MD U.S. House Members Respond to Survey on Deportations // Only 1 Congressman Speaking Out To End It Now - Guess Who!

Below Maryland Juice writer Dan Furmansky presents the results of a fascinating poll he conducted of our state's Democratic members of the U.S. House: Elijah Cummings, John Delaney, Donna Edwards, Steny Hoyer, Dutch Ruppersberger, John Sarbanes and Chris Van Hollen. Furmansky previously called on Maryland's U.S. House Democrats to help end the Obama administration's record-setting number of immigrant deportations. Today, he presents a follow-up article with commentary from a range of Maryland's Democratic Congressman, but only one agreed to sign a letter to President Obama calling for a suspension of further deportations of those who would be eligible for deferred action under proposed immigration reform legislation. Guess who the one Maryland Democrat is to speak out clearly on this issue? The answer is within Dan Furmansky's article below. In the meantime, I'll remind you of some of the key facts Furmansky raised in his previous article on mass deportations:

• The United States is now deporting people at a faster rate than at any time in our modern history — an estimated 1,100 people per day. 

• According to data obtained by the news website Colorlines, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security deported nearly 205,000 parents of U.S. citizen children from July 1, 2010 to Sept. 31, 2012.

• A report from the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute released earlier this year found that the United States spent more money on immigration enforcement — nearly $18 billion in the 2012 fiscal year — than on all of its other law enforcement agencies combined.  

• More than 410,000 undocumented workers were deported last year, an all-time high.

• The government spends about 15 times more on immigration enforcement than it did in the mid-1980s, adjusted for inflation, the report found. 

DAN FURMANSKY: A few weeks ago, I urged Maryland’s congressional delegation to call for a change in the terms of the immigration reform debate by asking the President — also known as the “Deporter in Chief” in some circles — to use his power to halt all deportations. There are a host of reasons why this is a good idea, and this is the right time to put such an idea into action. In case you missed it, here is more of the logic and background on the President’s zeal for deportations:

BACKGROUND: Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva and Rep. Yvette Clarke are circulating to their Congressional colleagues a sign-on letter to President Obama, urging him to suspend any further deportations and expand the successful deferred action program to all those who would be potential citizens under immigration reform.

I reached out to our state’s congressional offices about the letter and heard back from most of them. Unfortunately, despite repeated outreach, there was radio silence from Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, aka the man who still can’t decide if he is running for Governor, and a couple others. Also, I confess I got a little lazy and didn’t bother to reach out to Rep. Andy Harris’ office but — really — can you blame me?

Only one member of our Congressional delegation stated that at this point they would sign the letter to President Obama and urge a halt to all deportations now. And who, you ask, possesses the most willingness to publicly stand up against the repressive policies that are tearing apart immigrant families? Congressman John Delaney.

My fellow Juicer, aka Mr. Maryland Juice himself, was recently critical of Rep. Delaney for taking a right turn on some issues. So it’s particularly refreshing to see that Rep. Delaney is willing to step out on this important issue. Congressmen Delaney: Thank You.  Here’s the statement the Congressman’s office released when they notified us of intent to sign the letter calling for a halt to President Obama's mass deportation practices:

JOHN DELANEY: Last year, deportations of undocumented workers reached an all-time high.  I’m proud to join my colleagues in writing President Obama encouraging him to support common-sense use of selective enforcement of deportation to prioritize those who commit crimes and pose a public safety risk.  At the same time, I encourage the House of Representatives to follow the lead of the Senate and come together in a bipartisan manner to implement comprehensive immigration reform that provides a path to citizenship for law-abiding undocumented workers.

Unfortunately, for the time being, at least, our other Democratic members of Congress from Maryland are banking on movement from Republican House leadership, which I fear may be like Waiting for Godot.  Here are some statements from other Maryland Democrats (Note: We did not receive official statements from Rep. Elijah Cummings and Donna Edwards by press time):

Office of Congressman Hoyer: Mr. Hoyer strongly supports President Obama's decision to defer deportation action against DREAMers and remains hopeful that Congress will address our broken immigration system by taking a comprehensive approach that will secure our borders while establishing a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers, their families, and all law-abiding, undocumented individuals. He believes the House should take up comprehensive legislation, such as the bipartisan Senate bill, as soon as possible and is confident the Obama administration will fairly enforce existing law until Congress takes comprehensive action to fix our broken system.

Office of Congressman Sarbanes: Congressman Sarbanes looks forward to connecting with his colleagues on efforts to ensure that the United States implements a rational and humane deportation policy, particularly as we anticipate passage of comprehensive immigration reform. Congressman Sarbanes believes such reform must include a pathway to citizenship that keeps families together and in other key respects is fair and respectful of our nation's values and traditions.

Office of Congressman Van Hollen: The President’s deferred action for DREAMers has been a resounding success and Congressman Van Hollen remains committed to passing immigration reform to provide a pathway to citizenship for those DREAMers, their families, and other undocumented individuals.  His focus is on convincing House Republicans to stop obstructing the will of the people and permanently fix our broken immigration system. The Congressman is confident the Obama Administration will enforce the existing law in a fair and appropriate way.”

Unfortunately, the President is not enforcing existing law in a fair and appropriate way. Every day, families are being ripped apart. Children are being kept from their parents who are kept in detention, sometimes to the benefit of the private prison industry. And there are estimates that 30,000 people were deported in August alone. Here is just one example of a case that highlights the injustice:

MARYLAND CASE STUDY // A FATHER FACING DEPORTATION FOR A YOUTHFUL PRANK MANY YEARS AGO? - A Maryland of father of two — Manny Shoemaker — is being kept from his wife and two children (who are U.S. citizens) in a Worcester County Detention Center. Manny is the primary breadwinner for the family and covers them on his health insurance. This man has been in this country since he was 4-years-old, and has been a legal permanent resident since then. But Manny apparently committed a “crime of moral turpitude” as a youngster. He tried to steal a golf cart from a local golf course with a group of friends. His U.S. citizen friends got off with probation, while he served 6 months in jail. Now, years and years later, he is languishing in detention, which makes zero sense. You can learn more about Manny Shoemaker's case and join me in signing a petition on his behalf here.

