[Active-seattle-l] [Active-l] (NEWS) Today's Cultural Warfare Update

[Dara (R'ykandar Korra'ti)]

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---- actual message starts here ----
ACTION ITEMS all around, people. If you haven't contacted against the  
anti-marriage rights amendment (the "Marriage Protection Amendment"),  
it's time.

It's all out, now; I mentioned on Wednesday that the barrage would be  
starting, and it is. Every US organisation I monitor and several that I  
normally don't have the amps set to 11 to push the anti-marriage-rights  
Marriage Protection Amendment, and a _lot_ of ultimatums are being  
delivered. Focus on the Family is placing ads in USA Today, there's  
occasional hints of a bolt to a third party (not included here; they're  
pretty oblique). Interestingly, the Traditional Values Coalition has  
decided the current version is unacceptable because it isn't anti-gay  
enough - they want outright bans also on civil unions and domestic  
partnerships in any form, whereas the other groups would only _prefer_  
that.

Watch for anti-gay sermonising this weekend at local churches; almost  
all of the theocrats are explicitly pushing for anti-gay/anti-marriage  
sermons, to be followed by church-led actions to support the MPA. The  
Family Research Council, for example, is providing sermon notes.

Canadian readers may want to note multiple Focus on the Family Canada  
ACTION ITEMS for British Columbia, as well.

And now, today's news.

Focus on the Family says their letter-generators aren't form letters;  
they do this whenever anybody criticises their astroturf getting  
printed;

RealClearPolitics urges federalism, opposes Federal Marriage Amendment  
in any form;

Volokh Conspiracy does the same; Dale Carpenter's Cato Institute paper  
is coming out against the topic as well;

Focus on the Family reports that President Bush is going to endorse the  
federal anti-marriage-rights amendment; includes ACTION ITEM to support  
the amendment via your senators and also to listen to President Bush's  
address;

FotF's 10 Things I Hate About Gays;

FotF's anti-marriage-rights ads in _USA Today_ to target John McCain  
and Hillary Clinton; includes ACTION ITEM to phone Sens. McCain and  
Clinton;

FotF's fax-based action item to support the anti-marriage-rights  
amendment;

The Associated Press version of the story about Bush's impending  
re-endorsement of the anti-marriage-rights amendment;

Fox News: Marriage Amendment Could Soothe Angry Right;

Focus on the Family promotes _The Marketing of Evil_, which talks  
mostly about out t3h 3vil gay mafia is affecting your mind;

Focus on the Family reports on the success of the social conservative's  
complaint-generating machine - they've generated almost 300,000  
complaints this year to the FCC about "indecency" on television;  
includes an ACTION ITEM to submit more complaints;

Focus on the Family's Citizen Magazine: Lesbian and gay people don't  
want to get married, they want to destroy sexuality and the family;

Focus on the Family's Citizen Magazine cover story is one long ACTION  
ITEM to support the anti-marriage-rights "Marriage Protection  
Amendment"; includes action items to write Senators and Representatives  
- it'll be coming up in the House after the Senate - and so on;

FotF: Louisiana passes comprehensive abortion ban, but the law stays  
itself pending an overturn of Roe v. Wade;

FotF: House Appropriations Committee votes to continue the "Mexico City  
Policy," a.k.a. the Global Gag Rule;

FotF: Louisiana governor Blanco will sign comprehensive abortion ban,  
stayed pending overturn of Roe v. Wade;

FotF: Iowa lawmakers want to be able to intervene in a state-court  
lawsuit against that state's marriage ban;

FotF: Anti-abortion group to receive portion of funds from "Choose  
Life" license plates in Indiana;

FotF: "morality and politics must intersect;" you must be for abortion  
bans to get fundamentalist vote; strong implications of "if you're not  
anti-abortion and for bans, you aren't a Republican";

CWA's Robert Knight is upset with US voting to allow GBLT groups  
consultive status at UN; claims that they are "too savvy" to "directly  
promot[e] pedophilia" but CWA knows better - CWA hasn't been saying  
lately so much that "queers are all child rapists," but they have a  
long history of saying that and it comes to the surface in this  
article;

CWA's Jan LaRue: Taking marriage out of state hands and making it a  
Constitutional matter _is_ Federalism; in other news, black is white,  
and watch out for that bus at the zebra crossing;

Human Events Online runs CWA's article above on their own site;

Florida Baptist Witness: "Homosexual activists are intent upon  
promoting their agenda in the mass media while squelching opposing  
viewpoints"; this is about the public-service spots that aired on TV  
earlier this spring;

The Daily Standard attacks the GBLT rights movement, calling it a  
"hijacking" of "the civil rights legacy," calls the struggle for  
equality under the law a "hustle," compares it to affirmative action  
set-asides;

CWA links to a Christian Examiner article promoting Mission America's  
anti-gay "School Risk Audit" programme;

CWA promotes Louisiana bill to make divorce more difficult, increase  
the waiting period;

CWA's Bob Knight on the new Batwoman being a dyke;

CWA's Bob Knight compares the ACLU to the new Dutch political party  
that wants to legalise pedophilia and child porn; they do, of course,  
make the obligatory "it's the homosexuals' fault" slur, but there's  
actually surprisingly little of that; I suspect from this that it's  
Holland's own version of the Renee Gaspard society, and not their own  
version of NAMBLA;

CWA's Janice Crouse on Poland anti-abortion/anti-gay(?) rally;

Family Research Council front-page push for the anti-marriage Federal  
amendment (MPA); includes ACTION ITEM and "fact sheet";

FRC "Marriage Protection Sunday" ACTION ITEM to distribute "sermons and  
other resources" to pastors for sermons to rally support for the  
anti-marriage amendment;

FRC's Tony Perkins to be on Good Morning America pushing the  
anti-marriage-rights Federal amendment;

FRC's Washington Update pushes The Advocate story on polygamy and gay  
men; includes ACTION ITEM for the anti-marriage "Marriage Protection  
Amendment";

America Family Association ACTION ITEM to support the MPA by contacting  
US Senators;

World Magazine: legalised civil marriage for lesbian and gay people  
will "roll back religious freedom"; also condemns religious leaders who  
have spoken out against the Federal amendment;

American Family Association claims Ford's problems are from their  
anti-gay boycott of Ford Motor;

AFA article reports on Bishop Gerald Glen's support for the  
anti-marriage amendment; "Bible Doesn't Condone Same-Sex Unions;  
Neither Should Lawmakers";

The AFA/Agape Press news summary has multiple zomg t3h gayz stories  
this Friday;

AFA starts up the Christmas Wars again this year - in _June_; includes  
ACTION ITEM to demand retailers use "Merry Christmas" (and, presumably,  
only "Merry Christmas") under threat of boycott;

Traditional Values Coalition _opposes_ the anti-marriage Marriage  
Protection Amendment because it isn't anti-gay _enough_; they demand  
one that also bans all civil unions and domestic partnerships;

Tim Eyman makes appointment on Monday to bring in anti-gay referendum  
petitions;

Focus on the Family Canada ACTION ITEM against including GBLT people in  
social studies in BC;

FotF Canada alleges: Polygamy quietly recognised by Federal government;

FotF Canada ACTION ITEM to oppose new Canadian Aboriginal Voices Radio  
station on 106.3FM in Vancouver because it may interfere with  
broadcasts from the US radio station Spirit 106, which carries Focus on  
the Family programming;

 From Andrew Sullivan: Focus on the Family's James Dobson's regular  
broadcast calls marriage rights supporters "the forces of Hell."


