DISQUS

MichaelS · 4 months ago

Oh, Now I see! It's OK to cover up known pederasts in the clergy, knowingly let them continue to abuse youngsters, and spend your parishioners' donations on legal settlements because of this heinous behavior... But it is NOT acceptable to allow persons of the same sex to join in loving, stable unions.
WWJD?

postdamnit · 4 months ago

Yes! Because you are a disgusting HOMOSEXUAL!

Bill · 4 months ago

Maine being a cheap state to purchase air-time or other ads is a double-edged sword. It also means that the bigots won't have to spend as much money to spread their lies and hatred.

postdamnit · 4 months ago

Our side in this should call out the religious organizations behind the funding so that people can see where and who is donating to repeal civil rights from a minority group. They should not make the same mistake that happened in California where they didn't want to name names and get down and dirty with these creeps.

The gloves should come off in Maine, and any where else that attempts this sort of bigotry. Enough with these religious freaks and their righteousness. They will end up burning in Hell for their stupidity if nothing else...

pender · 4 months ago

Maybe that's true, but our side should also be TAKING OUT THEIR DAMN CREDIT CARDS and punching in a donation.

DavidinPS · 4 months ago

And still there are gay catholics.

catdance · 4 months ago

People really need to look into NOM and the creepy guy who is responsible for it, Ken von Kohorn. von Kohorn started the Family Institute of Connecticut, which spawned Brian Brown and his unholy alliance with Maggie Gallagher. von Kohorn has a long history of securities violations and ripoffs, and has been repeatedly fined and had his license yanked by the SEC. He's involved with a conservative "think tank" now, the Yankee Institute for Public Policy.

It would be interesting to trace von Kohorn's religious and money connections -- and Brian Brown's as well.

pender · 4 months ago

Once again, rank-and-file gays are happy to coast on the donations of others. I wish we agreed that it was socially acceptable to ask about one another's donation practices. I'd guess there's an enormous likelihood that 90% or more of the people who comment IN THIS THREAD about the importance of fundraising or the strategy of fighting this initiative haven't themselves donated a dime.

Fellas, don't feel like you're doing anyone a favor by writing assertive comments on gay blogs while free-riding on the donations and volunteer hours of others. Being a free-rider is being an asshole. Time to break out the dollars or the hours; almost everyone can afford one or the other.

For what it's worth, I gave $200 to this fight a while back. Let's step up, guys.

postdamnit · 4 months ago

I agree with you 100%. I donate to ActBlue twice a month on a regular basis and I don't miss it as much doing so on that schedule. I also donated a fair amount to the Prop 8 fiasco but will no longer donate to any group that has the same individuals involved that ran that miserable campaign. There are a couple of other gay outfits that I will no longer support and I won't name, as they are in the wrong business and waste donated money.

Bill · 4 months ago

A burning question has been on my mind ever since the funding sources for Prop. 8 were revealed, and maybe John or someone here with law experience could help answer it: Aren't churches and other religious organizations given tax-exempt status because they, as an organization, are supposed to keep their noses out of politics? And now that we know that the Mormans were infusing huge sums of money to support Prop. 8, and the Mormans and the Catholics are infusing large sums of money to overturn Maine's same-sex marriage equality law, aren't these blatant violations of the tax laws regarding religious organizations. And, if so, why is the IRS not investigating these violations and repealing the churches' tax-exempt status?

samiinh · 4 months ago

I hadn't read the comments before I wrote mine, but I guess we are of the same mind on this one.

Bill · 4 months ago

Hi Samiinh----

I think this is an extremely important question, and I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one bringing it up. I've been pondering it for awhile, yet it doesn't seem to have made in onto the radar screen until now. I hope that somebody with more legal knowledge than I have will look into this and have an answer.

________________________________

samiinh · 4 months ago

How does the evil catholic church keep it's tax exempt status when they contribute to PACs?

pender · 4 months ago

That's a really good question. Should we find some sort of Unitarian church to funnel all of our pro-equality donations through? I'd love to hear more about this, and I'd really love it if all my donations to equality were tax deductible.

catdance · 4 months ago

Here in CT we've tried to force the Catholic Church to adhere to ethics and lobbying laws, with little luck so far. The Church in CT takes its orders from the Family Institute of CT, formerly run by Brian Brown, now at NOM. The Chancellor of the Bridgeport diocese, Nancy Matthews, is a long time activist with the religious right. The haters pretty much have the Catholic Church hierarchy in CT sewed up. Would be interesting to know the details of their connections and how they developed.

samiinh · 4 months ago

I have sent this note to Americans United for Separation of Church and State. If I hear from them, I'll post it.

I am writing to ask if you can tell me how the Catholic Diocese of Portland, ME, can contribute $100,000.00 to the political action committee Stand For Marriage Maine and maintain a tax exempt status with the IRS. The following website is a report of contributions that this organization has received. http://www.scribd.com/doc/17384052/Stand-for-Ma...

I also believe that the National Organization for Marriage is a front for the Mormon Church, and again wonder how this church can keep its tax emempt status.

David Nichols · 4 months ago

where was David Geffen in the California debacle surrounding prop 8????

Chino_Blanco · 4 months ago

First one to find a Form 990 for any NOM entity wins a prize ...

National Organization for Marriage, Inc. (EIN: 26-0240498)
National Organization for Marriage Education Fund (EIN: 20-7472471)
National Organization for Marriage California PAC (EIN: 26-4205819)
National Organization for Marriage PAC New York (EIN: 27-0394565)

Justin McLachlan · 4 months ago

Has anyone settled on what NOM's real address is?

Chino_Blanco · 4 months ago

Hey Justin,

I've got these addresses on hand (I've not yet added their new DC address):

National Organization for Marriage, Inc. (EIN: 26-0240498)
a 501(c)(4) formed January 2008
c/o Neil Corkery
9502 Nelson Ln
Manassas, VA 20110-4310

National Organization for Marriage Education Fund (EIN: 20-7472471)
a 501(c)(3) formed July 2008
c/o Neil Corkery
9502 Nelson Ln
Manassas, VA 20110-4310

National Organization for Marriage California PAC (EIN: 26-4205819)
a 501(c)(4) formed February 2009
c/o David Bauer
2150 River Plaza Dr Ste 150
Sacramento, CA 95833-4131

National Organization for Marriage PAC New York (EIN: 27-0394565)
a 501(c)(4) formed June 2009
c/o Brian S. Brown
20 Nassau Street Suite 242
Princeton, NJ 08542