Signing these petitions, incidentally, is crucially important when it comes to immigration cases like this. In fact, in many cases, community attention is the only thing that successfully defers deportation in these situations and keeps a parent with his or her children. Sadly, this case is hardly unique. It’s but one, sad example among millions.

In addition to the glaringly cruel deportation policy that taints this country every day — a policy that the President has the power to change — it is entirely unclear that movement is possible in the House on the bill passed by the Senate. According to the AP, voices opposed to immigration have been muted during this August recess, with some Republican Party activists claiming the focal point of energies have been trained on opposing the Affordable Care Act, not immigration reform. Pro-reform advocates claim they have turned some Republican members during this congressional recess. According to the AP, whether this adds up to the House taking up the Senate-passed bill is iffy at best (excerpt below):

ASSOCIATED PRESS: GOP House leaders have rejected that approach, vowing instead to proceed with bills addressing individual immigration issues, beginning with border security. And although by advocates' count more than 20 House Republicans have now declared their support for some kind of citizenship path, the majority of House Republicans remain opposed, creating a potentially unbridgeable divide between the House and the Senate. Congress also faces looming deadlines on the debt ceiling and spending bills to keep the government running. It all adds up to a tough environment for getting an immigration bill to Obama's desk. 

Nonetheless, pro-immigrant advocates are claiming success in their August recess efforts to pressure House Republicans to act on immigration in the fall. An unusual and deep-pocketed alliance of Catholics and evangelicals, labor unions, business groups and others have been targeting dozens of GOP members viewed as open to hearing them out, and say they'll have momentum on their side when Congress reconvenes. 

"The big story I think of the August recess is that we haven't seen what some had predicted, this major anti-immigrant movement where members of Congress would be heckled into inaction," Galen Carey, vice president of government relations at the National Association of Evangelicals, said on a media call this week to announce a $400,000, 14-state radio ad campaign in support of immigration reform. "We've seen very much that that has been a muted voice, but actually the pro-immigrant voice has been rather prominent at many of the town halls that we have observed."

Unfortunately, other signs aren’t sign promising. House Judiciary Chair Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) told a radio host that he opposes a path to citizenship even for young documented people brought to the United States as children. And The Hill reports that even Rep. Luis Guitierrez is feeling despondent (excerpt below):

THE HILL: The veteran Democrat is known as one of the Capitol’s eternal optimists, but as he chats with reporters before a rally in a Republican district, he is struggling to chart a path to final passage for comprehensive immigration reform, the issue he has championed for two decades in the House. “I was hopeful we would be in a better place today,” [Rep. Luis] Gutierrez (D-Ill.) conceded.

I’m not saying we should give up on passing comprehensive immigration reform. Hardly. I am saying that while the Senate bill languishes (a Senate bill that already possesses laboriously long waiting periods for immigrants to obtain citizenship) and the Republicans continue to drag their feet on crafting their own likely-Draconian proposal, the President can take the same bold action he took one year ago via executive order and at the same time dramatically propel the conversation forward....

Pablo Alvarado, Executive Director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, often says it best:

PABLO ALVARADO: Anyone who thinks the President should suspend deportations as a "Plan B" is missing the point.  The President should make a suspension of deportations and an expansion of deferred action part of a "Plan A" precisely to help move a bill forward in Congress.  His decision to grant deferred action to childhood arrivals (DACA) showed that we can make incremental progress and galvanize momentum for an omnibus bill at the same time.  But it also begged the question:  Why isn't the President doing more?

In a quote being spread widely, GOP Senator Marco Rubio said that Obama could issue “an executive order as he did for the DREAM Act kids a year ago, where he basically legalizes 11 million people by the sign of a pen,” and doing so doesn’t require the intolerable compromises we’ve seen in Congress.  Rubio goes on to say, “We won’t get any E-Verify. We won’t get any border security. But he’ll legalize them.”

The precise action being discussed here makes Republicans very nervous. Let’s use that, shall we? And at the same time, we can put into practice the compassion we tout as Democrats committed to making life better for all families.

- Dan  Furmansky

P.S. You can read the full letter from Representatives Grijalva and Clarke to President Obama below:

Letter to Obama from Rep's Raul Grijalva & Yvette Clarke Calling for End to Mass Deportation

MONDAY: Equality MD to Protest Anti-Gay Band at Fillmore Silver Spring // Molotov Says "Go F*ck Your Whore Mother"

Maryland Juice writer Dan Furmansky previously reported on a controversial music act coming to The Fillmore Silver Spring this coming Monday. Indeed, news that the Mexico City rock-rap band Molotov was coming to Montgomery County prompted criticism of their famous anti-gay lyrics from LGBT activists and County Executive Ike Leggett. Below Dan Furmansky provides us on an update to the story, including a response from the band and news of an "education" protest outside the Fillmore (8656 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, MD at 6:30 pm on Monday, August 26, 2013):

DAN FURMANSKY: This coming Monday, a band called Molotov that specializes in anti-gay epithets will play at the Fillmore Silver Spring as part of its North American tour. The ruckus here in Montgomery County against this band was, for a hot minute, seemingly successful at modifying the band’s anti-gay ways. In response to our expressions of upset and concern locally, which included a strong letter of concern from County Executive Leggett, combined with similar protestations across the country and in Latin America, along with pressure from national LGBT media watchdog GLAAD and Molotov’s sponsor for its North American tour — Jagermeister — Molotov committed publicly to ratcheting down the homophobia in a few different ways. Sadly, their commitments were hot air — unsurprising coming from a clearly emotionally stunted group of gutter-talkers who likely wrote their lyrics in a 7th grade boys’ locker room.

PROTEST & ONLINE PETITION DETAILS: So…it appears the while the show at the Fillmore will go on, they will not be met unchecked. I received an email from Equality Maryland Board Chair Evan Glass (in both English and Espanol) that the group will be holding an educational rally this Monday. Here’s the gist:

Dear Friends,

Please join Equality Maryland, Casa Ruby and others from around the area to educate fans going to the Molotov concert at the Filmore on Monday, August 26th.

Molotov is a Latin Grammy Award winning Mexican rock band. They are on a U.S. tour right now. One of their songs, “Puto” contains the phrase “matarile al maricon,” which translates to “kill the faggot.” This phrase was recently used by a group of people who attacked Esteban Navarro in Chile and is too frequently used all around Spanish speaking communities.

