NO on 1 Campaign Slams Anti-Gay, Anti-Marriage Equality Attacks
Radical Hate Groups Come to Maine State House
Portland, Maine (October 28, 2009)---
Jesse Connolly, the NO on 1 campaign manager, today released the following statement regarding the press event by the Maine Grassroots Coalition and Stand for Marriage Maine at the State House. In addition to featuring Paul Madore of the Maine Grassroots Coalition, who is responsible for some viscous, anti-gay print advertisements (see attached), the event also featured Brian Camenker of MassResistance and Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth, two well-known anti-gay organizations.
"This is not the new face of the Yes campaign, it's been there all along. They can swap out their TV ads from attacks that have been called baseless by the Maine Attorney General and Maine newspapers across the state, to a gentler, softer approach, but the result is the same. They don't believe in treating all Maine families equally and these national and local spokespeople represent some of the most vitriolic, anti-gay voices in the country.
"They can't have it both ways -- to pretend to back civil rights, yet stand behind a group like Mass Resistance which is one of only 11 designated anti-gay hate groups listed by the Southern Poverty Law Center. And they can't stand behind Peter LaBarbera who has attacked Ben & Jerry's, supported rescinding women's right to vote and believes we should return to the Old Testament where gay people were stoned. And they can't stand behind Paul Madore and the Maine Grassroots Coalition which is behind some of the most anti-gay hate speech over the last 20 years.
"It won't wash. It doesn't fly. And we call on the Yes campaign to stop the attacks and get back to talking about what's really at stake in this election -- and that's whether or not we will treat all loving, committed Maine couples and their families equally under the law.
"And I'd like to hear what the leadership and the big funders of the Stand for Marriage campaign have to say about the hate-filled speech we heard today in our State House. Are they in line with these people and these organizations or will they disavow what was said?"
