Mar 27, 2012 | By ThinkProgress War Room
NOM Plots Shocking Strategy to Fan Racial Hostilities
Secret memos exclusively released last night by the Human Rights
Campaign's (HRC) outline the National Organization for Marriage's
(NOM) shocking and hateful strategy for fighting marriage equality in
states across the country. In short, they planned to "drive a wedge
between gays and blacks" by convincing them to fight over the language
of "civil rights." (They also outlined plans to drive a wedge between
gays and Latinos.)
Check out the key passage here:
Here are some of the other lowlights from the previously confidential documents:
Bait Latino voters to oppose marriage equality as "a symbol of
resistance to inappropriate assimilation."
Interrupt the "attempt to equate…sexual orientation with race" so that
marriage inequality is not perceived as discrimination.
Draw attention to the "bigotry and intolerance" displayed by equality
advocates and "document the victims" through a rapid response media
team.
Emphasize the importance of "religious liberties" to limit the impact
of marriage equality's legislative advancements.
"Develop side issues to weaken pro-gay marriage political leaders"
like pornography, "protection of children" and religious liberty at
the federal level.
Expose Obama administration programs that "have the effect of
sexualizing young children" or threatening "childhood innocence."
"Find, train, and equip young leaders" to become a "next generation of
elites" capable of opposing marriage equality.
Foster closer relationships with Catholic bishops to "equip, energize,
and moralize Catholic priests on the marriage issue."
Focus on "the consequences of gay marriage for parental rights."
Progressives were quick to condemn NOM's shameful and divisive plans:
"Nothing beats hearing from the horse's mouth exactly how callous and
extremist this group really is. 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."
-HRC President Joe Solomonese
"NOM's underhanded attempts to divide will not succeed if Black
Americans remember their own history of discrimination. Pitting
bigotry's victims against other victims is reprehensible; the
defenders of justice must stand together."
-Dr. Julian Bond, Chairman Emeritus of the NAACP
"If the success of the National Organization of Marriage's movement
depends on stirring up resentment between communities, it might want
to rethink its strategies.
"African American men and women of faith are not a political football
to be tossed around in a cynical game of resentment and division. We,
like all Americans, struggle thoughtfully with issues of faith, family
and politics. Anti-equality activists such as NOM consistently attempt
to use a deeply cynical 'wedge' strategy to divide African Americans
and the gay community, playing up what are now old and tired cliches.
In the long run, this strategy will falter as African American and
LGBT communities continue to work together for equal justice."
-Minister Leslie Watson Malachi, Director of People For the American
Way Foundation's African American Ministers Leadership Council
"NOM isn't the first organization to use such cynical marketing ploys,
schemes that seem to have little do with the interests of the people
they claim to represent, and it certainly won't be the last. But the
revelation of its bald attempt to exploit black people and Latinos
should help end the idea that NOM is an honorable group that would
never engage in race-baiting. Because that is precisely what it has
done."
More:
Progressreport.org
--
Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.
Have a great day,
Tommy
--
Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.
Have a great day,
Tommy
--
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