Group that opposes gay marriage now targeting Iowa

[Heidi]

Source: AP

(AP) – 11 hours ago

DES MOINES, Iowa — A group that helped to outlaw gay marriage in California is turning its focus to Iowa, hoping to begin the long process of overturning a state Supreme Court decision earlier this year that legalized same-sex marriage.

The National Organization for Marriage has launched the Reclaim Iowa Project, targeting legislative races in the state in an effort to elect candidates who support putting the issue of gay marriage before voters.

<snip>

The group's effort is beginning with a Sept. 1 special election in southeastern Iowa's House District 90, where Republican Stephen Burgmeier is running against Democrat Curt Hanson for the seat vacated when Democratic Rep. John Whitaker resigned to take a job with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

<snip>

Camilla Taylor, an attorney for Lambda Legal, the national group that represented several same-sex couples in a lawsuit that led to April's Iowa Supreme Court decision, said the latest campaign doesn't come us a surprise.

"They specialize in fear-mongering and scare tactics and it's also clear in many cases their ads are fundraising ploys more than anything else," Taylor said. "We're very confident that Iowans ... have no desire to write discrimination into their constitution."


Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gX5OlICGc_x9AS9b_W8_B6X0q_VwD9AARR5G0

[Le Taz Hot]

1. Iowa Needs to start the Counterattack early.

Really, Californians never ever thought this would pass in a million years but here we are . . . stuck with the most disgusting piece of shit law to hit this state in a long time. Organization and fund raising need to start NOW. The hate-mongers will bring in LOTS of money and support from out of state so the opposition needs to do the same. These church pod people are no joke. They have deep pockets and that crazy fanaticism that comes only with those who think that GAWD speaks to them. Believe me, if it can happen in California it can happen anywhere.

[justiceischeap]

2. Part of what happened in CA (besides what you pointed out)

Is that the organizations fighting against Prop 8 (the gay orgs) weren't at all organized. When the support and money started pouring in from the Mormon's, etc, the gay organizations didn't know how to handle it. The gay community needs a national leader in this fight, not a bunch of local organizations trying to band together to fight this (IMO anyway). We need a new Harvey Milk!

[Le Taz Hot]

3. Unfortunately, Iowans will not have the luxury of waiting

for a national leader and it probably will be local organizations (along with national organizations) banning together. The "No on 8" campaign was caught flat-footed and their counterattack was too little too late. Iowa, PLEASE, learn from California's mistakes and get started early.

[apnu]

7. Fucking spot on!

When Prop 8 passed, that's exactly what I thought. Its good to know I'm not the only one who thinks this.

[jeremyfive]

8. Now That You Mention the Mormons. . .

Since the Mormons are no longer a "Church" but have become a political group, as in evidence on their overtly political activities regarding Prop 8, should they not be denied the special tax advantages afforded churches?

We taxpayers do not need to be funding political groups via our tax dollars--we have political groups of our own.

Give the money to real churches that focus on faith and prayer.

[Raster]

10. Believe me, the mormon church has an army of BYU-educated attorneys that

are advising them as to the legality of their actions. Believe this! They have already lied REPEATEDLY about their involvement, their contributions, and the outright propaganda from the pulpit.

I was raised mormon. I understand their desseret hive mentality. The mormon church, like most religions based on myth and superstition, is searching for a way to remain relevant and keep their coffers replenished. Gays have become their focus issue. The mormon church will use ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to shove their agenda down your throats. And trust me, the GLBT segment of our population is only the beginning. Internal memos have specifically said that the mormon high command views gays, feminists and intellectuals as the biggest threats to their religion.

[JerseygirlCT]

17. Isn't it particularly sad

(along with all the rest, of course - hate is hate and a sad, terrible thing) that intellectuals are a target? IOW, you can belong to us so long as you don't go thinking too much...

I'm glad I now belong to a church that never asks me to check my brain at the door.

[marshall]

28. Many other non-Mormon churches were also involved

California is littered with the church buildings that were actively involved in the political move to block marriage equality. As such the Mormon church has some protection in numbers.

