RENWL

Photos of Providence, Rhode Island rally

What a coincidence that DC activist Michael Crawford should publish on Huff Post today his thoughts on (without mentioning anybody’s name mind you) why it would it is a better idea to ignore the National Organization For Marraige (NOM) Summer For Marriage Tour instead of feeding fire to their claims of gays just being aggressive, antagonistic and effed up which supports why the deviants shouldn’t be able to touch something as sacred as marriage.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard something to the effect of what Crawford is saying since Courage Campaign took it upon themselves to “represent” at NOM tour locations with counter protests to face off with anti-gay marriage supporters. See our earlier post NOM Launches Summer For Marriage Tour, Sends Courage Campaign Into “Ca-ching” Frenzy.

Just the other day on Facebook we participated in a robust discussion about the woman with her children who said she was bullied by pro—gay marriage supporters at the NOM tour stopoff in Albany, New York.

Whether she was actually bullied or not is besides the point. Here’s what one discussion participant had to say about it all that underscores Crawford’s sentiments and ours to as it so happens:

We make a mistake if we think there is a mass acceptance of NOM. There isnt. 50% may not like gay marriage, but they arent interested in these nuts. Thats why only 50 people show up 2 these things.
But they WILL use every occasion as a TRAP for sympathy 4 their cause. THAT is why they are doing this tour: to bait the gay community. And imafraid we will play RIGHT into thier hands. NOM doesnt give a fuck about marriage’! The entire tour was planned to trap gay people.All they care about is demonizing gays. And they will wait patiently 4 us to act up. And film it. And use it against us.
They will use this kind of footage over and over again and play it in churches nationwide. Why? To spread the message we are violent, intolerant activists who are a danger to the good Christian way of life. This is a fact, from a witness to prop 8.

He’s right. That’s precisely what NOM is doing. They’re exploiting the situation by video taping counter-protesters in action and building narratives around those videos that are meant to make the counter-protesters out to be aggressors disrespectful of others right to congregate and rally. And if you think about it’s a great strategy on NOM’s part. They don’t have to do anything; just tour the country and let media desperate equality orgs like Courage Campaign do the work for them. When the tour is over they will have a nice collection of obnoxious and violent gay people stepping all over breastfeeding mothers and basically looking like a bunch of pathetic freaks who have no respect for anything.

Not that any of this has crossed Rick Jacobs mind. Oh noooo. Why Courage is posting stories on their NOM Tour Tracker blog left and right full of excitement about how they’re antagonizing the anti-gay marriage folks and causing all kinds of ruckus.

Like high schoolers Courage are getting off on the drama of it all  and completely ignoring the damage of their own presence is causing the movement.

Crawford states in his post: “with their anti-gay summer tour, NOM is hoping to add to their false narrative of victimization. By holding events in communities across the country, NOM is hoping to evoke outrage and confrontation with supporters of the freedom to marry.”

And that’s what is happening now thanks to Courage Campaign and the orgs perverse need to be an agitator at the expense of the equality movement.  Instead, the org that Crawford works for Freedom To Marry is conducting their own tour. Not as occasion to antagonize or clash with NOM supporters as Courage Campaign is doing in hopes of keeping the org relevant in some fashion, but to spread the message that behind the quest for same sex marriage is love.

This is a smart idea—–unlike Courage Campaign’s latest effort which also speaks of the lack of coordination present between equality organizations around the country and their campaigns. Clearly Jacob’s didn’t feel the need to touch base with any of his equality colleagues to get some feedback on this latest ill-planned adventure. Just think if he had of consulted the Freedom To Marry folks and maybe instead of following NOM around joined the Freedom folks on their upcoming tour spreading the message of love  as opposed to responding like Pavlov’s dog to NOM’s whims.

Instead of wasting money following NOM around the country and giving the org good footage to use later on as evidence to support their argument against gays and marriage, Rick Jacobs needs to be issuing a public statement  disavowing his relationship with racist pig transphobic blogger John Aravosis of Americablog.  While you’re here please feel free to sign our petition demanding that Jacobs do just that.  We’d be much obliged.

Huff Post: Avoiding NOM’s Trap

Possibly Related Posts:

• God Made Me Gay: A Letter To Louise (A Must Read)
• Jefferson Thomas, The Little Rock Nine, And Why We Find The LGBT Equality Movement Depressing
• Obama, Gay Marriage And Freeing The Slaves: Was Lincoln A Coward, Too?
• Young Adult Christians Explain Gay Marriage Blahs: Why Our Generation Doesn’t Care About Prop 8
• Fidel Castro Apologizes For Persecution Of Cuban Gays