----- 1 -----
Letters to the editor
Seattle Times
June 1, 2006

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2003031328_thulets01.html

Effective writing

Advice from the pros

Reader Charles Pluckhahn lobbed all sorts of charges at Focus on the  
Family in his recent letter ["Sincerely whose?" Northwest Voices, May  
31], none of them with much stickability.

Calling it "willful deception" for groups like ours to help readers  
write letters to the editor is ludicrous; all we offer readers like  
Elisa Baggenstos is the assistance of a professional communicator to  
put what is in their hearts into publishable form.

[More at URL]


----- 2 -----
Living With Cultural Federalism
By Ryan Sager
RealClearPolitics
June 01, 2006

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2006/06/ 
living_with_cultural_federalis.html

Next week, in what is fast becoming an election-time ritual, the Senate  
will take up debate of a constitutional amendment to define marriage in  
the United States as between one man and one woman (no dogs allowed).  
And, just as predictably, the amendment will fail by a wide margin to  
garner the necessary two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress.

Thus will Americans continue a great experiment in what has been called  
"cultural federalism."

Neither party has much in the way of a genuine commitment to the  
principle of federalism - the idea that many policy decisions are best  
left to state and local governments - in either economic or social  
affairs. But in a nation increasingly polarized by hot-button cultural  
questions, both parties would do well to recognize that in our  
democracy, living together is often a matter of learning to live apart.

[More at URL]


----- 3 -----
Against a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage
Dale Carpenter
The Volokh Conspiracy
May 28, 2006

http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2006_05_28 
-2006_06_03.shtml#1149167310

Today the Cato Institute is publishing a paper I've written on why a  
federal amendment banning gay marriage is a bad idea, even if you  
oppose gay marriage. Of course, if you think recognizing same-sex  
marriages is a good idea, that's a strong reason by itself to oppose an  
amendment banning them. This paper is written for conservatives and  
moderates who either oppose or are unsure about same-sex marriage.  
Here's the executive summary:

[More at URL]


----- 4 -----
Bush to Endorse Marriage Protection Amendment
Spokesman calls it "an enduring and sacred institution."
by Pete Winn, associate editor
Focus on the Family
June 2, 2006

http://www.family.org/cforum/extras/a0040733.cfm

President Bush will publicly endorse the Marriage Protection Amendment  
(MPA) on Monday in a ceremony at the White House just two days before  
the Senate is expected to vote on the measure.

"The president firmly believes that marriage is an enduring and sacred  
institution between men and women and has supported measures to protect  
the sanctity of marriage," White House spokesman Ken Lisaius told  
reporters.

[...]

TAKE ACTION:
You can fax your senators a pre-written message in support of marriage  
for free through our Action Center:
http://vocusgr.vocus.com/GRSPACE2/dotnet/WebPublish/controller.aspx? 
SiteName=FOTF&Definition=Resources&XSL=Resources&SV_Section=Resources

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
President Bush is expected to speak about the Marriage Protection  
Amendment on his weekly radio broadcast Saturday. You can listen to it  
online:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/radio/


----- 5 -----
Why Not Gay Marriage?
Ten persuasive answers to the question of "why not gay marriage?"
Focus on the Family

http://www.family.org/cforum/pdfs/fosi/marriage/Why_Not_Gay_Marriage.pdf

[PDF at URL]


----- 6 -----
USA Today Marriage-Protection Ads to Target Sens. McCain and Clinton
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
June 2, 2006

http://www.family.org/cforum/briefs/a0040738.cfm

The U.S. Senate is expected to vote Wednesday on the federal Marriage  
Protection Amendment (MPA), and pro-family groups are stepping up  
efforts to make sure their constituents weigh in on one of the most  
important issues of our time.

[...]

It urges readers not to leave the future of marriage in the hands of  
activist judges. And not to let McCain and Clinton speak as if they  
represent the nation. Instead, it encourages the readers to call their  
two senators at 202-224-3121 and ask them to vote in favor of the  
Marriage Protection Amendment.

[More at URL]


----- 7 -----
Pass the Federal Marriage Protection Amendment
Focus on the Family
Online as of June 2, 2006

http://vocusgr.vocus.com/grspace2/dotnet/WebPublish/controller.aspx? 
SiteName=FOTF&Definition=ViewIssue&IssueID=2203&Login=8Kb43%2fejTqH7MAG1 
AuoqFpB7iGOWpHbGYTdaKlFWppAn3IEffiktqliaOmg9SDFprvQV7QOpHTLBpv77Gv9DLQ%3 
d%3d

Click the Take Action button at the bottom of this page to go the the  
area where you can send faxes to your senators.

This amendment would offer the strongest defense to protect marriage  
from activist judges. It would place the definition of marriage outside  
the reach of the courts by codifying it in the U.S. Constitution. After  
passing the Congress, the amendment must be ratified by three-fourths  
of the states.

S.J.Res.1 simply states: "Marriage in the United States shall consist  
only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution, nor  
the constitution of any State, shall be construed to require that  
marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union  
other than the union of a man and a woman."

The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on the Marriage Protection  
Amendment (MPA) early next week -- and now more than ever your voice is  
crucial to its passage.

[More at URL]


----- 8 -----
Bush to Back Gay Marriage Ban Amendment
By NEDRA PICKLER
Associated Press Writer
Jun 01 11:04 PM US/Eastern

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/06/01/D8HVQLM00.html

WASHINGTON - President Bush will promote a constitutional amendment  
banning gay marriage on Monday, the eve of a scheduled Senate vote on  
the cause that is dear to his conservative backers.

The amendment would prohibit states from recognizing same-sex  
marriages. To become law, the proposal would need two-thirds support in  
the Senate and House, and then be ratified by at least 38 state  
legislatures.

[More at URL]


----- 9 -----
Marriage Amendment Could Soothe Angry Right
Friday, June 02, 2006
By Kelley Beaucar Vlahos
FOX News

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,197882,00.html

WASHINGTON — With Republicans facing a potential backlash at the polls  
in November, a renewed national debate over gay marriage can only boost  
the morale of the party's religious conservative base, which for a  
variety of reasons is near mutiny, say sources in the movement.

