The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) plans to expand its campaign to stoke homophobia abroad to undermine pro-equality American companies, according to audio of a conference call obtained by The American Independent. When asked during the call about Starbucks, which had spoken out against anti-gay ballot referenda, NOM President Brian Brown suggested his organization planned to intensify its campaign against Starbucks and other similar companies in countries where homophobia is pervasive:

Their international outreach is where we can have the most effect…So for example, in Qatar, in the Middle East, we’ve begun working to make sure that there’s some price to be paid for this. These are not countries that look kindly on same-sex marriage. And this is where Starbucks wants to expand, as well as India. So we have done some of this; we’ve got to do a lot more.

This strategy is incredibly irresponsible: by associating Starbucks with gay rights in homophobic countries, NOM is singling out Starbucks employees for anti-gay abuse and more generally stoking anger towards LGBT people. The broader Middle East is home to three out of the five countries in the world where homosexuality is punishable by death. Though Qatar specifically isn’t one of them, its government defends other countries’ right to execute LGBT persons and, according to the State Department, “there was an underlying pattern of discrimination towards LGBT persons based on conservative cultural and religious values prevalent in the society.” The situation in India, the other country NOM singled out, is also dire:

The majority of Indian homosexuals – many of whom still live with the parents – refer to their partners as “friends” for fear of being disowned by their families. Many are forcibly married off, trapped in a cycle of pretence and deception and facing social ridicule if they attempted to come out. And those who can live together do not advertise their sexuality, for fear of being evicted by landlords or preyed upon by the corrupt police who extort money from them on threat of exposure.

Under these circumstances, attempting to associate Starbucks with LGBT causes with said causes is doubly irresponsible. NOM is exposing employees to risk they did not voluntarily take on and potentially undermining the quest for the most basic of equal rights by painting LGBT rights as something foreign imposed by a Western company. That NOM is willing to take these chances with others’ lives and livelihoods — to “pay the price,” in Brown’s words — in an attempt to indirectly (and so far, unsucessfully) influence politics inside the United States speaks volumes about the organization.

The Catholic Church’s “Marriage Unique for a Reason” page has posted a round-up of various bishops’ disappointed reactions to the marriage equality victories in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington this week. The Church was one of the single biggest funders of the anti-equality campaigns and a partner in all four states. These reactions reveal how Church leaders continue to condemn homosexuality and ostracize same-sex families while simultaneously claiming not to discriminate. As Cardinal Dolan indicated this week, they remain committed to fighting equality moving forward:

Bishop Richard Malone (formerly of Portland, Maine): “I trust that those who voted for such a radical change did so out of concern for our brothers and sisters who struggle with same-sex attraction.”

Archibishop William Lori (Baltimore, Maryland): “[We need to] redouble our efforts to defend marriage, to preach about what marriage is, and to help people understand it as a unique relationship that does not discriminate against anyone, but is for the good of children and for the good of society.

Maryland Catholic Conference: “The ballot language they encountered masked the fact that this law does not simply assign civil benefits to gay and lesbian couples, but drastically dismantles in our state law the fundamental family unit of mother, father and child.”

Minnesota Catholic Conference: “Our position on the amendment was never ‘anti’ anyone, but ‘for’ marriage. We continue to emphasize that everyone, including those with same-sex attraction, must be treated with charity, dignity, and respect.”

Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis: “The Church’s public advocacy of support for the Minnesota Marriage Protection Amendment has always been rooted in our commitment to advance the common good for human society. [...] We will continue to work to strengthen marriage, and defend it against all forms of its weakening, for the good of all society.”

Archbishop J. Peter Sartain (Seattle, Washington): “I am disappointed that so many voters failed to recognize marriage between a man and a woman as the natural institution for the permanent, faithful covenant of love for a couple, for bringing children into the world, and for nurturing and educating those children. This change in civil law is not in the best interest of children or society.”

Though the Catholic Church strives to create a society where same-sex couples simply do not exist, they will increasingly have to co-exist with a nation that recognizes and welcomes these families into its communities.