We appreciate that Molotov released a statement saying, “no one should be a target of violence because they are LGBT.”  They also said they would refrain from using this hurtful phrase during their US tour. However, they should stop using this word in any country and should encourage their fans to not use it. Words matter. Words may hurt or heal. We must stand united against hatred and violence.

We will talk to fans as they enter the concert and share why words matter and encourage them to sign a petition urging Molotov to stop using this phrase at all their concerts and to encourage their fans from using it as well.  We will also have a postcard for fans that they can take and read later.  People can also go online and sign a petition at www.equalitymaryland.org/words-matter.

We will meet in front of the Filmore, 8656 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, MD 20910 at 6:30 on Monday, August 26, 2013. Please feel free to bring signs. We will provide petitions and postcards.

A FEW THOUGHTS: First, major kudos go to County Executive Leggett for expressing strong concerns about the violent nature of some of this band’s lyrics. Unfortunately, Mr. Leggett’s communication with the Fillmore was met with criticism that he was “bullying” the Fillmore and “suppressing free speech.” Council Member Hans Riemer was one of those who took to social media to lay criticism at the feet of the County Executive. Mind you, Mr. Leggett has zero leverage to dictate what shows the Fillmore books, so I’m not sure how exactly he was suppressing free speech. But I, as one among many, thank Mr. Leggett for his forceful words in the name of his own free speech.

When the leader of a jurisdiction as large as Montgomery County singles out a band for bullying language and it appears in the Washington Post and beyond, that is the sort of action that leads a band like Molotov to make some tangible commitments of change, which they did. Sadly, some of those commitments were short-lived. Here’s more from the Huffington Post (excerpt below):

HUFFINGTON POST: Molotov is dropping the word “maricón.” The Mexican rock band issued a statement via Twitter Monday night saying it would drop the anti-gay slur in light of a vicious attack against Chilean teen Esteban Navarro. Assailants allegedly attacked the 19-year-old Navarro last month with a machete, knives and iron bars while yelling anti-gay insults at him. The attack resulted in the amputation of Navarro's leg. 

“As an act of solidarity with Esteban Navarro and the LGBT community, we are choosing to refrain from using the word “maricon” in our song lyrics during our upcoming U.S. tour,” Molotov's statement says. “This word was used by Esteban’s assailants in this pointless attack, and therefore, has no place in our set.” 

Molotov's statement comes amid pressure from LGBT activists to drop "Puto," one of their most popular songs, from their set-list ahead of a U.S. tour beginning Tuesday in Orlando.

Hate crime victim Esteban Navarro

GLAAD also reported that along with removing "maricón," from the "matarile al maricón" lyric, the band will introduce the song “Puto” during the tour with a message of support for LGBT people. The band will be donating some of the tour's proceeds to LGBT organizations and to help Esteban Navarro, the young victim of a recent anti-gay attack in Chile, which required Navarro's leg to be amputated. His attackers repeatedly used the word "maricón."

Promising stuff. But at the outset, activists questioned the sincerity behind standing with a Chilean hate crime victim, not in Latin America, but in the States, and only in English. The band was also unmoved by concerns about usage of the word “Puto,” which is chanted about five gazillion times in the namesake song. “Puto” is also clearly an anti-gay epithet in many countries, including Mexico.

MOLOTOV SAYS "YOU CAN GO F*CK YOUR WHORE MOTHER" - In any case, it doesn’t appear the band has followed through on making any sort of comments about not targeting gay people when they encourage their arena of largely teenage, male fans to shout “Puto” at the top of their lungs. A few concert-goers have actually managed to gather video from their tour and it hasn’t been promising.

At one concert, in the middle of the performing “Puto,” the band shouts: "Esta cancion va dedicada a todos aquellos que se quieren meter con nuestra libertad de expresion. Pueden chingar a su puta madre." The translation from local activist Gabriel Rodriguez-Rico is this: This song is for all those who want to mess with our freedom of speech. You can go f*ck your whore mother.

Charming.

Welcome to Silver Spring, Molotov! We’re all so glad that the Fillmore Silver Spring, aka the Walmart of music venues, has rolled out the red carpet for you. Molotov is a vile group. But I reserve the lion’s share of my disgust for the Fillmore Silver Spring for booking gutter acts in the name of their almighty bottom dollar.

See you Monday…

- Dan Furmansky

CAT IS OUTTA THE BAG: Maryland Juice Blogger David Moon is Hosting a Brunch Fundraiser for a State House Campaign

The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.  Maryland Juice blogger David Moon is simply weighing a run for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 20.  Indeed, I had confirmed my exploration of this possibility to inquisitive journalists in recent months, but I'm now moving one step closer to making a decision. Next Saturday, I am hosting a brunch fundraiser at my home in Takoma Park, and I thought some readers might want to drop by and chat about my future plans. An all-star host committee of progressive activists in Maryland and Montgomery County has signed up to support my efforts, including a number of folks involved in recent organizing efforts around supporting marriage equality, fighting corporate welfare, promoting voting rights and transparency, fighting for civil liberties, standing up for immigrants' rights, advancing smart growth and transit, and much more. State Senator Jamie Raskin's 2006 campaign chair, Marlana Valdez, has also signed on to chair "Friends of David Moon" (details below):

Please Join Us for a Brunch Fundraiser at David Moon's House

Saturday, August 24   |   12:00 to 2:00 pm
30 Ritchie Ave, Takoma Park, MD 20910
RSVP at www.davidmoon.us

HOST COMMITTEE (IN FORMATION): County Councilmember Nancy Navarro, Del. Ana Sol Gutierrez, Marlana Valdez, Tamika Bennett, Dan Furmansky, Casey Anderson, Abigail Burman, Jean Athey, Sue Udry, Thomas Nephew, Martine Zundmanis, Usman Ahmed, Jonah Gold, Josh Gruenspecht, Rob Richie & Cindy Terrell, Tina & Don Slater, Lisa Polyak & Gita Deane.

In the meantime, I also produced a self-made video discussing why I'm thinking of running for the state legislature and telling viewers a little bit more about myself:




P.S. Don't worry, I'm not planning on junking up Maryland Juice with a bunch of news about my campaign. The dissemination of political news and mission of advancing social and economic justice will remain front and center for this blog.