"It could be an issue that may not necessarily bring them back, but it  
will bring them out, which is the key thing for the fall elections,"  
said Bill Greene, head of RightMarch.com, an Atlanta-based conservative  
activist organization.

[More at URL]


----- 10 -----
Q&A: David Kupelian on The Marketing of Evil
The author speaks on powerful manipulative techniques designed to  
change your mind on important issues.
by Pete Winn, associate editor
Focus on the Family
June 1, 2006

http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0040710.cfm

Why have gay activists been so successful in advancing their political  
agenda? Is there a connection between that success and the fact that  
Hollywood portrays gays positively on TV?

You bet, according to David Kupelian, editor of WorldNetDaily's  
Whistleblower magazine.

In his new book, The Marketing of Evil, Kupelian says Americans are  
being duped into believing that "evil is good and good is evil."

[More at URL]


----- 11 -----
FCC Flooded with Indecency Complaints
2006 has already seen more objections than all of last year.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
June 1, 2006

http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0040708.cfm

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has received more than  
275,000 complaints about broadcast indecency so far this year — more  
than it received in all of 2005.

Dan Isett, director of corporate and entertainment affairs at the  
Parents Television Council, said the American people are fed up.

[...]

TAKE ACTION:
The FCC has an online form ( http://www.fcc.gov/eb/oip/Compl.html ) for  
you to file broadcast-indecency complaints.

[More at URL]


----- 12 -----
Do Gays Really Want ‘Marriage’?
A look at the states where same-sex unions are legal raises some  
serious doubts.
by Caleb H. Price
Focus on the Family
Citizen Magazine

http://www.family.org/cforum/citizenmag/features/a0040665.cfm

Vermont and Connecticut offer civil unions to gay partners. Domestic  
partnerships are available to homosexuals in California, Maine, New  
Jersey and the District of Columbia. Colorado voters will likely vote  
on a civil-union initiative this fall and many expect Oregon to  
reconsider the issue in 2007. All of these, many homosexual activists  
hope, will be stepping stones to same-sex marriage.

Same-sex marriage has already been legalized in five countries—Belgium,  
Canada, The Netherlands, Spain and South Africa. And civil unions or  
other forms of domestic partnerships are in place in at least 11  
others—Czech Republic, Denmark (and Greenland), France, Finland,  
Germany, Iceland, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom,  
as well as the Australian state of Tasmania.

Yet with so many opportunities to attain privileges that have been  
reserved for opposite-sex couples, and with so many homosexuals  
demanding full access to marriage benefits, it’s surprising how few gay  
couples actually tie the knot when government-sanctioned status is made  
available. Thus, despite the calculating and emotional rhetoric about  
“benefits” and “basic fairness” coming from pro-gay advocates, perhaps  
it’s really not about marriage after all?

[...]

At its core, the homosexual zeitgeist seeks to destroy God’s created  
intent for sexuality and the family while deconstructing the imago dei  
that humans bear—male and female—on the Earth.

[More at URL]


----- 13 -----
Showtime
Make sure the Senate hears from you before it votes on the Marriage  
Protection Amendment this summer.
by Tony Perkins
[Ed. Note: Tony Perkins is head of the Family Research Council]
Focus on the Family
Citizen Magazine

http://www.family.org/cforum/citizenmag/coverstory/a0040663.cfm

The radicals who oppose a constitutional amendment defining marriage as  
the union of one man and one woman say it is discriminatory. They say  
that barring homosexuals from marrying is no different from forcing  
Rosa Parks to give up her seat on the bus. And they seem to think that  
their best talking point is a quote from the late U.S. Supreme Court  
Chief Justice Earl Warren, a civil-rights hero who’s most famous for  
his landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision of 1954 that outlawed  
racial segregation in the schools.

Warren later wrote an opinion that further advanced the cause of civil  
rights. His majority opinion struck down Virginia’s  
“anti-miscegenation” law, which banned inter-racial marriages. Radicals  
today say that if Virginia’s law was unconstitutional, then an  
amendment barring men from marrying men and women marrying women must  
be unconstitutional, too.

But radicals often neglect to mention why Chief Justice Warren ruled  
against Virginia’s law.

[...]

During his 2004 presidential campaign, Democratic presidential nominee  
John Kerry said marriage should be limited to a man and a woman. All we  
ask of Kerry and his colleagues is that they put it in writing. After  
all, Kerry might want to avoid telling the American people: “I actually  
voted for marriage before I voted against it.”

Help Kerry out. E-mail him. Better yet, call him. Tell him:  
“Marriage—defend it; don’t end it.” Here’s his number: 202-224-3121.

Call that same number to reach your Representative and your two U.S.  
Senators. Make sure your voice is heard, and soon, because the Senate  
is expect to vote on the Marriage Protection Amendment on June 6. We  
need every available vote in Congress; the Marriage Protection  
Amendment requires a two-thirds vote of both the House (at least 287  
votes) and Senate (at least 67 votes).

Another way to get your congressmen’s attention is by writing a letters  
to the editor of your local newspaper. Make sure the letter is 300  
words or less. Include the name of your Representative or Senator.

Praise those who signal they will vote for the Marriage Protection  
Amendment. Don’t hesitate to express your disappointment with those,  
like U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., who oppose the amendment.

Disappointment is more effective than anger, even though I share your  
frustration with the real duplicity of some of our elected officials.  
More likely, some congressmen will drag their feet and give some  
double-speak answer. Use your letters to let your neighbors know that  
you are onto this game.

Bottom line:If the Members of Congress are not for the Marriage  
Protection Amendment, they are against it. It’s really that simple.

[More at URL]


----- 14 -----
Louisiana Abortion Ban Passes Both Chambers
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
June 1, 2006

http://www.family.org/cforum/briefs/a0040714.cfm

The Louisiana House overwhelmingly approved a bill Wednesday that would  
ban nearly all abortions in the state if Roe v. Wade is overturned,  
WBRZ-TV reported.

The 85-17 vote followed just two hours of debate. An amendment that  
would have made an exception for cases of rape or incest was rejected.

[...]

Rep. Mike Powell told colleagues the Founding Fathers intended the  
nation to recognize the sanctity of life.

"Our form of government affords protection in a purposeful order," he  
said. "The Founders intentionally placed 'life' before 'liberty' and  
'liberty' before 'the pursuit of happiness' in the Declaration of  
Independence."

[More at URL]


----- 15 -----
U.S. Will Continue to Uphold Mexico City Policy
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
June 1, 2006

http://www.family.org/cforum/briefs/a0040712.cfm

The House Appropriations Committee has voted to retain the Mexico City  
Policy — a measure that prohibits the use of taxpayer money for  
abortions in other countries, LifeNews.com reported.

