Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum took to the stage today at the Values Voters Summit and criticized a recent Pentagon memorandum allowing chaplains to perform same-sex marriages. Santorum argued that the ruling “instructed” chaplains to “break the law”:

SANTORUM: The Defense of Marriage Act. The President of the United States won’t even defend the law in court. An abomination! And worse than that, just recently, he has instructed his military chaplains to marry people in direct contravention — marry gays and lesbians — in direct contravention to the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage in federal law as between a man and a woman. So not only did the President not defend the law, he has now instructed people in the military to break the law.

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This rhetoric directly contradicts what the memo to military chaplains actually said:

A military chaplain may participate in or officiate any private ceremony, whether on or off a military installation, provided that the ceremony is not prohibited by applicable state and local law. Further, a chaplain is not required to participate in or officiate a private ceremony if doing so would be in variance with the tenets of his or her religion or personal beliefs. Finally, a military chaplain’s participation in a private ceremony does not constitute an endorsement of the ceremony by DoD.

Santorum joins the chorus of conservative groups who apparently believe that military chaplains should be prohibited from performing same-sex marriages. They are arguing that “religious liberty” should only apply to chaplains who share their beliefs, offering no regard whatsoever for the many religious leaders who believe in marriage equality. The priority, as always, is demonizing and ostracizing same-sex couples.

Advocates of ex-gay therapy are out in full force at this year’s Values Voter Summit in Washington, DC, reinforcing the notion that opposition to LGBT equality is rooted in the false belief that sexual orientation is a choice. Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX) president Gregory Quinlan is passing out pamphlets at the event, and he told ThinkProgress’ Scott Keyes that families “don’t have to accept” the “lifestyle” choice of homosexuality. He claimed the major Republican presidential candidates agree with his group’s assessment.

Quinlan also condemned efforts to reduce ant-gay bullying in schools, arguing that “the homosexual agenda has used bullying as a wedge issue” to “bully others to promote their lifestyle and to promote their political agenda”:

QUINLAN: They have taken the issue of bullying, misused it, misapplied it, and are now pushing it as a civil rights issue for the homosexual agenda, which I think is totally wrong and ignores the problem of bullying…it’s a political propaganda tool. [...]

Just because you have two or three beers doesn’t make you an alcoholic, any more than two or three same-sex experiences make you a homosexual. But they want to label you immediately, even if you have a gesture or an effeminate quality to yourself. It’s no!… This sexual anarchy, homofascism, it’s got to stop. It’s using kids as an experiment and we can’t use kids as an experiment for something a few people in society want to do.

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At least one surging GOP presidential candidate almost certainly agrees with Quinlan’s assessment. During an interview with MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell last night, Herman Cain doubled down on his claim that being gay is a choice and he — along with the other major Republican contenders — are scheduled to address the summit this weekend.

Opponents of California’s FAIR Education Act are approaching the deadline for collecting signatures for a referendum repealing the law that would require schools to include the contributions of the LGBT community in curricula. It’s unclear whether the “Stop SB48″ group will successfully collect enough verified signatures, but what is clear is the manipulative strategies they are using to gather those signatures. One signature collector suggested that signers were helping protect children from child molesters. Another alleged that the bill requires teaching about morality and upholding gay people as “role models.” Watch video of these disingenuous campaigners:

The Courage Campaign has filed a complaint that the Stop SB48 campaign is violating California Elections Code, Section 18600, which reads:

Every person is guilty of a misdemeanor who:

(a) Circulating, as principal or agent, or having charge or control of the circulation of, or obtaining signatures to, any state or local initiative, referendum or recall petition, intentionally misrepresents or intentionally makes any false statement concerning the contents, purport or effect of the petition to any person who signs, or who desires to sign, or who is requested to sign, or who makes inquiries with reference to it, or to whom it is presented for his or her signature.

(b) Willfully and knowingly circulates, publishes, or exhibits any false statement or misrepresentation concerning the contents, purport or effect of any state or local initiative, referendum, or recall petition for the purpose of obtaining any signature to, or persuading or influencing any person to sign, that petition.

Read the full complaint and co-sign it.