[Raster]

29. Other churches were involved once the process got going. However, it was the mormon church

and the then catholic bishop of Salt Lake City that decided to pool their resources to begin their pogrom against GLBT persons. There would have NEVER been a Proposition 8 without the mormon church starting it. They paid for all of the preliminary expenses to get the hate-fest moving. This is one of the reasons the church is being scrutinized today. It would appear the mormon church has lied about their early involvement and financial support. It is very accurate to say Proposition 8 was bought and paid for--in large part--by the mormon church.

On edit: I actually had a mormon missionary try and get into my face a bit when I pointed out the church's involment, including early funding, etc. His response to me was "...well other churches were involved too..." Sorry, not good enough.

[No Elephants]

15. Can't swear to it, but I think they're ok as long as they don't endorse candidates by name.

Thing is, churches and religious organizations never should have had a tax exemption and should lose it. But, we let that ship sail. We should start a drip, drip, drop campaign until people realize it is not in their best interests. Best place to start IMO is local property taxes.

[Strong Atheist]

30. Belated Welcome to DU!

:toast:

[No Elephants]

25. What about the Human Rights Campaign? I donate to HRC. If it's no good, please tell me.

[justiceischeap]

27. HRC is a good organization however, they weren't running the show in CA

The organizations in CA didn't really want their help and called them in at the last minute, i.e. too late.

[Maine-ah]

4. an ethics complaint has been filed against national org . for marriage

http://www.mpbn.net/News/MaineHeadlineNews/tabid/968/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3479/ItemId/8787/Default.aspx

A California-based gay rights group has filed a complaint with the Maine Ethics Commission alleging that groups trying to overturn Maine's gay marriage law are engaging in "money laundering."

Californians Against Hate founder Fred Karger filed the nine-page complaint, alleging that several groups pushing for repeal of the law are engaging in practices aimed at hiding the identity of donors to the Stand for Marriage campaign, which is leading the repeal effort in Maine.

Karger says the groups, including the National Organization for Marriage and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, solicited contributions from individuals, then they in turn gave the money to Stand for Marriage -- in effect, hiding the identity of the individual donors.

In a letter to Ethics Commission Chair Jonathan Wayne, Karger says the Stand for Marriage campaign's quarterly finance report indicates that only a fraction -- $400.00 -- of the group's $343,689.50 in donations came from individuals.

Wayne says he's sent a letter to the Stand for Marriage campaign requesting a response to Karger's complaint by September 16. He says the Ethics Commission will likely decide whether to launch an investigation at its meeting scheduled for October 1st.

[Raster]

12. The mormons and their allies have a state-by-state plan to overturn all states gay

marriage laws and seek to prohibit laws allowing gay marriage in other states.

The mormon church has lied *REPEATEDLY* about funding, donations, etc. Money laundering to obscure the actual origination of the money is only the beginning.

[No Elephants]

16. Nat'l Org. FOR Marriage? I love how they name themselves the opposite of what they

stand for. They probably collect money from both sides of the issue, too.

[closeupready]

18. Interesting - didn't Portland diocese file for bankruptcy?

I found a Boston Globe article from 2004 - they did indeed:

>>Portland Archdiocese files for bankruptcy

Unprecedented step taken in response to clergy sex abuse suits

Associated Press, Boston Globe

Wednesday, July 7, 2004

Portland, Ore. -- The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland filed for bankruptcy Tuesday because of the steep costs from clergy sex abuse lawsuits, an unprecedented step that could open the archdiocese to new levels of court scrutiny.

