Scott and I were walking down Arenas in Palm Springs this morning in search of a postcard to send our friends at Exodus but instead just ended up picking up a copy of The Desert Sun and this immedietly jumped out at me:
Love Won Out media director Gary Schneeberger said the event was not aimed at influencing political decisions on gay marriage, domestic partner benefits or gay adoption.
The article continues:
But in at least one of the conference sessions the speaker highlighted gay marriage ballot initiatives and told the audience arguments they could use against gay marriage advocates.
“National same-sex marriage could also mean a very real threat to our religious freedom,” Bill Maier, a Focus on the Family vice president, told the group.
And what was placed on the chairs for Love Won Out attendees? The Desert Sun spotted this…
It was good to see the Desert Sun both notice and comment on this plainly political activity.
Having largely given LWO/Focus free reign to claim otherwise prior to the event (actually, free reign to make all sorts of false claims) it was only right that this deception was subsequently noted.
Now, if we can only get a DS editorial titled “They lied to us too.”
(And for local media at future LWO events to not adopt such a babes-in-the-woodland approach to the claims made by the Focus people. Far from being handled by the “news” reporters, local media should place an investigative reporter on the task. One who will question, and not merely repeat.)
how or why does the FOF people think that having a comitted relationship that would be stable would harm our straight marriages in regard to the gay and lesbian request for marriage rights. Do these people not feel strong enough in their own vows to feel threatened by a female or male couple and the love and committment they have comitted to? I just dont get it. Jesus taught love, unconditionaly. As he is my saviour I believe love it is, love has saved more hearts than hate and derision. Let people be people and love will be love, we’re intelligent and sophisticated or does the focus on the family want a Talliban way of life? Life is short, everyone should have that special someone to spend it with, straight , gay, purple , happy or morose. It’s life and god has given these obstacles to make everyone strong, Believe in the love of Jesus and practice it.
WELL, that’s an interesting little decoration for a non-political event that isn’t aimed at influencing anyone’s decision on same-sex marriage!!! Thanks for the pic!
I’m not able to see the publisher of the pamphlet in the photo. Was the pamphlet distributed by FOTF, one of it’s “recognized participants” or the venue? Just wondering if they could try to claim…”It wasn’t us that put it there?” Even so, it would tremendously poor event planning and management to access before the doors opened to distribute the material or not to notice and cleanup before opening the doors. Having been to one of the first LWO back when I was still trapped in the ex-gay movement, I know that the events are not poorly planned or mismanaged. I can’t imagine that this could be written off as an oversight.
The pamphlet appears to be a reader’s digest version of Glen Stanton’s alarmist propaganda piece that Focus on the Family pushes.
https://www.family.org/cforum/pdfs/fosi/marriage/Why_Not_Gay_Marriage.pdf