NOM in New York: All Hat and No Cattle

Let’s also not forget that the bill included religious exemptions — including language reinforcing that churches and all other places of worship have the freedom to decide to marry a gay couple or not. This language neutralized NOM's arguments about protecting religious freedoms.

The NOM crew is now promising to end New York’s marriage equality law four years from now through a constitutional amendment. But by then the supermajority of New Yorkers who support marriage equality today will only be stronger and more bipartisan. Time is not NOM’s friend. As thousands of committed gay and lesbian couples marry over the next four years, the country will see that we are no different and want the same thing: to make the lifelong commitment to the person we love and to protect our families. NOM’s new battle plan accentuates how far out of the mainstream it is.

NOM remains a formidable opponent. Its pockets are deep, and twisting the truth while threatening Republicans is the organization’s forte. The Gallagher-Brown duo has polished that combination to perfection. With a presidential election year on the horizon, with state and federal legislators up for reelection, and with the possibility of referendum contests, you can be sure NOM is figuring out that national map right now.
 
And that’s exactly why the LGBT and larger progressive community must continue to expose the antigay animus that drives the organization. So too must the mainstream media. The New York Daily News did a smart piece on NOM’s national footprint as well as its connections to Opus Dei and the millions of dollars coming from undisclosed political donors. Politicians at all levels of government should think twice about receiving political donations from this shady organization.

Just because NOM suffered a severe blow under Brown’s leadership in New York doesn’t mean we should discount the group or presume it’s any less committed. To do so would be arrogant and dangerous.