Twin Cities Daily Planet (https://www.tcdailyplanet.net/tag/lgbtqia/page/21/)
Edina, MN, resident Dan Nye posed six questions about the Minnesota Marriage Amendment in Saturday’s Star Tribune and asked for reasonable, “civil responses without name-calling.” Conversations with open-minded people like Mr. Nye are just what we’re all hoping for.
Kalley King Yanta, a former KSTP anchor and anti-abortion activist, has joined the Minnesota for Marriage group to anchor videos intended to convince Minnesotans to vote for the anti-gay marriage amendment on the ballot in 2012. The videos — and Kalley — have come under immediate scrutiny. The American Independent reported on Yanta on Monday and her connections to anti-abortion activists.Here’s the first video in the series:Yanta launched her new project with Minnesota for Marriage on the Brad Brandon show on Wednesday.Yanta said she has been talking with people who ask her about well-adjusted children of same-sex parents. She said that simply does not happen.“I have to beg to differ with that opinion. There are studies about how children being raised — and how that affects somebody in their psyche and self esteem — being raised by a man and a man and a woman and a woman.”She added, “It’s not natural.”She also said that if the amendment doesn’t pass, Christian parents will be arrested.“If marriage between homosexuals is legalized, what will some of the consequences be?” she asked rhetorically. Continue Reading
Opponents of the Minnesota Marriage Amendment should check out the new Marriage Minute Video Series. It’s slick, and, unless you’re paying attention, you might miss the message.
A pretty good conversation between an advocate for and an opponent of the Minnesota Marriage Amendment.
With thanks to my son Isaac and the Wilde Roast Cafe in Minneapolis.
Happy New Year, Minnesota–55 reasons down, 310 to go.
I’m not sure how Minnesotans will vote in November on the marriage amendment.
I do know that if I had $10,000 chump change like Mitt Romney has, I’d bet it all that things will turn from nasty to ugly as the campaign in support of the amendment heats up this summer.
Republicans in Minnesota’s Senate have a new leader, but no change of heart when it comes to gay marriage. The newly elected Senate Majority Leader rejected Governor Mark Dayton’s request to remove an anti-gay marriage constitutional amendment from the 2012 general election ballot.“Oh we didn’t get into that,” said Senjem, referring to the 11-hour closed door debate among Republican Senators that preceded his election. “It’s way too early to talk about that. No I think this caucus and certainly the House is on record on that and in my mind that’s in the well and I don’t think we’re ready to consider that right now.”Senator Senjem replaces former Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch, who resigned her post after having “inappropriate relations” with a male senate staffer. Governor Mark Dayton suggests that Koch’s affair at the same time she was working to pass the anti-gay marriage amendment in the Senate was hypocritical.“I think it underscores that sanctity of marriage is important to most Minnesotans and people who are in same-sex relationships believe in that sanctity also and want a chance to participate in the sanctity in the same way as heterosexual couples,” Dayton told Minnesota Public Radio’s All Things Considered.“I will say, before you take out the speck in your neighbor’s eye, take the log out of your own eye. Continue Reading
As I mentioned last week, I stepped outside my comfort zone last week by attending a Happy Hour discussion focused on the Minnesota Marriage Amendment, sponsored by the Young Republicans of Minnesota, and held at Shamrock’s Grill and Pub in St. Paul.
Today marks one month of pretty good reasons to oppose the Minnesota Marriage Amendment.
Admittedly, a few of the posts so far have been more reason-ish rather than actual reasons. The tags in the right column offer a pretty good summary of the themes that have surfaced. (Cut me a break: In real life I teach college composition.)
Minnesota for Marriage, a coalition working to convince Minnesotans to vote for a state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, has hit the media saying that their group are “underdogs” in the marriage amendment battle and that they will be greatly outspent.But according to public records, members of the pro-amendment coalition, including the Minnesota Family Council and the Minnesota Catholic Conference, have greatly outspent LGBT groups in the five years of lobbying for the amendment.Minnesota for Marriage claims fundraising disadvantageEach member of the coalition supporting the amendment has claimed underdog status in recent months.Chuck Darrell, communications director for Minnesota for Marriage, told the St. Cloud Times earlier this month that coalition members “expect to be outspent.”Darrell elaborated in an August interview with Pastor Brad Brandon on KKMS.“One of the problems we see is that the other side through Hollywood connections and everything else under the sun are going to raise a ton of money. I don’t think we can outraise them,” Darrell said. ”It’s absolutely important that people get involved because the only way to counter the money that is going to be spent on the other side.”John Helmberger, CEO of the Minnesota Family Council and chair of Minnesota for Marriage sent an email to supporters several weeks ago warning that “Hollywood” and “centers of popular culture” would be outspending the pro-amendment campaign.The Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC), another member of the Minnesota for Marriage coalition, also warned that they would be outspent.“Will the campaign be easy? No. We will be vastly outspent and there will be many cultural forces working against us,” the group wrote on its blog. ”They will try to make us think that we are swimming against the tide of history. Continue Reading
Last Monday night, I stood in the sanctuary of Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church, in front of 550 people of faith gathered in support of marriage equality. Continue Reading