[More at URL]

[Editor's Note: It's much more comprehensive than that. It has been  
called the 'Global Gag Rule,' because to receive funding, organisations  
have to not only not spend it on abortion, but cannot offer abortion  
services at all, cannot support abortion rights, cannot discussion  
abortion in any way, even in countries where it is legal and locally  
supported.]


----- 16 -----
Louisiana Governor Will Sign Abortion Ban
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
June 2, 2006

http://www.family.org/cforum/briefs/a0040736.cfm

Gov. Kathleen Blanco said she will sign into law legislation that would  
ban abortion in Louisiana -- if Roe v. Wade is overturned, KATC-TV  
reported.

[More at URL]


----- 17 -----
Legislators Weigh in on Iowa Same-Sex Marriage Suit
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
June 2, 2006

http://www.family.org/cforum/briefs/a0040737.cfm

Seventeen Iowa lawmakers have requested that a Polk County judge allow  
them to intervene in a suit filed by six same-sex couples who say they  
were denied marriage licenses, WHO-TV reported.

[More at URL]


----- 18 -----
Pro-Life License Plates Accepted in Indiana, Rejected in Missouri
Focus on the Family
Newsbriefs
June 2, 2006

http://www.family.org/cforum/briefs/a0040734.cfm

An Indiana pro-life organization has received tentative approval from  
the state for a "Choose Life" license plate, The Courier-Journal  
reported.

The Indiana Association of Pregnancy Centers submitted the design and  
will receive part of the proceeds from sales of the plates.

[More at URL]


----- 19 -----
Principle Pays at Ballot Box
Analysts say voters appreciate candidates who stick to their pro-life  
convictions.
from staff reports
Focus on the Family
June 2, 2006

http://www.family.org/cforum/news/a0040722.cfm

With the midterm congressional elections approaching, analysts say when  
candidates are open about their views — and those views are rooted in  
principle — it's always a plus at the polls.

For Republicans, that means sticking with their party's pro-life  
platform is wise.

"We are a pro-life party," said Danny Diaz, a spokesman for the  
Republican National Committee (RNC). "We're proud of our pro-life  
stance, and many of our candidates are going to speak directly to that  
on the stump."

[...]

It's also a case where morality and politics must intersect.

"If you try and separate and say it's a moral issue and not a political  
issue," she said, "what you get are candidates who say they're  
personally opposed to abortion, but they would not do anything about  
it."

[More at URL]


----- 19 -----
U.S. Backs Homosexual Groups at United Nations
Delegation drops opposition to applications for three European activist  
organizations
Concerned Women for America
6/2/2006
By Robert Knight

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/10880/CFI/nation/index.htm

In a move applauded by homosexual activist groups, the United States  
reversed longstanding policy and voted in May to grant official United  
Nations consultative status to three homosexual groups.

Along with six other countries, the U.S. voted on a tactical proposal  
by Germany to accept the applications of the International Gay and  
Lesbian Association - Europe (ILGA-Europe) and Germany's Lesbian and  
Gay Federation (LSVD) for consultative status at the U.N. Economic and  
Social Council (ECSOC). The votes took place on May 16 and May 17.

The United States also backed a proposal to include the Coalition of  
Gays and Lesbians in Quebec (CGLQ), but that application was deferred  
until January 2007.

The proposal for the first two groups was defeated 9-7, so the groups  
still lack official status.

A U.S. State Department spokesman told Concerned Women for America's  
Culture & Family Institute that the U.S. delegation dropped its  
objection to the three homosexual groups after determining that none  
was directly involved with groups promoting pedophilia.

According to Dr. Janice Shaw Crouse, Senior Fellow of CWA's Beverly  
LaHaye Institute, the deciding factor was being able to say that they  
were not "directly" promoting pedophilia. Crouse said, "Of course,  
these groups aren't directly involved; they are too savvy for that.  
They have discovered a way around the U.S. objections and we are  
letting them get away with making their connections indirect and  
hidden."

All three of the homosexual groups, however, openly support same-sex  
"marriage," adoption of children by homosexuals, special protections  
based on homosexuality, bisexuality and transgenderism, and oppose  
abstinence education.

[More at URL]


----- 20 -----
Making Marriage a Constitutional Matter
Senators need to preserve federalism and protect states from more  
judicial mugging.
Concerned Women for America
6/2/2006
By Jan LaRue, Chief Counsel

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/10876/LEGAL/misc/index.htm

The Senate is scheduled to debate and vote on the Marriage Protection  
Amendment (MPA) next week. While some pro-family organizations like  
Concerned Women for America would prefer a stronger text than the MPA,  
there is no disagreement that marriage is worthy of constitutional  
protection. Congress should begin the amendment process instead of  
waiting until the Court of last resort desecrates the sanctity of  
marriage by reducing it to state-sanctioned sexual licentiousness.

Senators on both ends of the political spectrum, and some in the  
elusive, mushy-middle-moderate-centrist school of political expediency,  
think that the union of one man and one woman in holy matrimony is only  
worthy of constitutional protection as the last resort. "It should be  
left to the states," they tell us, "until a federal court strikes down  
a state's marriage law." Last resorts are no resort if they're also  
untimely.

[...]

Some call it federalism. Some of us think that true federalists  
wouldn't sit idly by while judicial tyrants pummel a sovereign state  
with three free muggings before beginning the lengthy process of  
amending the U.S. Constitution.

[More at URL]


----- 21 -----
Why Marriage Is a Constitutional Matter
by Jan LaRue, Esq.
[Editor's Note: Jan LaRue is a CWA wonk]
Human Events Online
Posted Jun 02, 2006

http://www.humaneventsonline.com/article.php?id=15322

The Senate is scheduled to debate and vote on the Marriage Protection  
Amendment (MPA) next week. While some pro-family organizations like  
Concerned Women for America would prefer a stronger text than the MPA,  
there is no disagreement that marriage is worthy of constitutional  
protection. Congress should begin the amendment process instead of  
waiting until the court of last resort desecrates the sanctity of  
marriage by reducing it to state-sanctioned sexual licentiousness.

[More at URL - appears to be the same article as on the CWA website]


----- 22 -----
Culture Digest
Free TV ads promote homosexual agenda; .xxx porn domain rejected; study  
links casinos, crime
Florida Baptist Witness
Published June 1, 2006

http://www.floridabaptistwitness.com/6015.article

WASHINGTON (BP) — Homosexual activists are intent upon promoting their  
agenda in the mass media while squelching opposing viewpoints,  
according to the Traditional Values Coalition, which has sounded the  
alarm on a particular group that collaborated with CBS and ABC to air  
ads affirming homosexuality — for free.

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation has developed a series  
of public service announcements, one of which ran May 9 during a soap  
opera in which a teenager told his parents he was a homosexual, TVC  
said. The public service announcement, which ran at the end of CBS’ “As  
the World Turns,” told viewers to take a stand against the  
discrimination and prejudice faced by homosexuals, bisexuals and  
transgendered people.

