Anti-gay opponents of the freedom to marry start airing TV ads

This week, the so-called National Organization for Marriage is launching the first of its television advertisements in order to push their anti-gay messages even further in Maine and Minnesota. 

Yesterday, "Minnesota for Marriage," the group working to limit the freedom to marry in Minnesota, kickstarted its $175,000 TV ad blitz with two advertisements that push the same anti-gay talking points and sling the same anti-gay mud. The ads try to soften the language, but the pitch remains the same: They want to amend the state constitution so that committed same-sex couples are forever denied marriage in Minnesota. The videos play on scare tactics, incorporate religious language, and reiterate many points about marriage and same-sex couples that have long been disproven.

NOM is also pushing its anti-gay crusade in Maine, where they recently donated more than $250,000 to Protect Marriage Maine, the group working to defeat marriage at the ballot. Frank Schubert, one of the men behind Proposition 8, which stripped Californians of the freedom to marry, is heading up NOM's push in the states. He spoke about the $250,000 contribution to Maine in truly apocalyptic language, saying that denying same-sex couples marriage is "critical for the survival of the institution of marriage."

Television advertisements and anti-gay pushes from NOM will be coming soon in the last few weeks before Election Day in Washington and Maryland, too.

That's why Freedom to Marry and other marriage advocates are working harder than ever to advance the ballot campaigns in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington. We need to ensure that our state allies have the resources needed to win so that our opponents don't get the upper hand.

Freedom to Marry's Win More States Fund strategically channels funding to each of the four ballot campaigns. You can find out more about the Win More States Fund or make a donation to combat groups like NOM HERERead more about the four ballot campaigns HERE