NOM's Implosion: The Ripple Effect
By now, most people have heard about the National Organization for
Marriage's explosive documents that lay out a disturbing strategy of
divisive race-baiting and using children as political pawns. NOM's
internal memos, made public through an investigation in Maine into the
anti-gay organization's attempts to circumvent campaign finance and
disclosure laws, show a shocking and cynical plan to drive a wedge
between people of color and the LGBT community, as well as use
incendiary claims of "protecting children" against gay people. The
fallout from NOM's bigoted $20 million dollar 'Strategy for Victory'
has come fast and furious, shining a spotlight on the anti-equality
movement's plan to divide our country using race, religion, and bias.
(Image/CNN: Maggie Gallagher, the former president and co-founder of
the National Organization for Marriage, was the face of NOM when the
controversial internal memos were circulated)
As discussion of NOM's divisive strategy spreads further, it appears
that the organization may actually have the exact opposite effect on
the public discourse around equality as their plan intended-- they are
bringing communities together in solidarity against bigotry. By having
their wedge-based plan exposed for all to see, and in such stark
terms, NOM has stirred a sense of commonality among the very minority
groups they sought to divide. Being demonized for crass political
expediency, it turns out, is something that many groups can relate to.
"This memo only reveals the limits of a cynical agenda," NAACP
President and CEO Benjamin Jealous said of the memos. "The truth is
that no group, no matter how well-funded, can drive an artificial
wedge between our communities. People of color understand what it is
like to be the target of discrimination. No public relations strategy
will make us forget that."
Sharon Lettman-Hicks, Executive Director and CEO of the National Black
Justice Coalition, also blasted NOM, saying, "These documents expose
NOM for what it really is—a hate group determined to use African
American faith leaders as pawns to push their damaging agenda and as
mouthpieces to amplify that hatred."
NOM's exposed strategy has had the effect of forever linking them, and
the entire anti-equality movement, to blatant bigotry. Eric Rodriguez,
Vice President of Policy for the National Council of La Raza laid out
the galvanizing effect of the NOM scandal:
"Even by Washington standards, the National Organization for
Marriage's unmasked strategy to drive a wedge between Blacks and
Latinos and the LGBT community is stunningly cynical... Fortunately,
this truly offensive idea has completely backfired. The documents
reveal an organization rife with bigotry, willing to do anything to
advance intolerance in our society. If anyone wondered if Black, LGBT,
and Latino leaders have woken up to realize that we have common
enemies that seek to divide us, these revelations and reactions from
civil rights leaders this week show that we have and are ready to work
together to defeat those enemies."
Yet the ripple effect, and the long term consequences of having
documented proof of NOM's race-baiting and bigoted goals, still isn't
over. In fact, the ever-growing NOM scandal has begun to drag down
political figures that support them as well.
Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner has been facing outrage
from all sides after appointing NOM's co-founder and former Chairman
Dr. Robert George to the United States Commission on International
Religious Freedom (USCIRF). While Boehner is still sticking by Dr.
George, the increasing pushback from not just the LGBT community but
communities of faith as well are making things uncomfortable for the
Speaker. This comes on the heels of Boehner tripling the
taxpayer-funded budget for defending DOMA in court from $500,000 to
$1.5 million. These extreme stances, and support of race-baiting
organizations like NOM, have given political opponents and equality
advocates, like Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, even
more of a target, further weakening the embattled top Republican in
congress.
And Speaker Boehner is by far the only top GOP political figure
entangled by NOM's ever-widening scandal. Presumptive GOP presidential
nominee Mitt Romney is also seeing his connections with the
organization examined and criticized. New information released by the
Human Rights Campaign (HRC) reveals that Romney secretly donated money
to NOM-- some $10,000 in 2008. "It's clear now that Romney was a major
financial donor to Prop. 8," said Fred Sainz, HRC's vice president for
communications. This large donation, as well as Romney's own
flip-flopping statements on basic equality for LGBT people, has real
ramifications in the general election, where a majority of voters of
every stripe find such divisive culture war issues distasteful. While
Romney is sure to try to move away from the extreme stances he's taken
in the GOP primary, this much older donation to NOM (especially in
light of the organization's horrendous tactics), are sure to follow
him as he tries to sell himself as "moderate."
The pressure to distance the GOP from NOM is even coming from within
the party faithful itself. Head of the Log Cabin Republicans R. Clarke
Cooper blasted the organization in a recent article the Washington
Times, saying, "Putting aside NOM's callous disregard for LGBT
families, my party, the Republican party, cannot afford to be
associated with an organization that arrogantly seeks to manipulate
African American and Latino voters... Crude identity politics has no
place in today's conservative movement."
The fallout from NOM's internal memo's is far from over. Poll after
poll shows that Americans' views on LGBT people and their
relationships are rapidly evolving, with the majority now support full
marriage equality. Having the cynical and divisive plan of a major
player in the anti-equality game like NOM spotlighted helps in every
fight we have as we push for progress even beyond marriage equality--
from bullying protection to employment anti-discrimination laws.
Having the anti-equality movement crippled by their own words only
moves us faster towards full equality as organizations like NOM
delegitimize their own cause and strengthen the resolve of fair-minded
Americans disgusted by such divisive and bigoted tactics.
More:
http://chicago.gopride.com/entertainment/column/index.cfm/col/994
--
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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