Our opponents, the anti-gay National Organization for Marriage, kicked off their deceitful media campaign to deny marriage to loving families this week by publishing a full page ad, filled harmful lies about same-sex couples and their families.
The ad, which is nearly identical to much-debunked television and print ads that NOM unsuccessfully ran during the last election cycle, touts NOM's unfounded claim that "gay marriage" will be taught in schools once gay and lesbian couples are able to share in the freedom to marry.
This argument has been dispelled by fact checkers and local media in state after state where NOM has imposed it's anti-gay campaign, including Rhode Island's own PolitiFact, which found this claim to be completely false.
Our Campaign Director Ray Sullivan released this statement today, slamming NOM's attempt to intentionally mislead Rhode Island voters and legislators:
“This ad is just another example of NOM’s hurtful misinformation campaign here in Rhode Island and across the country. Rather than engage in a civil dialogue about the legislation at hand, which would extend marriage rights to all loving, committed couples in the Ocean State, NOM is employing the well-worn tactics of those opposed to equality: fear mongering,”
Rhode Islanders United for Marriage will continue calling out our opponents and holding them accountable for their overt lies about gay families.
Our full fact check of NOM's ad is below. To read our press release, click here.
FACT CHECK
The advertisement that appeared in the Warwick Beacon includes a number of falsehoods and misleading statements that have been employed by NOM and its allies of intolerance in the past in other states, which are outlined below:
- Claim: Faith organizations, such as the Knights of Columbus, will be forced to host same-sex weddings in their facilities against their will.
- Fact: A Vermont inn refused to host a same-sex wedding and was penalized. However, the legal repercussions were not due to Vermont’s marriage equality law, but rather a state anti-discrimination law.
The inn owners cited “personal feelings” to justify their decision not to host the wedding of a lesbian couple. But Vermont’s Fair Housing and Public Accommodations Act prohibits public accommodations, such as inns, restaurants and schools that serve the public, “from denying goods and services based on customers’ sexual orientation.” Rhode Island law currently prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and HB5015 will not change affect that protection.
- Claim: Small businesses that oppose marriage equality will face lawsuits.
- Fact: A Seattle Times investigation “failed to turn up any evidence that same-sex marriage had produced a rash of suits involving businesspeople.” The Times “also checked with human rights commissions in four of the six states where marriage is legal; the commissions said there was not an increase in discrimination findings or suits involving same sex marriage."
- Claim: People have been fired from their job for opposing marriage equality.
- Fact: NOM claims Canadian sportscaster Damian Goddard was fired from his position with Rogers Sportnet after tweeting his opposition to marriage equality. Sportsnet denied that assertion, noting “well documented” reasonsfor his termination, saying it ”had already made the decision to terminate Mr. Goddard for cause.”
- Claim: Faith leaders who oppose access to civil marriage for all families have been punished for their beliefs.
- Fact: Bishop Fred Henry of Alberta, Canada, in a pastoral letter, equated homosexuality with pornography and prostitution, and asserted government should use “coercive power” to oppose them: “Since homosexuality, adultery, prostitution and pornography undermine the foundations of the family, the basis of society, then the State must use its coercive power to proscribe or curtail them.”
A number of well-respected Canadians denounced the letter – including the Toronto Star editorial board and Globe and Mail columnist Michael Valpy.
- Claim: Marriage equality legislation will force schools to change curricula. For example, opponents of marriage equality have said, “In Massachusetts, children as young as second grade have been taught about homosexual marriage in class.”
- Fact: Minnesota Public Radio has called this claim misleading: “There’s no evidence that same-sex marriage is taught throughout Massachusetts, and the state doesn’t require such curriculum.” The claim was also previously debunked by PolitiFact Rhode Island, which rated it “false.”