[More at URL]


----- 23 -----
Same-Sex Marriage:
Hijacking the Civil Rights Legacy
The indiscriminate promotion of various social groups' desires and  
preferences as "rights" has drained the moral authority from the civil  
rights industry.
by Eugene F. Rivers & Kenneth D. Johnson
06/01/2006 12:00:00 AM

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/012/ 
285fhdqe.asp

THE MOVEMENT TO REDEFINE MARRIAGE to include same-sex unions has  
packaged its demands in the rhetoric and images of the civil rights  
movement. This strategy, though cynical, has enormous strategic  
utility. For what reasonable, fair-minded American could object to a  
movement that conjures up images of Martin Luther King Jr. and his  
fellows campaigners for racial justice facing down dogs and fire hoses?  
Who is prepared to risk being labeled a bigot for opposing same-sex  
marriage?

As an exercise in marketing and merchandising, this strategy is the  
most brilliant playing of the race card in recent memory. Not since the  
"poverty pimps" of 35 years ago, who leveraged the guilt and sense of  
fair play of the American public to hustle affirmative action  
set-asides, have we witnessed so brazen a misuse of African-American  
history for partisan purposes.

[More at URL]


----- 24 -----
Mission America launches nationwide monitoring of curriculum issues
Christian Examiner staff report
Online as of June 2, 2006

http://www.christianexaminer.com/Articles/Articles%20Jun06/ 
Art_Jun06_10.html

As battles over public school curricula are playing out in districts  
across the country, Mission America has unveiled a new School Risk  
Audit as a way for parents and churches to monitor homosexual activist  
activity in their local school districts.

The effort was announced April 26 to coincide with the national “Day of  
Silence” where students are encouraged to not talk all day on campus in  
support of gay and lesbian students.

The project is sponsored by the American Family Association, Concerned  
Women for America, the Family Research Council and state chapters of  
pro-family groups such as Eagle Forum.

[...]

“The insidious alliance between some school administrations and  
homosexual activists has been hidden from parents for far too long,”  
Tony Perkins, of Family Research Council, said in a news release.  
“Recent events in Lexington, Massachusetts and similar instances across  
the country demonstrate the next phase in the campaign to normalize  
homosexual behavior—the capturing of America's youth. American families  
need to know about the homosexual indoctrination being forced upon  
young impressionable minds. Conducting a risk audit in local school  
districts will help do just that.”

[More at URL]


----- 25 -----
CWA of Louisiana Testifies on Divorce Reform
Concerned Women for America
5/31/2006

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/10862/FIELD/family/index.htm

The Louisiana legislature is considering a bill that would lengthen the  
waiting period before a couple can be granted a divorce. Deborah Young,  
State Director for CWA of Louisiana, provided lawmakers with valuable  
testimony not so much from the perspective of a lobbyist, but as a  
pastor and someone whose own marriage survived a turbulent time thanks  
to the waiting period of another state. CWA Policy Analyst Martha  
Kleder spoke with Deborah about this measure and what Louisiana  
residents can do to promote its passage. Click here to listen.

[Ed. Note: According to Deborah Young, the bill would impose a _one  
year_ waiting period on any divorce.]

[Deborah Young: "This particular legislation is being offered by one of  
CWA of Louisiana's great friends, [State] Rep. Ernie Alexander, who  
lives here in LaFayette, and we've collaborated with him in the past.  
And this particular legislation provides procedures for the granting of  
a divorce when there are minour children of the marriage. We _don't  
prefer divorce, we know that _God hates divorce_, but in these cases,  
where minour children must be protected, we must do all we can to make  
sure that protection exists. And the granting of the extension, from  
180 days to 365 days, gives the marriages the greater chances of  
success. And divorce, hopefully, can be avoided - at all costs." [Ed.  
Note: Emphasis in original]

[Ed. Note: it now goes to the state House.]

Young says that Hurricane Katrina also makes the longer waiting period  
more important the because of the "stressors" involved of the storm.  
"Protecting children... from decisions made out of these levels of  
stress."

ACTION ITEM: Contact Louisiana state Senators and Representatives to  
support HB 1379.]

[More at URL]


----- 26 -----
DC Comics Introduces Lesbian Character to Batman Series
Concerned Women for America
Robert Knight
5/30/2006

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/10870/CFI/misc/index.htm

Batwoman, is returning to the Batman comic book series, this time as a  
“lipstick lesbian.” Bob Knight, Director of CWA’s Culture & Family  
Institute, has more on this development and events in the world of  
comics that have let to it. Click here to listen.

[Robert Knight: "We've got word from the BBC that Batwoman is making a  
comeback... now this is a little-known character in the Batman saga,  
Batwoman had a brief existence from 1956 to 1979 when they killed her  
off. I guess she was the victim of the Bronze Tiger and the League of  
Assassins. But they've announced that they're going to bring her  
back... and she'll be a quote lipstick lesbian... carrying on an affair  
with Renee Montoya... this isn't the first time DC Comics has decided  
to shock people. I remember a few years ago when a new president took  
over, she promised to make DC comics "cutting edge," and to get rid of  
its family image, and to even use profanity and charged sexual  
situations and so forth, so, apparently she planted some seeds that are  
now coming to flower."

Knight: "If you go into any comic store now, you'd be shocked if you  
were a fan of comics even a couple of decades ago. The comics come in  
the form of graphic novels, which are really thick comic books, and  
they say they're novels... the plots are pretty predictable but the  
graphics accompanying them are far more explicit than they ever used to  
be... I can't really recommend comics anymore, it used to be a good  
pastime for kids to get involved in comics as a bridge to real  
reading... and I read the DC comics with Superman and Batman... they  
had intricate plots, they had interesting characters, and they never  
delved into moral relativism, or promoting outright evil, the way some  
comics do now."

Knight: "Marvel actually beat DC to the punch... we were surprised a  
few years ago in 2002... they introduced the Rawhide Kid, the first  
comic about a gay cowboy, I guess they were ahead of the pack from  
Brokeback Mountain..."

Klieder: [Lesbian characters are dangerous to young boys].

Knight: ".. they get a false picture of female sexuality... and of  
course, that's the whole problem with pornography... it misrepresents  
female sexuality, and it misrepresents what men can expect from women,  
and vice-versa... a lot of marriages have been hurt by pornography,  
because it's so unrealisitic, and it skews expectations."

Knight: "They should look for the early Batman editions, any of the  
first several decades of Batman are excellent - I mean, the writing was  
good, the graphics are excellent, it's good stuff, and it's always good  
vs. evil, sometimes the villians learn lessons - they're all morality  
tales, which is what really makes a good story; if it doesn't have a  
morality tale at the core of it, it doesn't hold up, it doesn't stand  
the test of time. We've seen that in terms of motion pictures, books,  
even comic books - if they don't tell a moral story, they're not going  
to last."