By Authority: Friends of David Moon. Chair: Marlana Valdez. Treasurer: Usman Ahmed.

Time for Maryland Democrats to Speak Out for End to Mass Deportations // U.S. Ejecting Residents At Fastest Rate Ever

Below Maryland Juice presents a new article from our writer Dan Furmansky regarding the record  setting mass deportations of residents under the Obama administration:

After the heaviest of lifts, the comprehensive immigration reform bill that passed the Senate is now languishing in the House of Representatives. It’s easy to see why, since House Republican leadership is already awful busy giving the middle finger to the Affordable Care Act and proposing a renewed food stamp program that cuts $40 billion from SNAP and effectively leaves millions of Americans hungry at night. With these noble endeavors at the forefront of the House’s agenda, and Iowa Congressman Republican Steve King telling the world that undocumented youth aren’t really hungry for an education, but drug smugglers with “calves the size of cantaloupes,” I think it’s safe to say that the “new and improved” Republican Party rashly promised to us in a series of post-November news headlines is also languishing.

In June the House sent a clear signal to the country with a mostly party-line vote of 224-201 to discard President Barack Obama's rule allowing deferred deportation for some young undocumented immigrants. Only six House Republicans, none in GOP leadership, voted against Steve ‘the Cantaloupe’ King’s amendment. Advocates will not be deterred, and with the August congressional recess upon us, the broad coalition pushing for immigration reform is urging the grassroots to lobby members of the House in their home districts.

Meanwhile, there is work that we here in Maryland can do with our own congressional delegation. We need our members of Congress to urge President Obama to halt deportations now.

As the clock ticks on achieving any meaningful and compassionate changes to our woefully broken immigration system, tens of thousands of families will be ripped apart because President Obama continues to deport more immigrants—aka future citizens—than any other president in our nation's history. Consider this:

• The United States is now deporting people at a faster rate than at any time in our modern history—an estimated 1,100 people per day. 

• More than 410,000 undocumented workers were deported last year, an all-time high.

• A report from the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute released earlier this year found that the United States spends more money on immigration enforcement—nearly $18 billion in the 2012 fiscal year—than on its other law enforcement agencies combined. 

• The government spends about 15 times more on immigration enforcement than it did in the mid-1980s, adjusted for inflation, the report found. 

• According to data obtained by the news website Colorlines, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security deported nearly 205,000 parents of U.S. citizen children from July 1, 2010 to Sept. 31, 2012.

Given these numbers, what does this mean for immigrant communities right now, as House Republicans obstruct any progress and endorse the continued separation of parents and children?

During the August recess alone, an estimated 44,000 people will likely be expelled from the country.

Pres. Obama has the power to stop this. He already chose through his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) memorandum to allow for deferred deportations for young immigrations, aka DREAMers. But this only happened after tremendous, sustained pressure on the Administration to take action, and the failure of the passage of the DREAM Act in the U.S. Senate due to Republican obstructionism, since the DREAM Act had majority support, but lacked 60 votes to end debate.

Many people believe that halting all deportations could put key pressure on the House of Representatives to move.

Pablo Alvarado, of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, has strong words for President Obama in The Hill (excerpt below):

PABLO ALVARADO (VIA THE HILL): Luckily for the president and for those victimized by the current broken system, such cruelty is optional.  Building upon prosecutorial discretion and the deferred action for childhood arrivals program, the president has it in his executive authority to expand the relief he’s granted dream-eligible youth to their parents, neighbors, and the other potential citizens who are watching the Congressional debate closely.

In fact, if and when the president will stop prolonging the suffering of people in deportation proceedings and use his authority has become a repeated question any time he addresses Spanish language media. As limitations of the Senate bill are being reported and a few obstructionist legislators seek to imperil progress, hundreds of organizations have looked to the administration to take action and help break a possible logjam. His response to whether he will step in: “Probably not. I think that it is very important for us to recognize that the way to solve this problem has to be legislative.  I can do some things and have done some things that make a difference in the lives of people by determining how our enforcement should focus.”

Imagine how different the conversation would be and how much stronger reform's prospects would look if the president told obstructionist Republicans that deportations are suspended until a legalization bill is passed, as some of his own advisors have recommended.

To some people, the idea that the President might simply halt all deportations—not just those of DREAMers—may seem radical. No doubt it is aggressive, but is aggressive really such a bad idea when dealing with obstructionist Republicans? The President has worked ferociously over the years to prove he is “tough” on illegal immigration while wasting untold government resources, and he has absolutely zero to show for it from conservatives who clamor for more deportations and continue to parrot the words “border security” over and over as a talking point for their standing in the way of any pathway to citizenship.

Sadly, the President is unlikely to take bold action and expand the scope of his deferred deportations:
"I think it is important to remind everybody that, as I said I think previously, and I'm not a king," Obama told Univision's Maria Elena Salinas in January. "I am the head of the executive branch of government. I'm required to follow the law."

Yawn.

As with most issues, the President requires a strong push to exercise greater authority in this debate. He needs the same type of robust, concerted pressure that led to his decision to defer deportations for DREAMers.

Across the country, activists are asking lawmakers and local and state Democratic Parties to put pressure on the President to halt deportations until comprehensive reform passes. Resolutions are being drafted. The Maryland Democratic Party and Maryland’s congressional delegation can and should call for a change in the terms of the debate by asking the President to halt all deportations.

Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva and Rep. Yvette Clarke are circulating to their colleagues a sign-on letter to President Obama, urging him to suspend any further deportations and expand the successful deferred action program to all those who would be potential citizens under immigration reform. The letter to the President reads:

“As we have seen with deferred action for childhood arrivals, such relief brings with it the benefit of active participation in the debate by undocumented people themselves. When their stories are known and voices are heard, we have witnessed how the debate shifts. The fear and xenophobia that block progress only shrink in the display of their courage. But left unchecked, the threat of deportations will prevent so many from coming forward and contributing to the national conversation. Instead, the specter of deportation removes the human and grounding element in any political discussion—those individuals who are most directly impacted.”

If you agree that we need a bolder strategy to move immigration reform, then call up your member of Congress and ask them to sign on to Reps. Grijalva and Clarke’s letter to the President.

