A cornerstone of the plaintiffs’ legal strategy in the Perry v Schwarzenegger case is the political powerlessness of homosexuals. On cross-examination, our legal team was able to tear giant holes in this bogus assertion, noting that the homosexual lobby has reliable and active allies in the White House, our State House and in cities and counties across California.
Now comes news of strong-arming another influential association into submission, underscoring the political success of those who want society to accept gay “marriage” as normal.
LifeSiteNews.com reported an alarming behind-the-scenes look at how same-sex marriage advocates bullied the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT) into flip-flopping its long-held position on traditional marriage.
Prior to the Prop 8 victory in November 2008, homosexual activists pointed out to the CAMFT that other mental health organizations such as The American Psychological Association, the California Psychological Association, and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, had all come out in support of deconstructing the legal definition of traditional marriage. After the passage of Prop 8, a Los Angeles psychotherapist group started to play hardball, launching a petition drive to cut ties with the association if it did not oppose Prop 8 in an amicus brief. Meanwhile, two schools also encouraged students and faculty of psychology programs to disavow CAMFT over the issue.
In a written response to the schools, CAMFT Executive Director Mary Riemersma stated that the board of directors “was troubled by your ‘bullying’ tactics and threats to abandon your involvement in the Association because the Board chooses to take a course different than you demand. And while the Board understands that each of you can and will make your own decisions about your future involvement in CAMFT,” she continued, “it is very disturbing that those of you…would jeopardize the wellbeing of your students and their future careers by failing to inform them of CAMFT’s importance to their careers and the many resources available to them from CAMFT. That is not only disheartening, it is in fact frightening.”
Shortly thereafter, homosexual activists created a new group to further push the issue: the California Therapists for Marriage Equality (CTME). The CTME’s goal was to “reconstitute the CAMFT Board” to advance their agenda, as well as pressure the group by withholding dues and other initiatives.
CAMFT bent to the pressure by publishing several articles in their association magazine on the issue of same-sex marriage, but it wasn’t enough for homosexual activists who were disgruntled that half of the articles were critical of same-sex marriage, including examinations of child-rearing in same-sex couple households, the effects of legalizing same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, and the detrimental effect of the marriage debate on religious counselors. The new group quickly made some forceful demands: that CAMFT retract the articles, apologize for them, formally assent to same-sex “marriage,” create and maintain “an LGBTQ Task Force of [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning] people and their allies,” allow such members on its board, publish a magazine with content condemning “homophobia,” and “promptly schedule an LGBTQ sensitivity training for all members of the CAMFT Board and management.”
Since then, the 30,000-member CAMFT has complied with at least the first three requirements. It has also signed an amicus curiae brief as demanded by one of the petitions. Meanwhile, according to the article, at least one high-ranking CAMFT leader was forced to resign, based on that individual’s strong stance in favor of traditional marriage. Next month, CAMFT will host an annual conference in Los Angeles, with the theme of “diversity.”
A celebratory announcement on CTME’s website credits “countless hours and the efforts of hundreds” who pressured CAMFT for the shift in viewpoint. So much for the homosexual lobby being powerless. And so much for CAMFT holding to an objective, research-based platform.
We depend on your generous support to continue to fight against the homosexual marriage activists whose relentless bullying is paying off, little by little. Their strategy is to chip away at groups, one by one, until marriage between a man and a man or a woman and a woman is commonplace and marriage between a man and a woman is a relic. Please help us fight this ongoing battle.
On a sad note, last week California’s conservative movement lost a dedicated leader. Pastor Don Hamer of San Diego was a vocal and committed supporter of Prop 8. He died of a heart attack on Wednesday. In addition to being a steadfast champion of traditional marriage, Don had recently founded Better Courts Now, a group dedicated to electing judges who will honor the rule of law. I was among those privileged to know Don and provide testimonial on the group’s website, along with many other familiar Prop 8 supporters.
We will miss his unwavering support and vision for safeguarding traditional marriage. Please join me in keeping his family and friends in our prayers during this difficult time.