Knight: "We haven't delved into it very far, in fact, we had a little  
difficulty... doing a search on the internet, we kept getting blocked!  
So that tells you what's wrong with the comics realm these days, if  
you're doing research on comics and you keep getting blocked by a  
filter, and comics are geared towards kids, then something's wrong  
here."

[Ed. Note: they consider all noncondemnational references to GBLT  
people to be obscene; I imagine the filtering software they're using  
does too, and bans all sites with GBLT material. Therefore...]


----- 27 -----
Dutch Pedophiles Form Political Party
Concerned Women for America
Robert Knight
6/2/2006

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/10871/CFI/misc/index.htm

The Netherlands is taking another step in its march of liberal social  
policy; the nation’s pedophiles are seeking recognition and acceptance  
by forming a political party. Their chief goal is to eventually do away  
with the age of consent. Bob Knight, Director of CWA’s Culture & Family  
Institute, says this is not unexpected from a nation that led the world  
in legalized drugs and prostitution, and homosexual activism. Click  
here to listen.

[Robert Knight: "They want to actually eliminate the age of consent...  
they want multi-partner unions.. and they want to be recognised as  
pedophiles as a legitimate minourity group with aspirations for  
activities in the future that will not be frowned upon by the rest of  
society..."

Robert Knight: "For years, people have been warning that if you embrace  
homosexuality, pedophiles will make their case that they should be  
accepted, and they didn't wait long! They've actually been doing it in  
Holland for many years now; Holland is where Pidica, the journal of  
Pedophilia, has been published, and that's a semi-scholarly periodical  
that advocates pedophilia and tries to present a scientific and  
research case for legalising pedophilia and decriminalising things like  
child pornography. And by the way, that's one of the platforms of this  
new Charity, Freedom, and Diversity Party, they want an end to the  
criminalisation of child pornography, but they say they're still  
against the production of it. Y'know, that stance is identical with  
that of our own ACLU, in the United States, the American Civil  
Liberties Union does not support the making of child pornography, they  
say they support laws banning that, but they don't want any laws  
against possession of child pornography - in other words, they don't  
want to do anything to stop the creation of a market for this awful  
stuff."

Knight: "Children are squarely in the bullseye, they have been for some  
time now in the Netherlands, and it seems as if Holland society is  
falling apart. It's gotten to the point - they've legalised drugs...  
the age of consent is 12, pornography is rampant. It was only a matter  
of time before they had a political party devoted to legitimising  
pedophilia."

[More at URL]


----- 28 -----
Pray for Poland’s March for Life and Family
Concerned Women for America
6/1/2006

http://www.cwfa.org/articles/10867/CWA/life/index.htm

On June 4, Christians in Poland will take to the streets in the first  
national March for Life and Family. While Poland remains the strongest  
of the European nations on issues of life and family, it is under  
attack. Dr. Janice Crouse, Senior Fellow with the Beverly LaHaye  
Institute, has more on the situation in Poland and the birth of  
pro-family activism there. Click here to listen.

For more information on the March visit:  
http://marsz.org/wp/index.php/march-for-life/

[Crouse: "Most of the countries [in Europe] have abandoned the  
family... the pro-gay movement, the pro-abortion movement is very  
strong in Europe, and Warsaw and all of Poland is one of the last  
holdouts, so this movement is certainly exciting because it's part of  
this whole advance for the family, this whole advance for the pro-life  
movement in Warsaw, and the whole of Poland coming up for this coming  
year."

Crouse: "Most of the countries in Europe have really been targeting  
Poland... Poland has increasingly been the target of the EU  
countries... because they vote consistently conservative on  
pro-family/pro-life issues, and more and more they are being threatened  
by the radical anti-life anti-family ideologies that are being promoted  
in that nation. It's a very very conservative nation, but the inroads  
are very obvious when you come into Warsaw, you see the advertisements  
for the _Da Vinci Code_ movie, for instance, you see very lewd  
advertisements for products, and this stands in start contrast to the  
number of churches that you see, families that you see walking around  
with the father and the mother and all the children, so the contrasts  
are very stark. ... all the things that are so corrosive in our culture  
are more and more prevalent in countries like Poland, so it's very very  
encouraging to see groups like this pro-family pro-life group having a  
national march to say, 'we will be unified, we will stand against these  
forces and protect our families and promote life in our country.'"

[More at URL]


----- 29 -----
Countdown to Senate Marriage Amendment Vote
Family Research Council
Online as of June 2, 2006

http://www.frc.org/

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Next week the U.S. Senate will vote on S. J. Res. 1,  
the Marriage Protection Amendment to the Constitution. We are thrilled  
to report that with your help we have passed 53,000 signatures to our  
online petition.  These petitions will be presented to Senate Majority  
Leader Bill Frist on Monday, June 5. Nonetheless, continue to have your  
friends and family sign up and speak out! Let's all take the actions  
needed to answer the question the rising generations will ask us:  
"Where did you stand?" In addition, download this fact sheet and give  
it to your pastor for Marriage Protection Sunday!

Add name to marriage petition:  
http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=PT06C01&f=PG03I03
Fact Sheet:  
http://downloads.frc.org/03-JUN-06_EF06F28_0003C7EB-293B-1481 
-993B1014AC14F856.pdf


----- 30 -----
June 4, 2006: Marriage Protection Sunday
Family Research Council
June 3, 2006

http://www.frc.org/

This Sunday is Marriage Protection Sunday, as the Senate will consider  
the Federal Marriage Protection Act this coming week. At this critical  
time, the Church must provide the leadership needed to motivate  
Americans to make their voices heard. Under IRS regulations Churches  
are permitted to discuss the Amendment plainly. We have posted a  
variety of materials that can be used or sent onto your pastor for this  
special Sunday. Please see sermons and other resources here:

http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=PG06E01&f=FR03G04


----- 31 -----
Tony Perkins to Appear on Good Morning America to Discuss MPA
Family Research Council
Online as of 3 June 2006

http://www.frc.org/

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins will appear Monday June  
5th at 7am EST on ABC's "Good Morning America" to speak at length about  
the Senate vote on the Marriage Protection Amendment. Please tune in to  
see how this issue impacts your family and all Values Voters across the  
United States.

[More at URL]


----- 32 -----
Tony Perkins' Washington Update
To: Friends of Family Research Council
From: Tony Perkins, President
June 2, 2006 - Friday
Please forward this to your Friends and Family!
A Direct Challenge

http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=WU06F02&f=PG03I03

The Advocate bills itself as "the national gay and lesbian  
newsmagazine." Its June 6 cover story certainly should make news. The  
magazine depicts three identical male dolls wearing tuxes over the  
caption "Polygamy & Gay Men." The story features oh-so-sympathetic  
portraits of several groups of men who are living in arrangements it  
calls polyamorous. "We're as married as we could be," says one  
homosexual member of a San Diego trio, "we all have rings and have a  
day we celebrate [as] our anniversary." The challenge could not be more  
"in your face."