To call your Member of Congress:
US Capitol Switchboard (202) 224-3121

To locate your Member on-line:
U.S. House of Representatives: www.house.gov

Maryland Juice will be following this story and will keep you posted next month on which members of our Congressional delegation chose to sign on and take a stand for an end to deportations now.

- Dan Furmansky

UPDATE: Sam Arora Clarifies Explanation of Marriage Equality Flip-Flop // BTW: Arora Has Less Than $3,000 Cash on Hand

BACKGROUND: Maryland Juice recently published televised comments from Democratic lawmaker Sam Arora where he attempted to explain why he betrayed a promise to support marriage equality legislation. His convoluted response implied that I personally had some sort of political agenda in asking about his flip-flop. Moreover, Arora strangely claimed that he was in fact a supporter of equal rights. This last claim baffled many marriage equality advocates and led an anonymous source to weigh in with harsh comments (excerpt below):

ANONYMOUS SOURCE #1: As far as I can tell, there is nothing in the formal legislative record of him ever exercising his tiny little brain to actually draft an amendment and submit it for his colleagues consideration.  Once again -- he is trying to rewrite history -- and avoid the legitimate scrutiny that his lies deserve....

ARORA CLARIFIES HIS FLIP-FLOP (KIND OF) - Today The Washington Blade followed up with additional coverage of Sam Arora's explanation of his marriage equality flip-flop. Sam responded to a media call from The Blade by revealing evidence of the amendment he was talking about. It turns out that Arora joined Delegates Tiffany Alston and Geraldine Valentino-Smith in trying to turn the marriage equality bill into a civil unions bill. But Arora declined to mention that Alston ultimately voted for the marriage equality bill, while he voted against it. Check out a quick excerpt from The Blade's coverage:

WASHINGTON BLADE:  Maryland Del. Sam Arora (D-Montgomery County) - who campaigned on a pledge to support a marriage equality bill then voted against it -  has offered his first public explanation for the vote.

"A lot of us wanted the goal of full legal equality for all couples," Arora said during a Jan. 8 segment of NewsTalk with Bruce DePuyt in response to a question from David Moon of Maryland Juice, a website that covers state politics....

Arora also referenced an amendment that he, Del. Geraldine Valentino-Smith (D-Prince George’s County) and former Del. Tiffany Alston introduced that would have replaced marriage with civil unions in the bill - he directed the Washington Blade to it in response to a request for comment on Moon’s question....

The Blade also published comments from Del. Mary Washington highlighting that civil unions were not a serious alternative to the marriage equality legislation being debated at the time:

DEL. MARY WASHINGTON: "We were pushing for full marriage equality and that civil unions has been found to be inadequate," she said. "In fact states that have civil unions are actually now looking to full marriage equality...."

HISTORY: Maryland Voters Approve Marriage Equality

Maryland Juice is pleased to announce that news outlets are calling marriage equality a victory in the Free State. Maryland residents did not let us down, and we just became one of the first states in the nation to approve marriage equality at the ballot box. The Maryland Board of Elections is currently reporting the following result (at 12:24 am), though there are still a number of precincts outstanding:

• QUESTION 6: 51.2% "for" vs. 48.8% "against"

If you got a problem with that, there's always Virginia!

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: Marriage Equality Advocates Air Two New TV Ads // Del. Todd Schuler & Teacher Explain "Vote For" Question 6

Marylanders for Marriage Equality is up with two new ads urging voters to "vote for" Question 6. The first ad features former Del. Todd Schuler (D8 Dem), while the 2nd ad focuses on a teacher's rebuttal to the misleading school-focused ads from civil rights opponents. Watch both ads below:

Marriage Equality Opponents on Air with False Scare Tactics About School Curriculum // WATCH THE AD & THE RESPONSE

Maryland Juice has received word from Marylanders for Marriage Equality that opponents are on the tv airwaves with tired false claims that expand civil rights will have an impact on school curriculum. Below you can watch the false advertising, followed by a response from backers of a "vote for" Question 6:


    Press Release
Marriage Opponents on Air with Old Ad
BALTIMORE - Yesterday, opponents of Question 6 began airing an ad with charges that have been debunked by independent analysts and by a leading opponent of same-sex marriage. The ad in question tries to scare the parents of public school children.

“Children learn values from their parents at home, and Question 6 doesn’t change that,” said Josh Levin, campaign manager for Marylanders for Marriage Equality. “Parents, teachers, and local school districts determine the public school curriculum in Maryland. That, too will, never change. The ad is false and meant to scare voters."

Opponents of marriage equality have tried these scare tactics before. In 2009, the independent fact check site, PolitiFact, deemed the charge of “gay marriage” being taught in Massachusetts schools "false." The new ad up today by Question 6 opponents recycles this false claim.

Marc Mutty, the campaign manager for the effort to stop marriage equality in Maine in 2009, has admitted:

“One of the problems I have, I know we need to do what we need to do – not only slam people over the head with a two-by-four, but a two-by-four with nails sticking out of it. Unfortunately, I think it’s a lousy approach. But it’s the only thing we’ve got – it's the only way. That's the way campaigns work. And we use a lot of hyperbole. I think that’s always dangerous. We say things like, ‘Teachers will be forced to.’ Well, that’s not a completely accurate statement and we all know it isn’t.” 
The clip is available here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADqimp6QU2o

CLAIM: “Schools could teach that boys can marry boys.”

Question 6 provides gay and lesbian couples the opportunity to get a marriage license while protecting religious freedom. It is about fairness and equality under the law. It does not – nor could it - change education policy or impact school curricula.

CLAIM: “If Question 6 passes, same-sex marriage could be taught in local Maryland schools…”

In Maryland, a school’s curriculum is decided by local school districts. MD Edu. Code Ann. § 4-111 states that the "bylaws, basic policies, and guidelines established by the State Board, each county board, on the written recommendation of the county superintendent, shall: (1) Establish curriculum guides and courses of study for the schools under its jurisdiction.” Local school districts, parents, and teachers decide what is taught in the classroom, and no state law – including Question 6 – changes that.

The Baltimore Sun has repeatedly written about the scare tactics of Question 6 opponents.

Marylanders for Marriage Equality is the diverse coalition made up of 1199 SEIU of Maryland, NAACP Baltimore, ACLU of Maryland, Equality Maryland, the Human Rights Campaign working to protect marriage on the November ballot.

