Marriage Equality: Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them

"A rainbow coalition ... coming together in love to protect marriage"? I don't think so. But you have to admit it's clever in a sick sort of way to use a prominent GLBT symbol -- the rainbow -- to try to sell people the snake oil that the group behind this ad is practicing some sort of (non-inclusive) inclusiveness. And recall that Rev. Jesse Jackson's organization is called the "Rainbow-PUSH Coalition." Use of the phrase was no accident, that's for sure.

The ad is produced by the National Organization for Marriage, which is really just a front group for the Mormon church and LDS leaders. It's so filled with lies and distortions it's hard to know where to begin. I'm sure you'll all do fine on your own seeing through the blantant dishonesty and precious, precious mush. It takes such an odd tone and uses such melodramatic framing I thought at first it was a parody.

The ad's main message? Be afraid, be very afraid, because the scary gay people are coming to take away your freedom. You see those storm clouds gathering! (Aside: personally I find the demeanor of the people in the ad more scary than the darkened skies and lightening.) I'm not sure what the ad's makers believe will happen to heterosexuals in America if gays and lesbians are allowed to get a piece of paper that provides them with certain benefits and responsibilities under civil law. Something about churches being punished by the law and a woman who would no longer be able to bear being a medical doctor. I don't know why.

Here's what Rea Carey, Executive Director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, had to say about the ad in a statement released today:

Everything about this television ad is phony — from the actors portraying 'real people' to the malicious, deceitful lies coming out of their mouths to the ridiculous claim they represent a 'rainbow coalition.' This commercial clearly is a sign of desperation. The right wing is scrambling to gain its footing in the face of a shifting landscape and a flurry of victories for equality; new landscape, but same old scare tactics. We believe that fair-minded people are fed up with this divisiveness and will not fall prey to these fear-mongering tactics.

To learn more about the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, visit https://www.theTaskForce.org.

Ironically, as Carey says, the ad employs the same sorts of scare tactics that have long been used by the religious right and others to warn America about the "dangers" of civil unions and domestic partnerships. The right doesn't want us to have any of the protections offered by these lesser legal arrangements either. In other words, they don't want us to have ANY legal protections for our family relationships, no matter what. Now that the debate has moved on to marriage equality -- with a few successes -- they've merely transferred their fact-challenged arguments to the latest legal battles.

It seems to me that if this bunch wants to slow or stop the growing momentum for marriage equality they should start advocating on behalf of civil unions or domestic partnerships. Instead, they want to have it both ways. If we try to obtain legal protections in the form of unions or partnerships, they claim we're going for marriage. If we go for genuine marriage equality (well, except for more than a thousand federal benefits gay marriage still would not provide), they use the same arguments.

Not very fair, is it? But then it really isn't about fairness. It's about stirring up discord so right wing organizations -- religious and otherwise -- can haul in money and converts. Who cares if the talking points are bogus and create an atmosphere of fear and bigotry -- there's money and political hay to be made.

Here's some background on the National Organization for Marriage: info on the anti-gay front group and its ethically challenged president, and their of Prop. 8 in California.