[More at URL]


----- 33 -----
Activist Judge Overturns Marriage Laws; Homosexual Marriage Now Legal  
In All 50 States
Contact Your Two U.S. Senators Today!
American Family Association
Online as of 2 June 2006

http://www3.capwiz.com/afanet/issues/alert/?alertid=8799581&type=CO

How would you like to wake up one morning and learn that the above  
headline was the top story in every newspaper in America? That hasn’t  
happened—YET! But gradually, little by little, that is where we are  
headed. A similar headline will appear in your paper soon unless enough  
people send a message to their U.S. Senators!

The vote on the Marriage Protection Amendment (sponsored by Sen. Wayne  
Allard of Colorado), making marriage legal only between one man and one  
woman, is scheduled for a vote in the Senate June 6.

[...]

TAKE ACTION
Enter your zip code or state in the box above and click “GO” to prepare  
your emails to your two Senators today. (If either of your Senators is  
co-sponsoring the Marriage Protection Amendment, he or she will receive  
a thank you. If either of your Senators is not co-sponsoring the bill,  
he or she will get the letter encouraging them to vote for it.) And  
please, please forward this to friends and family. They probably don’t  
understand how close the homosexual activists are to getting homosexual  
marriage legalized.

[More at URL]


----- 34 -----
'A coming storm'
Government: A federal constitutional amendment may be the only way to  
head off a church-state clash over same-sex marriage
Lynn Vincent
World Magazine
June 10, 2006

http://www.worldmag.com/articles/11926

When he saw the news story, Anthony Picarello did a double-take. On  
Monday, May 22, more than 30 religious leaders from 10 states traveled  
to Washington, D.C., to voice their concerns over same-sex marriage and  
religious freedom. Mr. Picarello, president of the Becket Fund for  
Religious Liberty, read an online account of a press conference held in  
conjunction with the trip.

"To consciously legislate against religious traditions . . . is really  
an affront to my faith," Craig Axler, leader of Reform Congregation  
Beth Or in Maple Glen, Pa., told reporters.

But Mr. Axler and his group, "Clergy for Fairness," weren't rallying  
against same-sex marriage. They were complaining that the Federal  
Marriage Amendment, scheduled for a June 5 vote in the U.S. Senate,  
"raises alarming constitutional concerns" because defining marriage as  
between one man and one woman would restrict the liberty of religious  
leaders who, like Mr. Axler, want to be able to marry same-sex couples.

"The story had the feel of the world turning upside down," Mr.  
Picarello said.

Particularly since he himself had just made public the findings of 10  
top First Amendment scholars who concluded that broadly legalizing  
same-sex marriage will likely roll back religious freedom for everyone  
but those who agree with Mr. Axler.

[More at URL]


----- 35 -----
Boycott of Ford Impacting Automaker
Company Continues Promotion of Same-Sex 'Marriage'
By AFA Journal
American Family Association/Agape Press
June 2, 2006

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/6/afa/22006e.asp

(AgapePress) - As the boycott of the Ford Motor Company picks up steam,  
the automaker continues to help finance homosexual organizations  
pushing same-sex "marriage."

More than 20 pro-family groups are currently boycotting Ford, which  
also makes Jaguar, Volvo, Land Rover, Mazda, Lincoln and Mercury. The  
American Family Association, which initiated the boycott, has learned  
that Ford dealers recently met with corporate officials, and the  
boycott's effect on sales was the major topic of discussion.

In fact, while Ford's financial difficulties are not new, the company's  
woes appear to be accelerating. The automaker's sales dropped 5 percent  
in March and 7 percent in April, and Ford's stock has dropped more than  
14 percent since the boycott began, reaching the lowest price in nearly  
20 years.

"We've said all along that Ford should be concentrating on making  
better automobiles, rather than getting in the middle of the culture  
war," AFA chairman Don Wildmon says. "The latest round of bad economic  
news seems to bear this out."

[More at URL]


----- 36 -----
Bishop Jackson: Marriage Amendment Presents Political Vote on a  
Biblical Issue
Bible Doesn't Condone Same-Sex Unions; Neither Should Lawmakers, He Says
By Allie Martin and Jody Brown
American Family Association/Agape Press
June 1, 2006

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/6/afa/12006a.asp

(AgapePress) - A prominent black Christian pastor is among minority  
religious leaders calling on the U.S. Senate to approve a proposed  
constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and  
one woman.

Black and Hispanic church leaders are urging senators to vote for the  
Marriage Protection Amendment (MPA), which would protect traditional  
marriage from being redefined. Those supporting the MPA say it is  
needed to stop judges from legalizing same-sex "marriage," despite the  
opposition of voters and their elected representatives. The Senate is  
to debate and vote on the proposed amendment next week.

[More at URL]


----- 37 -----
Commentary & News Briefs
June 2, 2006
Compiled by Jenni Parker

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/6/afa/22006h.asp

...Today is the start to "Gay Pride Week" in Boston, Massachusetts, and  
that means the American flag will not be flying over City Hall. Brian  
Camenker of the pro-family advocacy group Article 8 Alliance observes  
that Gay Pride Week is apparently a very important event in Boston as  
far as city officials are concerned. To start the festivities this  
year, he says, Mayor Thomas Menino "is going to be part of a ceremony  
where he raises the gay flag, the rainbow flag, over Boston's city  
hall." Camenker adds that he and other members of his group plan to be  
at City Hall today as the events kick off to "take a picture of the  
mayor of Boston as he does this bizarre thing."

[More at URL]


----- 38 -----
Don't let the anti-Christmas crowd kick Christ out of Christmas this  
year
Companies are now working on their Christmas promotions. Let them hear  
from you today.
American Family Association
June 1, 2006

http://afa.net/060206.asp

June is not the time when we think of Christmas. But June is the time  
when retailers begin making their plans for Christmas promotions —  
store banners, newspaper ads, TV commercials, etc.

Remember last Christmas when many national retailers banned the use of  
Merry Christmas and allowed only the use of Season's Greetings or Happy  
Holidays or even winter holidays? Remember how some stores did not  
allow their employees to say "Merry Christmas" to their customers?  
Remember how Christmas trees were called Holiday trees?

[More at URL]


----- 39 -----
TVC Opposed to Marriage Protection Amendment
Re: Opposition to S. J. Res. 1 the Marriage Protection Amendment  
Because of the Second Sentence
Traditional Values Coalition
June 1, 2006

http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=2742

Dear Senator:

Traditional Values Coalition has always taken a strong position in  
supporting traditional marriage and opposing any statutory imitations  
of marriage designed to appease the homosexual lobby.

