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Black and gay voters pitted against each other
Anti-gay marriage group tried to 'drive a wedge' between black and gay Americans
Secret documents have revealed an anti-gay marriage group tried to pit black and Hispanic Americans against gay people.
The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) tried to ‘drive a wedge between gays and blacks’ during its winning campaign to ban gay marriage in the US state of Maine, confidential memos have revealed.
The group, which was key in campaigning for California’s Proposition 8 ban on same-sex unions in 2008, tried to ‘Find, equip, energize and connect African American spokespeople for marriage.’
NOM added its strategy goal was to ‘develop a media campaign around their objections to gay marriage as a civil right; provoke the gay marriage base into responding by denouncing these spokesmen and women as bigots…’
In another memo, it was revealed the group wanted to recruit ‘glamorous, young Latinos and Latinas…willing to stand up for marriage’.
Dating from 2009, the documents were written by the National Organization for Marriage and had been kept from the public until Monday (26 March), when they were unsealed by court officials in Maine.
‘Nothing beats hearing from the horse’s mouth exactly how callous and extremist this group really is,’ said Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese.
He added: ‘Such brutal honesty is a game changer, and this time NOM can’t spin and twist its way out of creating an imagined rift between LGBT people and African Americans or Hispanics.’
The Maine Ethics Commission launched a formal investigation into NOM’s fundraising tactics in late 2009.
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Robert George, founder of NOM, just was appointed to the US Commission for International Religious Freedom. NOM’s talking points, arguments and strategies come from this man, who calls for the arrest and imprisonment and promoting bigotry of LGBT people. If you believe NOM’s tactics are reprehensible, please take the time to fill out this petition on the White House’s webpage condemning the appointment of Robert George. He will use this official US government position as a platform to spread vitriol against LGBT people globally. Pass the word along and post where you it is appropriate.
https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions/!/petition/condemn-appointment-bigot-robert-george-us--commission-international-religious-freedom/TFPJSmSh?utm_source=wh.gov&utm_medium=shorturl&utm_campaign=shorturl