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MARRIAGE EQUALITY: New "Vote For 6" Radio Ad with Obama // PLUS: Rockville Councilmember Attacked for Lawnsigns

JUICE #1: NEW RADIO AD FEATURES OBAMA: Today Marylanders for Marriage Equality has released a new radio ad featuring President Barack Obama's endorsement of marriage equality earlier this year. Listen to the new spot below:



JUICE #2: CRAZY ANTI-MARIAGE TRUCK AD: A Maryland Juice reader forwarded us the image below of a crazy anti-marriage equality truck ad. See the image below and accompanying explanation:

READER: Saw this on I-270 this morning. The side said "Shame on America."

JUICE #3: LIMITED SUPPLY OF FREE "VOTE FOR 6" LAWNSIGNS: Thanks to a generous donor, Marylanders for Marriage Equality is now offering free "Vote for Question 6" lawnsigns to the first 1,000 people who request them. You can pick up signs from Marylanders for Marriage Equality offices in Silver Spring, Baltimore, Cumberland and Frederick.

[ CLICK HERE TO REQUEST A LAWNSIGN ]

JUICE #4: ROCKVILLE COUNCILMEMBER TOM MOORE UNDER SEIGE FOR PRO-MARRIAGE EQUALITY LAWNSIGNS: Last week, Maryland Juice reported that Rockville City Councilmember Tom Moore decided to print city-specific lawnsigns urging a "vote for" Question 6. Note: You can pick-up signs at his house 11 Forest Ave in Rockville starting next Monday, October 29. In any case, Moore's effort is now under attack from the opponents. See the update below:

TOM MOORE: This is not particularly a news item, but I thought you might enjoy it.   I'm not concerned that it will amount to anything, but man -- no good deed goes unpunished. Debra Daniel, for your reference, is Rockville's City Attorney.

On Oct 24, 2012, at 11:07 AM, xxxxx <xxxx@verizon.net> wrote:

Dear Ms. Daniel,

Once again, I find it necessary to question the recent  action of Councilmember Tom Moore. During Monday’s Council meeting, Mr. Moore displayed the image shown below. He announced that yard signs are available, and can be picked up at his house. It is my opinion he conflated the Council’s position on Question 5 with his personal position on Question 6.

The sign Mr. Moore displayed, and will distribute, gives the impression that the City, through the Mayor and Council, has taken a position on this issue. Who does Mr. Moore think he is, that he can speak for all of Rockville? Mr. Moore doesn’t seem to understand that as an elected official, when he uses such language as “Rockville Votes For”, he is representing our City, and goes far beyond expressing his personal views.

I am hereby requesting that Mr. Moore be told he cannot distribute or display the sign. The City did not approve this, does not take a position on the issue and Mr. Moore is not entitled to speak for all of Rockville.

I would like a timely response to my request, and what action, will be taken. If you feel that, as the City Attorney, you cannot respond directly to me, then I ask you direct your answer through the City Manager or the Mayor. If it is the decision of the City Attorney, City Manager or City Council that there is nothing wrong with Mr. Moore’s language, I would like an explanation as to why.

Sincerely,

XXXXXX

http://r4em.moores.org/

CRAZY VIDEO: Maryland Pastor Says Gays & Their Supporters "Deserving of Death" at Anti-Marriage Equality Event

The Maryland Marriage Alliance, the main group organizing opposition to marriage equality (Question 6), recently assembled a panel of speakers in Baltimore. Last Friday they held a town hall meeting at Manna Bible Baptist Church and brought together opponents of civil rights for LGBT families.

QUESTION 6 SUPPORTERS WORTHY OF DEATH: One of the panelists, Pastor Robert Anderson of Randallstown started off by suggesting that a "vote for" marriage equality (Question 6) would open the door for legalized prostitution, bestiality, polygamy and incest. But even worse, Pastor Anderson plainly stated that gay and lesbian residents -- and their supporters -- were "deserving of death."

In the video footage below, the moderator of the event appears to praise these statements, while the other panelists nod in approval. Watch our video recap of the Maryland Marriage Alliance Town Hall below:




SIDEBAR: This event was held in Rep. Elijah Cummings' district. But as we previously noted, the longtime Democratic politician is turning a blind eye to the hate brewing under his nose.

TODAY: Delegates Anne Kaiser & Heather Mizeur Debate MD Gambling // PLUS: New Poll Shows Question 7 Deadlock

ALSO: Delegate Kathleen Dumais Debates Leader of Marriage Equality Opposition

BALLOT QUESTION DEBATES: This afternoon MoCo residents can attend an interesting set of debates about two of Maryland's heated ballot question battles. The League of Women Voters of Maryland, The University of MD School of Public Policy, and The Norman and Florence Brody Public Policy Forum are hosting a faceoff between supporters and opponents of gambling expansion and marriage equality. Of note is what promises to be an interesting matchup between Delegates Anne Kaiser and Heather Mizeur on the gambling expansion debate (Question 7). The other debate features Del. Kathleen Dumais taking on the head of Maryland's anti-marriage equality campaign.  See the details below:

A Pro and Con Panel Discussion of Ballot Question 6 -- Civil Marriage Protection Act and Ballot Question 7 -- Gaming Expansion

Saturday, October 20, 2012
3:00 pm -- 5:00 pm 

Friendship Heights Village Center
4433 South Park Ave, Chevy Chase, MD 20815

Hourly parking (free on weekends) is available at the Courtyard Marriott open platform parking lot (4), accessed off of The Hills Plaza

Moderator: Douglas J. Besharov, Professor at UMD School of Public Policy

Civil Marriage Protection Act:

• For - Delegate Kathleen Dumais, MD House of Delegates since 2003
• Opposed - Derek McCoy, Executive Director of the Maryland    Marriage Alliance

Gaming Expansion:

• For - Delegate Anne Kaiser, MD House of Delegates since 2003
• Opposed - Delegate Heather Mizeur, MD House of Delegates since 2007

Sponsored by: The League of Women Voters of Maryland, The University of MD School of Public Policy, and The Norman and Florence Brody Public Policy Forum

NEW POLL SHOWS CLOSE RACE FOR GAMBLING EXPANSION - QUESTION 7: The Washington Post released results of a recent poll on Maryland gambling expansion. Their results show an extremely close race that is currently leaning against gambling expansion:

WASHINGTON POST: Maryland voters are sharply divided over a ballot proposal that would allow a Las Vegas-style casino in Prince George’s County, according to a Washington Post poll that shows widespread doubt that the measure would boost education funding as advertised.

