Nike, PayPal & Catholics Support Maryland Marriage Equality in Homestretch // New TV Spot, Full-Page Newspaper Ad & More

We are heading into the home-stretch for Maryland's presidential election races, and marriage equality supporters are making their final appeals. Below you can see a series of closing arguments from the "vote for" Question 6 side, including support from big businesses, a new television ad, and a full-page message in The Baltimore Sun (see below):

JUICE #1: PAYPAL, NIKE, NORDSTROM & OTHER COMPANIES THINK MARRIAGE EQUALITY IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS - Marylanders for Marriage Equality announced a late-breaking coalition of businesses is endorsing a "vote for" Question 6:

PRESS RELEASE

Business Endorses Question 6

BALTIMORE - Support for Question 6, the Civil Marriage Protection Act, continues to gain widespread and diverse support as we approach Election Day. Today, Timonium-based PayPal, Calvert Investments in Bethesda, NIKE, Inc. and Nordstrom endorsed Question 6 in Maryland.
"We believe Question 6 is about fairness and equality under the law; it's good public policy and a smart business practice that enhances competitiveness," said Bennett Freeman, Senior Vice President, Sustainability Research and Policy of Calvert Investments. "As investors, we have long promoted the adoption of workplace policies that afford equal treatment of gay and lesbian employees, such as inclusive language in nondiscrimination policies, and equal benefits."

Nordstrom, eBay (PayPal), Nike, Inc., and Calvert Investments join more than 200 small businesses and organizations that have endorsed Question 6. Other business supporters include Engage LLC, Prescott Publishing, and Cook Ross, Inc.

Marylanders for Marriage Equality is a diverse coalition of labor, faith, and civil liberties groups working to protect marriage for gay and lesbian couples on the November ballot.

###
JUICE #2: FINAL TV APPEAL: "MARYLAND, IT'S TIME" - Marylanders for Marriage Equality is also making what it is calling its "final appeal" on television. Watch the spot below, which argues that "it's time" for marriage equality:



JUICE #3: CATHOLICS FOR MARRIAGE EQUALITY BALTIMORE SUN AD - Last Monday, Maryland Juice reported on a full-page ad that appeared in The Baltimore Sun, which made a specious argument asking "Christians" to oppose civil rights. Now a group called Catholics for Marriage Equality is countering the effort with their own full-page ad in The Sun:

JUICE #4: MARRIAGE EQUALITY PHONEBANKERS NEEDED ON SATURDAY (AND BEYOND) - If you'd like to volunteer to support marriage equality in the closing days of the Maryland campaign, there is a large phonebank effort being organized at the Silver Spring office this Saturday. Details below:

Marylanders for Marriage Equality will be holding phone banks on Saturday, November 3 from 12:30-2:30pm as part of its get-out-the-vote effort. The phone banks will be held at MDFME's Silver Spring office located at 8720 Georgia Avenue, Suite 900. Elected officials are expected to stop by.

VIDEOS: Samuel Jackson & Sarah Silverman on Romney & Voter Fraud // PLUS: O'Malley's Speech to Iowa Dems & More

Below Maryland Juice provides four videos related to the November 6th presidential election (and beyond). The first two film clips come from movie star Samuel Jackson and comedian Sarah Silverman. Both celebrities use humor to mock GOP "voter fraud" propaganda and Mitt Romney's agenda.

Below, we also include a video of Gov. Martin O'Malley's recent speech to Iowa Democrats. Notably, O'Malley is obviously interested in a 2016 White House run, and Senator Tom Harkin's Iowa "Steak Fry" has for decades been an early stop for presidential contenders.

We round out our series of videos with the latest web video from the Marylanders for Marriage Equality campaign. The message below features an interview with a Catholic couple who urge Free State voters to support a "vote for" marriage equality (Question 6) this November.

Note: some of the content below is "not safe for work" (aka NSFW). If you have an aversion to swearing, you've been warned!
 
VIDEO #1 - Samuel Jackson: Wake the F**K Up (NSFW)



  VIDEO #2 - Sarah Silverman: Let My People Vote 2012 (NSFW)



  VIDEO #3 - Gov. Martin O'Malley's Speech at Sen. Tom Harkin's Steak Fry



VIDEO #4 - Marylanders for Marriage Equality: The Nugent Family Story

CD6: Nuns to Protest at Rep. Roscoe Bartlett's Office // National Pundit Calls Sen. Rob Garagiola "The Most Arrogant" Candidate

UPDATE: A number of readers in the comments below, either defend Senator Garagiola or criticize John Delaney. Additionally, a few anonymous readers were baffled by Stu Rothenberg's comments. We print a few select responses below:

READER #1: That Rothenberg piece struck me as an amazing piece of Washington-elite disconnectedness.

SHADY: Anti-LGBT Group Hides Contributors in Fight Against Maryland Marriage Equality // 7 of 10 Donors from Outside MD

Maryland Juice has received a copy of the campaign finance report from the Maryland Marriage Alliance (MMA). The anti-civil rights group is leading the effort to overturn the Free State's newly signed marriage equality law.

Defiant Sam Arora Meets With Catholic Conference, Receives Massive Applause // SOURCE: "He's Walking Around All Cocky"

UPDATE: A Maryland Juice reader provides a contrast with how another MoCo lawmaker's office handled the lobbying from marriage equality opponents: "Saw your post about Sam Arora -- my Delegate met with the catholics tonight as well (25 of them in a small, confined office!). When marriage equality came up and the group said it was wrong, my Delegate came back with another reason why it was a big accomplishment to vote in favor of it on Friday. And kept advocating for marriage equality for 10 minutes."

