongues and advocating that homosexuals be put to death. NOM has also sought to bar members of the media from covering these rallies, which earned one videographer an apology from the Chief of the Maryland Capitol Police.
In addition to NOM, the "Your Values" campaign for Carly Fiorina is being funded by the anti-choice Susan B. Anthony List.
"As a failed CEO who killed thousands of California jobs, Carly Fiorina knows she can't run on her record," Jacobs added. "The 'Your Values' independent expenditure campaign is an extremist-backed sham steeped in undermining families and limiting the freedoms of millions of Americans. By failing to condemn such a cynical ploy, Carly Fiorina is reminding voters just how out of touch she is with the values of California."
Click here to view the NOM Tour Tracker: http://nomtourtracker.com.
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Courage Campaign Equality is a part of the Courage Campaign's multi-issue online organizing network that empowers more than 700,000 grassroots and netroots supporters to push for progressive change and full equality in California and across the country. For more information on "Testimony: Equality on Trial" -- our year-long campaign to bring the Prop 8 trial into the lives of Americans -- visit http://www.EqualityOnTrial.org
Rick Jacobs is the founder and chair of the Courage Campaign. He chaired Howard Dean's presidential campaign in California. He is also the co-founder of Brave New Films and a featured contributor to Arianna Huffington's Huffingtonpost.com. Rick has an extensive background as an international investor and senior executive. He was the youngest corporate officer of any Fortune 50 company when at age 27 he was elected Vice President and Assistant to the Chairman of Occidental Petroleum, where he worked for nearly 8 years.
Rick Jacobs is available for interviews by calling 310-245-6660 or at "rick@couragecampaign.org".
[7/29/10]
HRC TO NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MARRIAGE: HOW MUCH WILL YOU SPEND LYING TO CALIFORNIANS THIS TIME?
NOM opens coffers to anti-LGBT campaign in California, but how much?
WASHINGTON – According to a media advisory from the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, the National Organization for Marriage is involved in a $1 million independent expenditure campaign to support Carly Fiorina for Senate, a candidate they point out opposes marriage equality. Today, the Human Rights Campaign – the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization – called on NOM, which has a long history of trying to hide political contributions, to disclose how much they're contributing to this effort. As the LA Times points out in reporting on the new campaign, "finding out where the money comes from – if and when it actually does come – is virtually impossible."
"Like a broken record, NOM is again involved in a campaign with an anti-LGBT message yet the public has no idea how deep they're reaching into their coffers," said Fred Sainz, HRC's vice president of communications. "Apparently they have some gas money left from their sham summer tour to once again flood the airwaves with lies about same-sex couples who only seek the same rights as everyone else."
NOM has a history of trying to evade long-established public disclosure laws and to hide their political activities from legitimate scrutiny and accountability. In doing so, they have falsely alleged that their donors have been harassed and intimidated across the country to justify why it shouldn't have to play by the same rules as everyone else. These tactics have prompted a state ethics investigation in Maine and recent court defeats across the country.
In Washington state, NOM's lawyers fought the state's public records law all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court – and lost last month. A federal court in California similarly rejected NOM's efforts to hide its donors and debunked its claims of harassment and intimidation in the wake of Proposition 8.
"While the stated intent of this independent expenditure is to support Carly Fiorina, clearly NOM wants to poison the well around the marriage debate in California," said Sainz. "With polls showing movement towards equality for all families, they see the writing on the wall and will stop at nothing to turn the clock backwards."
The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.
> Full Story. [7/29/10]
SAVE THE DATE FOR THE DESERT STONEWALL DEMOCRATS
Western Leadership Conference in Palm Springs November 5-7th 2010
July 27, 2010
For Immediate Release
Contact: Greg Rodriguez 760-902-9882 or greg@gregrodriguez.com > Full Story. [7/28/10]
7 GAY COUPLES SUE MONTANA OVER EQUAL PROTECTION
The ACLU of Montana may have found a way to force states like Texas that have outlawed same-sex marriage to provide rights to gay and lesbian couples. > Full Story. [7/23/10]
THE CITY OF OAKLAND APPROVES RESOLUTION FOR OAKLAND PRIDE!
City Council Members Proclaim Sept. 5 Oakland Pride Day. Oakland CA - On July 20, the City of Oakland will approve a resolution to make September 5, 2010 "Oakland Pride Day". Councilpersons Desley Brooks, Ignacio De La Fuente, Rebecca Kaplan, Pat Kernighan, Nancy Nadel, Jean Quan, Larry Reid and President Jane Brunner, have each shown their support for the first Pride Celebration in 6 years, by honoring the Oakland Pride Organization for their commitment to Oakland's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) communities. > Full Story. [7/20/10]
LESBIAN COUNCILWOMAN RUNS FOR MAYOR OF OAKLAND
Openly lesbian councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan has announced her candidacy for mayor of Oakland, CA. > Full Story. [7/1/10]
CA PASSES HISTORIC RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF UAFA SAME-SEX COUPLES RIGHTS TO IMMIGRATION EQUALITY
Today the State Senate passed a resolution with a 23-12 vote that included bipartisan support, endorsing a federal law that would permit U.S. citizens and permanent residents to sponsor a same-sex partner for immigration. The resolution, AJR 15, introduced by Assembly Member Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) and co-sponsored by Equality California and Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality (AACRE), formally requests that the United States Congress pass and President Obama sign the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA)... > Full Story. [6/30/10]
STUDENTS DISCIPLINED FOR DEFACING DORM WITH ANTI-GAY GRAFFITI
Southern Oregon University is not expelling the two students who defaced a dorm with anti-gay slurs, Fox 12 Oregon reports. > Full Story. [6/21/10]
PATROLS TO INCREASE NEAR GAY BARS IN PORTLAND
Portland police will increase patrols and take other action to prevent anti-bias crime downtown. > Full Story. [6/16/10]
EQUALITY CALIFORNIA CONGRATULATES PRO-EQUALITY CANDIDATES ON SUCCESS IN PRIMARY ELECTIONS
An unprecedented number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender candidates won their primaries > Full Story. [6/10/10]
LGBT AND PRO-EQUALITY CANDIDATES WIN, BUT SO DOES YES ON PROP 8 LEADER
We did it! All of our hard work on the election paid off. Big time. > Full Story. [6/10/10]
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