Filling in NOM's conveniently excised words - Good As You:: Gay and Lesbian Activism With a Sense of Humor

Filling in NOM's conveniently excised words - Good As You:: Gay and Lesbian Activism With a Sense of Humor

Since fully fleshed out thoughts are the enemy of their cause, the National Organization For Marriage doesn't want you reading Iowa Governor Chet Culver's full comments on his state's fair-minded marriage ruling. This is why in their latest anti-equality video, they snip Culver's words so as to make him seem tyrannical and unfair.

We, however, are big fans of transparency, reasoned consideration, and taking time to actually think about what is being said before acting with a reactionary knee jerk. Which is why we've taken the liberty of reinstalling the 577 surrounding words that Maggie Gallagher and company removed from Gov. Culver's explanation as to why, exactly, he opposes any attempt to tyrannically overrule what a unanimous court found to be constitutionally sound. Enjoy:

DES MOINES – Governor Chet Culver today issued the following statement after reviewing the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision in Varnum v. Brien:

“I have carefully reviewed the Iowa Supreme Court's unanimous decision on civil marriage and discussed it with the Attorney General.

“Let me begin by saying that I recognize that the issue of same-gender civil marriage is one that evokes strongly held beliefs and strong emotions both for and against. These beliefs and feelings need to be respected. I hope that the views of those on all sides will be treated respectfully and will not be subjected to name-calling or fear-mongering, but instead will lead to rational discussion.

“At the outset, I want to emphasize that the question before the Iowa Supreme Court was one of civil marriage only – a state-recognized legal status constituting a civil contract. Civil marriage always has been, and will continue to be, separate from religious marriage that takes place in churches and places of worship.

“As I have stated before, I personally believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. This is a tenet of my personal faith. The Iowa Supreme Court’s decision has, in fact, reaffirmed that churches across Iowa will continue to have the right to recognize the sanctity of religious marriage in accordance with their own traditions and church doctrines. The Supreme Court’s decision does not require that churches recognize marriages between persons of the same gender or officiate over such unions. The Court does not have, nor should any court ever have, that kind of power over our religious lives. Our churches and places of worship are free to decide for themselves, as they were before, who may enter the sacred covenant of marriage. As the Supreme Court’s decision states, ‘The sanctity of all religious marriages celebrated in the future will have the same meaning as those


click on link above for full story.