Among likely voters, 46 percent say they favor Question 7, while 48 percent say they oppose the measure, which would also allow table games, such as blackjack and roulette, at the state’s five previously authorized slots sites.

TV SPOTS: Dream Act & Marriage Equality Advocates Launch Ads Urging "VOTE FOR" Questions 4 & 6 // WATCH ONLINE

Maryland Juice has received videos and press statements announcing new television spots promoting the Dream Act and Marriage Equality. Marylanders for Marriage Equality has a new ad airing, and Educating Maryland Kids is up with million dollar ad buy featuring three new tv spots. The marriage equality ad (Question 6) features NAACP Chair Julian Bond, while the Dream Act ads (Question 4) feature dreamers, Republicans, and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown (watch below):

VOTE FOR QUESTION 6 (MARRIAGE EQUALITY) TV AD:

VOTE FOR QUESTION 4 (DREAM ACT) TV AD #1:

 
VOTE FOR QUESTION 4 (DREAM ACT) TV AD #2:



VOTE FOR QUESTION 4 (DREAM ACT) TV AD #3:

BOOK OF REVELATIONS: Reports Reveal Anti-Marriage Equality Donors // Ehrlich Robocall Consultant Cuts Big Checks

The latest campaign finance filings have been released regarding Maryland's marriage equality battle, and there are several newsworthy items in the disclosures. Below Maryland Juice provides comment from anonymous readers, as well as a press release from the Marylanders for Marriage Equality campaign:

REVELATION #1: EHRLICH'S VOTER SUPPRESSION GURU IS SINGLE-HANDEDLY FINANCING A GROUP OPPOSED TO MARRIAGE EQUALITY - The most interesting tidbit from the campaign finance reports is that a new anti-civil rights group called "Jump the Broom for Marriage" (aka JTBM) is receiving almost all of its financing from Julius Henson, who was recently convicted of voter suppression efforts for GOP Governor Bob Ehrlich. Indeed, $21,000 of the $21,881 raised by JTBM is from Mr. Henson. In 2010, Henson taped a robocall telling African American voters they didn't need to turn out for the  election. Now he is trying to mislead Maryland's voters (and cowboys) into thinking their children will somehow be harmed by the passage of marriage equality:

ANONYMOUS READER: You may have already followed up on this -- but see attached for the campaign finance report from Jump the Broom for Marriages. Of the $21,881 in contribution the campaign took in -- $21,000 were from Julius Henson (Ehrlich's robo call campaign flak). Henson also donated another $7k in-kind, so this "ballot committee" is really just a wholly owned hobby of Julius Henson.

I realize there are lots of other campaign finance stories today -- but just thought to follow up on this to show that along with Frank Schubert (the Karl Rove of marriage ballot initiatives), the folks who are working to defeat marriage equality are a compromised bunch. Harry Jackson, Derek McCoy and Julius Henson are all cut from the same cloth -- they have multiple judgments against them in the court system, mostly for failure to pay their debts, and they make a living spreading invective and lies. Birds of a feather, really.

REVELATION #2: LEADER OF MARYLAND'S BIGGEST ANTI-MARRIAGE EQUALITY GROUP DODGES TAXES - In yet another sign of moral hypocrisy from Maryland's preachy stone-throwers, The Washington Blade reported this week that the head of the Maryland Marriage Alliance (aka MMA) doesn't like to pay taxes. Derek McCoy is the leader of MMA, which is the main group organizing opposition to civil rights in Maryland. Marylander's anti-civil rights leaders recently placed a "curse" on The Washington Blade (good luck with that one). See an excerpt from the Blade's report below:

WASHINGTON BLADE: The Washngton Blade has learned that the Internal Revenue Service in 2011 filed a lien against the executive director of the group challenging Maryland’s same-sex marriage law for more than $32,000 in unpaid taxes.. The filing notes he had an unpaid balance of $22,940.32 for the tax period that ended on Dec. 31, 2002. The document further indicates that McCoy had an unpaid balance of $9,646.07 for the tax period that ended on Dec. 31, 2003.

McCoy, who is executive director of the Maryland Marriage Alliance, is an associate pastor at Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, the same congregation headed by Bishop  Harry Jackson who claimed late last month he placed a “curse” on the Blade two months before the newspaper’s parent company’s Nov. 2009 bankruptcy forced it to temporarily shut down.

REVELATION #3: MARRIAGE EQUALITY SUPPORTERS RAISE MONEY FROM THOUSANDS OF DONORS // OPPONENTS FUNDED BY HANDFUL OF RICH EXTREMISTS - A press release from Marylanders for Marriage Equality, the group pushing a "vote for" marriage equality (Question 6), shows a stark contrast between supporters and opponents of civil rights. The pro-marriage equality side counts over 9,000 donors, while the haters are being funded by a small group of 300 wealthy haters and religious extremists. See the press release below:

PRESS RELEASE

Campaign Filings Show Stark Differences Between Supporters, Foes of Question 6

BALTIMORE - Both sides of the Question 6 referendum in Maryland submitted their campaign funding reports yesterday, revealing a significant difference in the number of individual donors to the two camps. Marylanders for Marriage Equality, which raised $3.2 million to date, produced 950 pages of contributions in a report that includes over 9,000 donors. The Maryland Marriage Alliance raised $830,000 and filed a 40-page report including just 300 donors.

"We'll let the massive gap between our number of individual donors and theirs speak for itself," said Josh Levin. "Our opponents raised almost 80% of their funds from two secretive organizations that don't disclose their donors, yet we've still raised more from Maryland residents alone than they have overall. The campaign for marriage equality is powered by Marylanders who are giving their time and dollars to protect fairness and equality under the law.”

MMA's primary funding came from the National Organization for Marriage at $400,000, Knights of Columbus at $250,000, and MMA itself at $151,000 (in un-itemized funds raised before its ballot committee was established). These three account for $801,000 of the total 838,000 in contributions. The remaining $37,000 is from about 300 donors. Maryland Catholic Conference made about $11,500 in in-kind contributions.

