Hundreds of protesters shouted down same-sex marriage opponents today on the steps of the state Capitol, drawing an angry rebuke from one Republican lawmaker.Video available at WisPolitics
A rally planned by the New Jersey-based National Organization for Marriage that attracted about 50 supporters of traditional marriage spurred a counter protest by about 500 who support giving gay, lesbian and transgender couples the right to marry. [Does anybody know the actual numbers?]
State Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend, scolded the protesters, which he termed “the hard, anti-Christian left,” for being disrespectful the NOM speakers. He said conservative activists don’t engage in the same behavior. [So much for free speech]
“I’ve been here for very extreme feminist rallies – we never shout them down,” Grothman said.
“It’s only the people behind you who are scared to death of the truth,” Grothman said, drawing derisive cheers from the protesters.
Fair Wisconsin Executive Director Katie Belanger, whose group was one of the organizers of the march, said the purpose of the rally was not to disrupt the NOM event. [LOL!]
“The purpose of the rally was really to show the LGBT community supports marriage, too, and to really highlight the need for marriage equality in Wisconsin,” Belanger said. “We want to show that people in Wisconsin are fair-minded and marriage is something we agree with (NOM) about – it is important and it does provide caring couples with the legal protections and respect we think everyone deserves.” [They want to redefine marriage, obviously no sensible person would discriminate]
The pro-marriage equality protesters marched up State Street from the Library Mall on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, and peacefully but loudly expressed their opinion of the NOM event, which is part of the organization’s nationwide “Summer for Marriage” tour. Capitol Police cordoned off a space in front of the State Street entrance of the Capitol for the NOM rally.
“Keep your hate out of our state,” shouted the protesters, drowning out the speakers at the NOM podium. [LOL!]
NOM executive director Brian Brown tried to remain undeterred by the protesters.
“We’re standing up for a great good,” he said. “We’re standing up for the foundation of our society.”
Fifty-nine percent of Wisconsin voters approved a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in 2006.
State Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, said at the Library Mall rally preceding the march that the constitutional amendment was presented as a tool to turn out conservative voters. But he said the move has backfired on conservatives, pointing out that voters younger than 30 voted overwhelmingly against the ban. [The state also exists outside of Madison Mark]
“Those are the people who are becoming the majority and taking over as decision-makers,” Pocan said.
Pocan, who married his partner in Canada where same-sex unions are recognized, said the campaign against the ban strengthened the movement.
“We want marriage equality, and we are not going to stop organizing and agitating until we get it,” Pocan said. [LOL!]
John Becker and Michael Knaapen, a Milwaukee couple who also married in Canada, said they are not waiting for demographics to shift.
“Too many have suffered for too long,” Becker told the crowd. [The life expectancy of an active homosexual man is 20 years less than a heterosexual man.]
”Their hatred of my marriage will never be stronger than my love for my husband,” said Becker. [If I call myself a woman, does that make me a woman?]
Among the speakers at the NOM rally were Madison Bishop Robert Morlino and Julaine Appling, CEO of the Wisconsin Family Council.
Appling thanked the NOM supporters for coming, saying “you have real jobs, you have real lives.” [We aren't federally funded to hold rallys like the Left is]
“Marriage is under attack in Wisconsin,” said Appling, who led efforts to pass the same sex-marriage ban. “Standing for marriage as God designed marriage is not easy.” [I think marriage advocates should start focusing on what we call Natural Law. This isn't a religious issue per se.]
H/T Versol'Alto
2 comments:
Yes, the Natural Law argument is better, but for some reason the heavy-hitters decided to make it a 'religious' issue first.
Speculating.........
It's possible that queer marriage WILL become legal, in which case the church(es) will be marrying ONLY those whose marriages conform to the rules of those church(es.)
The 'argument from religion', therefore, keeps the matter within the bounds of the 1st Amendment--assuming The Regime has not obviated the entire Bill of Rights before then.
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