While Traditional Values Coalition supports the need for a federal  
constitutional amendment, because it is the only way to ensure that  
marriage between one man and one woman is protected, we strongly oppose  
S. J. Res. 1, the Marriage Protection Amendment, because of the second  
sentence.

The situation at this moment could be called a triumph of  
anti-federalism.  Not only do states not have an individual voice in  
this debate – one state, Massachusetts, has imposed homosexual marriage  
through the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the Constitution on the  
other 49 states.

[More at URL]


----- 40 -----
Eyman to file signatures Monday in bid to repeal gay rights law
By CHRIS McGANN
P-I CAPITOL CORRESPONDENT
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Friday, June 2, 2006

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/272538_eyman02.html

OLYMPIA -- Maybe he can't find his handcuffs.

Or maybe his gorilla suit got lost at the cleaners.

Or he might just be in search of the perfect tutu to wear when he  
dances into the Secretary of State's Office next week to file the  
signatures for his latest ballot measure, Referendum 65.

Whatever the reason, Tim Eyman was mum Thursday about having enough  
signatures to get on the ballot the measure to repeal the state's new  
gay civil rights law.

"We haven't put out any announcement, and when we have, we'll  
definitely let you know," said Eyman, who in recent years has found  
increasingly attention-grabbing ways of presenting his initiative  
signatures for review.

He apparently wasn't so coy with Tina Clarke, initiative supervisor for  
the Secretary of State's Office, who confirmed that Eyman made an 11  
a.m. appointment Monday to turn in signatures for Referendum 65.

About an hour later, he e-mailed a terse announcement: "We'll be  
bringing down petitions ... Monday."

[...]

Adding a little confusion to the mix, those who opposed the new law --  
presumably those who signed petitions to get the measure on the ballot  
-- would have to vote no on the referendum to repeal the law. Those who  
support the new law would vote yes.

[...]

John Vezina, campaign manager for Washington Won't Discriminate, a  
group that has raised more than $100,000 to keep the new law on the  
books, said he's not surprised.

"A lot of people didn't think he'd get the signatures; we always  
thought he would," Vezina said.

[More at URL]


----- 41 -----
BC GOVERNMENT AGREES TO ADD HOMOSEXUALITY INTO SCHOOL CURRICULUM
Today’s Family News
Focus on the Family Canada
June 2, 2006

http://www.fotf.ca/tfn/education/stories/060206.html

[Ed. Note: The Take Action was included only in the email edition]

British Columbia continues to lead the way in the assault on family  
values with the provincial government’s decision on Thursday to include  
more gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered issues in the school  
curriculum. The government also plans to make it more difficult for  
parents or students to choose to opt out of classes that address these  
topics.

The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of the Attorney-General made  
this decision as part of a settlement to a complaint filed in 1999 with  
the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal. In the complaint, Murray and Peter  
Corren argued that homosexuals were being discriminated against because  
of a "lack of positive portrayals of gay, lesbian and transgendered  
people."

A bulletin from the provincial government stated that the settlement  
includes the development of a “social justice” course for Grade 12  
students with content that “will include issues such as race,  
ethnicity, gender, family structure and sexual orientation.”

However, changes are not limited to this one course. The bulletin also  
states that the province “will also establish a process and schedule to  
review the B.C. educational curriculum to ensure that it reflects  
inclusion and respect for the diverse groups that today make up B.C.’s  
population.”

According to Thursday’s Vancouver Sun, homosexual activist Peter Corren  
revealed that “the settlement will also make it more difficult for  
students and parents to opt out of course lessons that address topics  
pertaining to sexual orientation and gender identity.”

Last summer, TFN readers were informed that Peter and Murray Corren  
wanted independent schools to be included in the complaint to the  
government. However, a spokesperson from the office of the  
Attorney-General told TFN on Thursday that independent schools are not  
being included in this decision to introduce more sexual diversity into  
the curriculum.

It is expected that this decision will increase the already growing  
percentage of families that are choosing alternatives to public  
education such as private faith-based schools and home schooling.

Take Action> As more of the details are being worked out regarding how  
this settlement will affect the education system, now is the time to  
express your concerns to the B.C. government. Contact Minister of  
Education Shirley Bond (  
http://www.gov.bc.ca/bvprd/bc/content.do? 
brwId=%402Ido2%7C0YQtuW&navId=NAV_ID_ 
-8382&levelFlag=1&crumb=B.C.+Home**Education&crumburl=%2Fhome.do*%2Fchan 
nel.do%3Faction%3DgovOrg%26channelID%3D*%2Fchannel.do%3Faction%3Dministr 
y%26channelID%3D-8382 ) , Attorney-General Wally Oppal (  
http://www.gov.bc.ca/bvprd/bc/content.do? 
brwId=%4020YSB%7C0YQtuW&navId=NAV_ID_ 
-8378&levelFlag=1&crumb=B.C.+Home**Attorney+General&crumburl=%2Fhome.do* 
%2Fchannel.do%3Faction%3DgovOrg%26channelID%3D*%2Fchannel.do%3Faction%3D 
ministry%26channelID%3D-8378 ) or your local MLAs (  
http://www.legis.gov.bc.ca/mla/3-1-1.htm ). Remind them that parents  
have ultimate responsibility for the education of their children and  
there should be no restrictions on parents who wish to exempt their  
children from any teaching on sexual orientation.


----- 42 -----
Polygamy quietly recognized by federal government
Today’s Family News
Focus on the Family Canada
June 2, 2006

http://www.fotf.ca/tfn/family/stories/060206_01.html

Despite assurances by the previous government that polygamy was  
criminal and would remain that way, censored documents obtained by Sun  
Media now show that multiple-wife marriages have in fact been given  
limited legal recognition by the federal government.

Obtained through an access to information request, these documents  
reveal that polygamous marriages were recognized for the purpose of  
enforcing payments for spousal support and inheritance.

[More at URL]


----- 43 -----
Your Help is Needed> Protect Christian Radio
Focus on the Family Canada

[Received in email; no URL]

If you are a Christian living in B.C.’s Lower Mainland or on Vancouver  
Island, you likely have tuned into Praise 106.5 FM to listen to  
Christian music and teaching programs like Focus on the Family with Dr.  
James Dobson. The CRTC is currently reviewing an application by a  
Canadian radio station for the frequency of 106.3 FM, which will likely  
cause significant interference with 106.5 FM.

The CRTC is accepting submissions from the public on this application  
but the deadline is Monday, June 5. Please help protect Christian  
broadcasting in Canada by carefully following the directions provided  
on the Praise 106.5 FM website.


----- 44 -----
Malkin Award Nominee
Andrew Sullivan
Friday, June 2, 2006

http://time.blogs.com/daily_dish/2006/06/malkin_award_no.html

"... As you all very well know, marriage is under vicious attack now, I  
think from the forces of hell itself," - James Dobson, on his radio  
show, May 30.

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