NOM has announced its support for the "First Amendment Defense Act" introduced by Mike Lee, which prevents the federal government from doing anything about discrimination against married same-sex couples, including sanctioning discrimination. Their justification for the bill is as follows:
Gay and lesbian activists are fond of playing the "victim card" but the reality is that supporters of marriage are the real victims, targeted by activists simply for refusing to endorse same-sex marriage. These people have been driven from their jobs, fired, sued, suspended and ostracized.Dear NOM: here's why you've got that the whole wrong way round.
We don't attack conservative Christians in violent hate crimes for their religion. That's what you do to LGBT people, like Matthew Shepard, Gary Matson, Winfield Mowder, Lawrence King, Mark Carson, Aaron Keahey, Dwayne Wynn, Zachary Hesse, Andrew Haught, and just in the last couple of months, Casey Williams, Zack Johnson, Rick Jones and countless others.
We don't bully young opponents of marriage equality to suicide. That's what you do to young LGBT people, like Justin Aaberg, Tyler Clementi, Jamey Rodemeyer, Raymond Chase, Seth Walsh, Taylor Alesana, Alyssa Morgan and countless others.
We don't fight, tooth-and-nail, with every inch of our being, efforts to make schools safe places for Christians. That's what you do for LGBT people.
Our families and communities don't coerce opponents of marriage equality into going to "therapy" to change them. That's what your families and communities do to LGBT people, like Leelah Alcorn and countless others.
We don't fight to deny people their right to marry, but you do.
We don't fight to allow people to be fired from their jobs, butyoudo.
We don't pass constitutional amendments in 31 states that label people as second-class citizens, but you do.
We don't advocate outright violence against people, but you do.
We don't file ballot initiatives seeking to have people killed, but you do.
And every time there is an alleged isolated overstep by someone on our side, there's always something there to mitigate it, or even, to make it not an overstep at all.
In July of 2012, Mayors of Boston and Chicago Thomas Menino and Rahm Emanuel made the mistake of expressing a desire to ban Chick-fil-A restaurants from their cities. Well, I guess that settles it, doesn't it?
Oh, that's right. They both recanted. And they were criticized by other liberals: Michael Bloomberg, Kevin Drum, Glenn Greenwald, and the ACLU.
Meanwhile, just in the last couple of days and weeks, a state legislator in Arkansas expressed his desire to ban an LGBT pride parade, and Iowa conservatives expressed their desire to criminally prosecute people who fight against anti-LGBT bullying. Did you put out any press release? Any condemnation? Anything at all? No.
On August 15, 2012, a pro-LGBT insane nut shot a security guard at the offices of the Family Research Council. This was a domestic terrorist attack. Well, I guess that settles it, doesn't it?
Oh, that's right. 25 LGBT equality groups condemned the shooting within hours.
Meanwhile, on September 25, 2014, 41-year-old Wayne Steven Odegard shot a gay couple with a BB gun at a bar in Minnesota while shouting Bible verses. This was also a domestic terrorist attack. Did you put out any press release? Any condemnation? Anything at all? No.
And just last month, a pastor in Connecticut who accepts LGBT people was shot, with police saying his acceptance was the motivation. Did you put out any press release? Any condemnation? Anything at all? No.
On December 18, 2013, Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson was suspended after making homophobic comments in an interview with GQ magazine. Well, I guess that settles it, doesn't it?
Oh, that's right. The comments were also racist, and the NAACP had also called for a response from A&E. And the suspension was by a private company. And it was lifted after everyone on your side rushed to Phil's defense.
Meanwhile, in April 2014, Crystal Moore, the distinguished, 20-year veteran police chief of Latta, South Carolina, was fired by the mayor for being a lesbian. So many other LGBT people have faced similar fates, particularly if they work in Catholic schools. Did you put out any press release? Any condemnation? Anything at all? No.
On April 3, 2014, then-Mozilla CEO Brendan Eich resigned during a controversy over his donation to help pass Prop 8. Well, I guess that settles it, doesn't it?
Oh, that's right. He only resigned. He wasn't fired. And it was over his ability to lead a company whose own employees and customers didn't like him.
Meanwhile, when World Vision announced that they would not hire anyone who was gay or in a same-sex marriage, did you put out any press release? Any condemnation? Anything at all? No. Oh wait, you actually did. You put out this enthusiastic endorsement of their discrimination.
And in April of this year, then-Angie's List CEO Bill Oesterie resigned, which you linked to his opposition to Indiana's license to discriminate. Did you put out any press release? Any condemnation? Anything at all? No. Oh wait, you actually did. You put out this enthusiastic endorsement of his resignation.
In October 2014, it was revealed that the city of Houston had subpoenaed five pastors, asking for their sermon notes about "equal rights, civil rights, homosexuality, or gender identity". Well, I guess that settles it, right?
Oh, that's right. The subpoena was part of the discovery process for collecting evidence in a lawsuit. And it wasn't filed by the city, but by its outside lawyers. And both mayor Annise Parker and city attorney David Feldman said they were too broad. And liberals spoke out. And the subpoenas were withdrawn.
On January 6, 2015, Atlanta fire chief Kelvin Cochran was fired after he wrote a homophobic book. Well, I guess that settles it, doesn't it?
Oh, that's right. The book was also sexist and anti-semitic, and he was fired not for writing it, but for distributing it at work to his colleagues against their will, and then for publicly defying his boss during his suspension.
Meanwhile, your own 2016 presidential pledge, released just days ago, if acted upon, would "prevent the promotion of a redefined version of marriage in public schools and other government entities."
On March 31, 2015, a woman named Jessica Dooley tweeted that she was going to burn down Memories' Pizza in Indiana, after the owners stated that they would not cater a gay couple's wedding. Well, I guess that settles it, doesn't it?
Oh, that's right. Once again, liberals spoke out against it. And she was held accountable. She was fired from her job.
Meanwhile, the very next day, on April 1, Florida pastor Josh Feuerstein called a baker and requested an anti-marriage equality cake. He recorded the conversation and posted it online, resulting in the baker receiving death threats. Did you put out any press release? Any condemnation? Anything at all? No. Actually, religious right site Life Site News defended Feuerstein, even after it emerged that his actions were, in fact, illegal.
The fact is, whatever minor discomfort you feel now that your views are not as acceptable as they once were is just a tiny fraction of the discomfort that so many LGBT people feel, both here and around the world, despite all the progress has been made.
And it's entirely the fruits of your labor and that of the people who think like you do.
So when we push back, and the change for the better makes you uncomfortable, please understand why I do not care.
Please understand why my sympathies lie where they do.