The National Organization for Marriage
(NOM), the nation's most vociferous opponent of gay marriage, has
pledged $1.5 million to fight its legalization in New York.
Gay marriage supporters with the
backing of Governor Andrew Cuomo have launched an effort to make New
York the sixth state to legalize the institution. On Monday, more
than 1,200 people rallied at the Statehouse.
Passage in the Senate is key, but
Representative Daniel O'Donnell, an openly gay Democrat from
Manhattan who has successfully shepherded a gay marriage bill through
the Assembly three times since 2007, decided to go first, introducing
on Tuesday a gay marriage bill in the Assembly.
NOM President Brian Brown joined the
fight in New York two weeks ago when he announced his backing for
Sunday's anti-gay marriage rally being organized by Democratic New
York Senator Ruben Diaz Sr., the Senate's most vocal opponent.
“It's become quite clear in recent
days in New York that Governor Cuomo and same-sex marriage advocates
are targeting a select number of Democrat state Senators, as well as
some Republicans in their desperate attempt to coerce legislators to
support their agenda,” Brown said.
NOM announced it would spend $500,000
on a new ad and lobbying campaign. The group also pledged $1 million
toward 2012 legislative elections, funding Democrats who vote against
gay marriage and opposing Republicans who don't.
“We want to be sure those courageous
Democrats and Republicans who cast their vote of conscience in favor
of traditional marriage will have a strong supporter if the radical
gay activists come after them in their next election,” Brown said.
NOM's video ad repackages themes from
previous campaigns used in Maine, Minnesota and California, that is
that gay marriage negatively affects children. (The video is
embedded in the right panel of this page.)