Boy this makes my blood boil. An anonymous source in Annapolis tells Maryland Juice that temporary Delegate Sam Arora appears to be defiant about lying his way into office. Last Friday, the dishonest lawmaker broke a campaign promise to support marriage equality -- and he never found the courage to tell his constituents why. But apparently he has time to meet with the Catholic Conference -- one of the groups leading the charge against marriage equality in Maryland. Their newly promoted archbishop has been trying to stoke anti-equality feelings in Maryland. Check out the online chat dialogue below:

Aide: Sam Arora. Jeez. The Catholic Conference was in his office and he was giving some speech to them.

Juice: Did you hear any of it?

Aide:  No. Just the multiple rounds of loud applause. He's walking around all cocky. He doesn't care.

SAM ARORA GOES VIRAL: Unfortunately for Sam Arora, his donors and colleagues care. In fact, in just two days, Maryland Juice's round-up of attempts to defeat Sam Arora has become our second most popular series of all-time. The story of Montgomery County's notorious backstabber has gone viral, making it a more popular story than Delegate Nic Kipke's hypocritical affair and even more popular than the release of Maryland's new Congressional districts. In fact, based on readership rates, only the issue of censorship pisses off Maryland Juice readers more than Sam Arora's backstabbing.

WTOP radio recently covered the story, and included the following comments from some of Sam Arora's Montgomery county colleagues:

NOT COOL: Maryland Catholic Archbishop Stoking Racial Hostility to Marriage Equality // Church Gets Political

Maryland Juice recently noted that the Maryland Catholic Conference decided to promote a Tea Party rally against LGBT rights this Monday. The Metro Weekly is now reporting that the church is also stoking racial hostility to marriage equality. Their article (see excerpt below) discusses recent remarks from Archbishop Edwin O'Brien of Baltimore (archbishop@archbalt.org):

On Wednesday, O'Brien put his own spin on one of the most heinous arguments put forth by social and religious conservatives -- that gay people's civil rights are an affront to black people and the rights of black people. He stammered through his divisive proclamation, saying (Catholic Review):

"We are going to be strong in upholding the institution of marriage as a bond between one man and one woman, open to life...."

"So, we will do everything that we can on our own, in conjunction with other religious groups..."

"Our African-American community, I think, is very strong on this issue as we are. And I think, to some degree, they're a little concerned to call this a matter of discrimination."

"Racial discrimination is discrimination because of the pigment of the skin [rubs back of hand]. And it can't be tolerated. But marriage goes far deeper than the pigment of the skin. It goes to the very roots of our culture. And we are in it to -- for keeps...."

"We believe that we have a strong grassroots coalition here...."

The Metro Weekly also provides video footage of Archbishop O'Brien's divisive comments:

OY VEY: Maryland Catholic Conference Promotes Tea Party Rally // Church Pumps Turnout for Anti-LGBT Rally

Last year, Maryland Juice noted with disappointment that Catholic bishops had decided to weigh in aggressively against marriage equality in the Free State. At the time, we also pointed out that it was an incorrect stereotype that Catholics didn't support marriage equality -- they are among the most supportive populations.

Nevertheless, the Bishops appear to be doubling down on their decision by pumping turnout for the Tea Party's anti-LGBT rights rally on Monday. See image of their stock photo straight couples below, along with Maryland Juice's added comments:

 CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW FOR FULL VIEW

Maryland Juice is still waiting for the Church to put these kinds of grassroots resources or enthusiasm into defeating the death penalty this session.

Catholic Bishops Enter Maryland Marriage Equality Fight // Unitarian Religious Rights Trampled

The Baltimore Sun today reports that the Catholic Church is aggressively stepping into the Maryland marriage equality debate. It is worth noting that Maryland Juice is an uncompromising supporter of full marriage equality (as a civil rights issue -- gasp -- I said it!), and that I was raised in a Catholic household (baptised and confirmed). But I am not so unusual. A poll earlier this year noted:

It’s a popular stereotype that Catholics are more conservative than their Protestant counterparts, but a new report reveals that Catholics are more supportive of gay and lesbian rights than the general population and other Christians.

Given this obvious and growing divide between some Catholics and church doctrine, I was dismayed to see this news report:

With legislation to legalize same-sex marriage expected in the General Assembly, Maryland's Roman Catholic bishops are calling on parishioners to act against the proposal and other measures that they say threaten "religious liberty." 

In a 16-page statement sent to parishes throughout the state, the bishops say a same-sex marriage law would lead to violations of First Amendment rights.... 

In their statement, the bishops acknowledged that no legislation has been proposed that would force a priest to marry a same-sex couple....

I've always found religious arguments against marriage equality to be specious and full of inconsistencies. Here's why. Whose religious beliefs are being subverted? The Catholic Church above admits that Maryland marriage equality would change nothing about their operations. In the meantime, Unitarians adopted a pro-marriage equality position in 1996. So for 15 years, the government of Maryland has prevented that church from granting legal marriages to same-sex couples -- even though that is within their church doctrine:

Because Unitarian Universalists affirm the inherent worth and dignity of every person; and

Because marriage is held in honor among the blessings of life....

THEREFORE be it resolved that the 1996 General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association adopts a position in support of legal recognition for marriage between members of the same sex

Whose religious rights are being violated?