No other American diocese has filed for bankruptcy, though Boston threatened to do so at the height of the abuse crisis that began there two years ago. The diocese of Tucson, Ariz., is expected to file for bankruptcy before an abuse trial in mid-September. <<

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-6300290.html

Fine ones they are to be lecturing others about morality. :eyes:

[Sapphocrat]

23. More: NOM + Mormons + Knights of Columbus + ...

Maine-specific:

Karger Warns Maine of Money Laundering by NOM, Mormons, Dobson, & Others
August 13, 2009

Formal Request for Investigation of Money Laundering Filed in Maine Gay Marriage Election
August 26, 2009

Maine = California Redux:

Sworn Complaint Filed Against Mormon Church with California FPPC and Two State Attorneys General
November 13, 2008

FPPC Agrees to Investigate Fred Karger’s Complaint Against Mormon Church
November 25, 2008

Fred Karger Files Supplement to FPPC Complaint on Mormon Marriage Meddling
March 19, 2009

Why Doesn’t the IRS Have Any Record of the National Organization for Marriage?
June 25, 2009

More on Mormon involvement (California, Arizona, Hawaii, et al., back to 1997):

California: Mormon Conference Calls Bring Out Rash of Overnight Prop 8 Donors
September 6, 2008

Wall Street Journal Takes Notice of Mormon Attack on Marriage
September 20, 2008

Did You Hear the One About the Mormon Bishopric Counselor With the Gay Brother?
September 20, 2008

Now, About That Anti-Marriage Crusade in Arizona...
("...just guess who’s driving the anti-gay crusade?...")
September 20, 2008

When This Is All Over, You’d Better Believe We’ll Demand to See An Accounting
September 22, 2008

Want to See a Page from the Mormons’ Anti-Gay Playbook?
(“Driven by Church Headquarters through coalition”)
September 26, 2008

And Just How Much Are Mormons Spending on Their Persecution Campaign?
("Enough to overload state computers, that’s how much...")
October 8, 2008

How Much Do Mormons Hate Us This Week? 60,000 of Them Hate Us $25,000,000 Worth
October 9, 2008

Mormon Money Watch: Mormons Continue to Dominate California’s Yes on Prop 8 Campaign
October 23, 2008

Oh, Mormons! Yoo Hoo! Tell Me Again How the LDS Church Wasn’t Involved in Campaign H8!
November 12, 2008

Video: Mormon Memo re Anti-Gay Marriage Political Strategy
November 12, 2008

Read the LDS 1997 Anti-Gay Attack Memo
November 13, 2008

Yoo Hoo! Mormons! About That Petition...
November 26, 2008

Prop 8 Supporters Launch Attack on Campaign Finance Disclosure Laws
December 27, 2008

ProtectMarriage.com Files Suit to Hide Identities of Campaign Donors
January 8, 2009

Fred Karger: ProtectMarriage.com, NOM & Mormon Church Look for Sympathy in Federal Lawsuit
January 9, 2009

Proposition 8 Finance Disclosure Lawsuit Getting A Lot of Attention (Good!)
January 9, 2009

Mormon Church Donated $30,354.85 to Eradicate Marriage Rights for Same-Sex Couples
January 30, 2009

Mormon Church Into Prop 8 for $180,000; Apologetics’ Heads Set to Explode
January 31, 2009

Money, Manipulation, and Mormons: How Schubert and Flint Passed Proposition 8
("By this time, leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints had endorsed Prop 8 and joined the campaign executive committee. ...")
February 23, 2009

Why the Mormon Beast Needs to Be Starved
("LDS now wants to shut down civil unions in IL" v. "Mormon church says bishop acting alone in civil union fight")
March 6, 2009

Yoo Hoo! Mormons! Tell Me Again How the Church Itself Isn’t Buried Up to Its Collective Hump in All These Anti-Gay Macchinations
March 25, 2009

8: The Mormon Proposition
May 28, 2009

Pro ‘Phobe Ron Prentice on Pedophilia; Also, Thanks Mormons for Prop 8
July 24, 2009

Just Unearthed: Hawaiian Homophobes: Donors to “Save Traditional Marriage ‘98″
July 26, 2009

Related:

Mormon Lesson of the Day: How the Mormon Church Mobilizes Its Members Politically — And Why It Works
November 18, 2008

Mormon Lesson of the Day: Redefining Celestial Marriage
December 1, 2008

Mormon Lesson of the Day: How the Threat of Losing Tax-Exempt Status Resulted in a Sudden, New “Revelation” About African-Americans
December 30, 2008

And all that is just the tip of the iceberg.