Damian Goddard was a Canadian sportscaster until he called marriage equality “sad and wrong” on Twitter. His employer made it clear they were already unhappy with him and his comments were merely the last straw, and just last week Goddard admitted he wasn’t fired because of his position on marriage. But that hasn’t prevented Goddard from being the National Organization for Marriage’s primary spokesperson for its so-called “Anti-Defamation Alliance,” which attempts to paint individuals who wish to discriminate against same-sex couples as victims of the freedom to marry. Goddard narrated various ads against equality in the four states, starring in some himself, falsely claiming he was a victim of same-sex marriage too. Now, this Canadian profiting off American anti-equality efforts has reacted to the election by calling President Obama a terrorist:

You live in the freest country ever known to mankind.  As the anthem states, America is the land of the free but freedom comes with bravery, not running and hiding.   Your job is to stay.  And fight.  For the battle is still ongoing.

You leave, the terrorists win.  And heck, isn’t that what the Terrorist-in-Chief wants, anyway?

Now, excuse me while I go back to funding the slaughter of innocent life in the womb through my tax dollars.

After Jeremy Hooper posted Goddard’s comments and numerous other blogs helped raise awareness, Goddard defended — and as Equality Matters noted, doubled down — his “terrorist” remarks, because “Obama strikes terror into the souls” of those who oppose choice and equality:

Given NOM’s other surrogates have also raised alarm this week with claims that marriage equality will destroy society, perhaps it’s not surprising that Goddard would who might lead that impending apocalypse.

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) is staunch opponent of LGBT equality. He has proposed bills preventing military chaplains from performing same-sex marriage ceremonies and he believes private business owners should be able to discriminate against LGBT employees. In an interview airing tonight on Iowa Public Television, however, he admits that he is no longer optimistic that his side will win — conceding that same-sex marriage is now the law of the land:

KING: That’s, I think, the kind of prediction that we can expect from looking at these results around the country. Here in Iowa, there’s not going to be a vote on it that I can see and if that’s the case and another two years go by, I would never say never…but it doesn’t look very optimistic for people who believe in traditional marriage as I do.

King also isn’t sure that the Supreme Court will uphold the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act:

KING: Justice Roberts has delivered us a decision on ObamaCare that will forever cause us to wonder and speculate as to how he might come down, and he right now is the swing vote on the Supreme Court.

His perspective on the Court seems to be limited to just the ObamaCare case, because most advocates expect that Justice Anthony Kennedy, who has ruled for gay rights in the past, is the most hopeful swing vote against DOMA, as the Baltimore Sun noted this week.

Diminishing opposition is just as important to progress as increasing victory, but it remains to be seen if King will continue to use his power in Congress to push for more discrimination against the LGBT community.

The Family Research Council’s desperate reaction to this week’s marriage equality victories continued yesterday with more violent rhetoric. Tony Perkins took to the airways and explained that if the Supreme Court rules that all states must recognize same-sex marriage, it could “break this nation apart“:

PERKINS: I think if the Court steps in at this moment and says, [fist-smack] “We’re redefining marriage, same-sex marriage will be the law in every land,” I’m telling you what, I think you will create a firestorm of opposition. I think that could be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

When you look at a nation that is so divided along these moral and cultural issues, that you could have — you know I hate to use the word — but I mean a revolt, a revolution. I mean, I think you could see Americans saying, “You know what, enough of this.” And I think it could explode and just break this nation apart.

Watch it:

Ironically, it was just three months ago that the Family Research Council was distancing itself from violent rhetoric as much as possible. In the wake of the shooting at the group’s headquarters, FRC lashed out at the LGBT movement, blaming the Southern Poverty Law Center’s “hate group” label and even President Obama for somehow inciting anti-Christian violence. This week, the group has already called for “civil disobedience,” a new “Gideon’s army,” and now a “firestorm of opposition,” a “revolt,” and a “revolution” that could “explode,” all because same-sex couples in three more states can marry. If FRC truly believes violent rhetoric does not belong in the so-called “culture war,” it needs to start holding itself accountable.