Brian Brown

Donohue: When It Comes to Gays, the GOP Gets All Jittery and Inarticulate

Submitted by Kyle on March 4, 2010 - 9:32am

Religious Right activists are predictably upset that Congressional Republicans didn't make more of an effort to prevent Washington, DC's marriage equality law from taking effect:

"I'll be straight with you: I think they could have done more," Brian Brown, executive director of the National Organization for Marriage, said of Republican leaders. "We needed a vote, and we didn't get one."

...

"I haven't seen any effort by Senator Bennett to push the legislation, or by the Senate [Republican] leadership," said Tom McClusky, senior vice president of the Family Research Council Action.

There are obviously various reasons for why this happened, but Bill Donohue blames it on the fact that Republicans become "jittery" and inarticulate when it comes to speaking out against gays .... go figure:

William Donohue, the president of the New-York based Catholic League, questioned the party's commitment to a traditional marriage agenda. "They have an inarticulateness about homosexuality that they don't have on economic issues," Mr. Donohue said. "They can talk on and on about the free market, but when it comes to gays, they're jittery."

You know who Republicans could learn from in overcoming their jittery inarticulateness when it comes to attacking gays? Bill Donohue:

Honestly, is anyone surprised that a conservation between Pat Robertson and Bill Donohue discussing how "intellectually, morally, and spiritually bankrupt" liberals are trying to "tear down society" consists entirely of a five minute rant from Donohue declaring "we're not going to allow gay people to adopt children, that's against nature, it's against nature's god," saying that the Catholic Church's sex abuse scandal was due entirely to gays, and finally asserting that those who don't share his views are nothing but "termites" who are "no more Christian than the Man on the Moon"

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NOM's Brown Gets Defensive in DC

Submitted by Kyle on November 3, 2009 - 11:45am

Yesterday, the Washington, DC City Council held another round of hearings on marriage equality in the District at which the National Organization for Marriage's Brian Brown testified.

During his testimony and subsequent questioning, Brown consistently played the victim, complaining that "those of us who believe that there is something special and unique about husbands and wives are equivalent of bigots or are animated by hatred or irrational animus."

Council Member David Catania questioned Brown about NOM's 990 tax forms and the group's failed effort to avoid Maine's campaign disclosure laws. Brown responded defensively, claiming NOM was being singled out for discrimination.

Catania also asked Brown about the the views espoused by NOM board member Orson Scott Card, who wrote in favor of overthrowing the government if Proposition 8 failed in California. Brown didn't even attempt to defend Card's outlandish views -- instead he responded that he does not "know all of the pronouncements of anyone that is a board member of NOM, but the fact is that people are entitled to a wide variety of opinions on this issue and I would defend his First Amendment right to speak just as I would yours":

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NOM Skirts IRS Regulations on Disclosure of Tax Returns

Submitted by Josh on August 21, 2009 - 2:22pm

In the current issue of the Washington Blade, Lou Chibbaro interviews Brian Brown, the executive director of the National Organization for Marriage, the anti-gay group behind Proposition 8. The interview contains this gem:

"Brown promised to release to the Blade NOM’s 2007 IRS 990 finance reporting form and said the group also would release its 2008 990 form as soon as it completes its processing. He said the group submitted the 2008 report to the IRS last Friday."

NOM's finances are a complete mystery, and the group seems intent on keeping it that way for as long as possible. But there's just one problem -- there's no such thing as a "processing" period.

NOM, as with all nonprofits, must make their tax returns -- form 990 -- available to the public. This must be done from the date the 990 "is required to be filed (determined with regard to any extensions)." (see pg 15 of IRS publication 557)

NOM filed for a routine three-month extension to the standard May 15th filing deadline and reportedly filed its 990 on Friday, August 14th. In other words, NOM was required to disclose its 990 when asked by the Blade's Chibbaro.

NOM should know better than to play games with its 990. The group could be fined by the IRS for its conduct and is succeeding only in generating greater interest in its finances.