[Raster]

24. Thank you Sapphocrat! This is an awesome list of articles and information.

I have been trying to accumulate as much as possible. Something I see not listed is any information detailing the mormon church's efforts to scuttle the Equal Rights Amendment. I know this first-hand. I was the editor of a college newspaper in southeastern Arizona that had been founded by the mormon church and run as a church school long after the state started picking up the bill.

I interviewed, or at least tried to interview, Phyllis Schlafley of the Eagles Forum, the anti-ERA, pro-family group of Stepford Wives. When I publicly asked Schlafley about her groups funding, specifically funding from the mormon church the interview was over and Schlafley's calm, church-going personae turned to venomous harpy.

Long story short, the mormon church doesn't like anything or anyone that challenges their patriarchal, misogynist doctrine.

I find it hilarious that your run-of-the-mill mormon has no idea of the church's dark, bloody history. I also find it amusing that the standard story is that their profit--every pun intended--was lynched for religious persecution, instead of lying, cheating and stealing. In his time, Joseph Smith was known as quite the scoundrel and confidence man.

[Sapphocrat]

26. The ERA is in there...

Look at the more historical articles, especially "Mormon Lesson of the Day: How the Mormon Church Mobilizes Its Members Politically — And Why It Works."

I also have some articles on Schlafly, but nothing solid about LDS connections. However, this incestuous web of money laundering is so convoluted, I have no doubt it's all the same money, from the same bigots.

Oh, and you're welcome. :) As you can see, I've been following this endlessly, and will keep on it.

If you go to my blog, hit two of the best sources in the blogroll links: Chino Blanco (straight ex-Mormon, more on top of all of this than anyone else in the world, and just an all-around great person), who also blogs at DKos, and Justin McLachlan (who doesn't focus on Mormon involvement, but hits it when he sees something fishy going on, and has a knack for ferreting out the tiniest, and most telling, details).

And, of course, Fred Karger's sites, Californians Against Hate and Mormongate.com.

Also enlightening: a few ex-Mormon message boards which are (predictably) often the first to discuss anti-gay LDS news before the rest of us hear about it:
PostMormon.org (my favorite)
Exmormon.org
Thefoyer.org

And my favorite (non-message board) site that tells you more than you ever thought possible about the deepest inner workings of the LDS church, from the anti-gay campaigns to secret temple ceremonies to magic underwear and beyond:
Mormoncurtain.com

[rox63]

5. I believe it will be a lot harder to overturn equal marriage in Iowa than it was in California

I don't think the state constitution is as easy to change is IA. In CA, it can be done with a single binding referendum question, which is why the anti-equality groups were able to organize and win so quickly in CA.

[progressoid]

14. There is talk of a constitutional convention in 2010.

They know they are licked on the legislative side for a while (Dems control the both houses for now :) ) so they want to change the state constitution to get their way.

[Chipper Chat]

6. Don't these people have anything better to do?

Like attending a teabagging hate-fest. Or go pray in some church basement for hours and hours.

[Raster]

11. Nope. In their minds, this is the most important issue today.

The mormon church has painted this as a holy war and all their members are soldiers in this holy battle. This is right out of the theo-fascist playbook, and for good reason: it works! They hit on people's fears, their suspicion of anyone different and then polish it off with "God wants you to do this."

[Raster]

9. Call it what it is: The mormon church has started an international campaign against GLBT persons

and their civil rights, including the right to marry. The mormon church has decided that their homophobic bigotry is the most profound issue facing their world today. The church has been planning for targeting gays for years. The mormon church high command has specifically targeted gays, intellectuals and feminists. Their goal is to enforce their beliefs across the planet.

[krabigirl]

19. Screw them and take away their tax-exempt status now! I have no respect for that "chuch."

[Odin2005]

22. The Moron Church is a homophobic terrorist organization.

[Raster]

13. Kick!

:kick:

[Nikki Stone1]

20. Once again, outsiders trying to dictate conditions for the states

Conservatives are only for states' rights if the state decides their way.

[Odin2005]

21. Gee, what happened to "States' Rights"?

Hypocrites.