The MMA’s Derek McCoy has frequently claimed Marylanders for Marriage Equality receives "millions" from "movie stars."

"The disclosure highlights a larger point: our opponents are misinforming - and sometimes outright lying to - voters,” said Levin.

Marylanders for Marriage Equality is the diverse coalition made up of 1199 SEIU of Maryland, NAACP Baltimore, ACLU of Maryland, Equality Maryland, the Human Rights Campaign and more working to protect marriage on the November ballot.

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MORE ON MD'S BATTLE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS SOON!

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg Endorses Maryland Marriage Equality & Donates $250K to "Vote For" Question 6 Campaign

NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg

Marylanders for Marriage Equality today highlighted a new endorsement from NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The independent politician is urging Marylanders to "vote for" Question 6. The LGBT oriented site Queerty also reports that Bloomberg donated $250,000 to Maryland's civil rights campaign. Read his email appeal below:

Juice -

Maryland will always hold a special place in my heart.  I went to college at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, and have remained active in the Hopkins community.  So when Governor O'Malley asked me to support Question 6, I didn’t hesitate. 

As a business leader and Mayor of New York City, I do not believe that government has any business telling one class of couples that they cannot marry.  The 14th Amendment guarantees us all equal protection under the law, and that's what Question 6 does -- it treats all citizens equally under the law, while protecting religious liberty at the same time.

Two years ago, I was proud to support the effort to pass marriage equality in the State of New York -- and the bi-partisan support it received resulted in one of our state’s great civil rights victories.

Around the country,  a few legislatures and state courts have taken action to extend marriage equality to all couples, regardless of gender.  But never before have voters affirmed marriage equality in a statewide referendum.  By voting “FOR” on Question 6, I believe Maryland will become the first state in the nation to affirm marriage equality at the ballot box.

On Tuesday, November 6th – Election Day – you will have an opportunity to make history.

The next great barrier to full equality under the law is marriage equality.  There is no doubt in my mind this barrier will fall, just as so many others have.  The question is not if, but when.  And it is my hope that you will answer that question for Maryland on Tuesday, November 6th.

Please join me and support Question 6.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg

WATCH ONLINE: First Pro-Marriage Equality TV Ad in Maryland // Baptist Reverend Urges "Vote For" Question 6

Marylanders for Marriage Equality is out with their first television ad for the November 6 election. The spot below encouraging a "vote for" Question 6 (marriage equality) is airing in the Baltimore market:

NAACP Radio Ad Urges Marylanders to VOTE FOR Question 6 // Chair Julian Bond Calls Marriage Equality a "Civil Right"

The NAACP is airing a new radio ad urging Marylanders to "vote for" Question 6 this November. The organization's Chair Emeritus, Julian Bond, calls marriage equality a "civil right." Listen to the radio ad below:

WATCH ONLINE // Marriage Equality Opponents Launch New TV Ad: "Children Do Best When Raised By Married Mom & Dad"

UPDATE: An LGBT-oriented news site called "Good As You" has deconstructed the stock video compilation in the anti-civil rights video below. They note that the new ad from Maryland Marriage Alliance doesn't actually feature any Marylanders:

GOOD AS YOU: I'll leave it to you to find your own voiceover artist. However, if you are a Marylander looking to discriminate against gay couples, here are eight of the nine stock video clips that the Maryland Marriage Alliance purchased to represent actual Marylanders....

I've pasted one of the nine screenshots below. I wonder if the people captured in this clip knew that they would one day be spliced into a homophobic/anti-civil rights TV ad?

The "about us" section of the Good As You website contains the following explanation of their goals: 

Good As You represents a new generation of GLBT activism. Now is the time for intelligent, progressive-minded individuals to step up and fight for the common rights of which they might be denied. We're here to rally the troops.

We have made it our mission to investigate any organization/media outlet/personality in regards to discriminatory language or actions. In turn we will always extend the opportunity for these individuals or groups to speak on their own behalf, as we do support the First Amendment Right of all.

Marriage equality opponents are airing a new television ad in their quest to stop the expansion of civil rights in Maryland. The following ad regarding Question 6 makes a vague claim that children do best when raised by married, opposite-sex parents.

If this is their argument, perhaps civil rights opponents in Maryland should be working on banning heterosexual parents from divorcing? Otherwise, this argument is a non-sequitor and complete distraction from the simple goal of granting same-sex couples the ability to conduct basic legal transactions in Maryland.

SCANNED DOCUMENTS // New Propaganda from Maryland Marriage Equality Opponents: "Have a Heart for Children"

A Maryland Juice reader forwarded us several anti-marriage equality flyers that they picked up in Montgomery County this weekend. Paul Bessel, a member of the MoCo Democrat's Ballot Question Advisory Committee (BQAC) forwarded us three flyers are from the Maryland Marriage Alliance and a group called Marriage for Maryland. Bessel supports civil rights and recently voted to recommend a "vote for" marriage equality (Question 6) during the BQAC's recent sample ballot debate. Read the anti-civil rights propaganda regarding Question 6 below, along with the following quick note about where they were found:

READER: I thought you might be interested in 3 flyers that were given to me at today's (Sat, Oct 6, 2012) Oktoberfest in Germantown, at a booth where people were urging everyone to vote against Question 6, same-sex marriage.... Also, Congressman Roscoe Bartlett was there, and his supporters were encouraging people to have their photo taken with him. My wife and I passed on that.

Marriage for Maryland Anti-Marriage Equality Flyer

Maryland Marriage Alliance Anti-Marriage Equality Flyer

Anti-Marriage Equality Talking Points at Germantown Oktoberfest

MONDAY: Sam Arora's Ex-Friends Host Play About Marriage Equality // Challenger Jay Hutchins Featured in Post-Show Chat

SAM ARORA BACK ON THE HOT SEAT: Yesterday, Maryland Juice received word of a very interesting event being held at Silver Spring's Roundhouse Theatre on Monday night. The DC Theatre Collective is hosting a one-time production of a play called 8, which chronicles the federal court challenge to California’s Proposition 8 (ticket link).

Notably, the shows producers are two former supporters of Maryland's anti-gay lawmaker Sam Arora, and they have invited Arora's principal challenger Jay Hutchins to speak to the audience after the show.

Check out the message and event announcement from a disappointed former supporter of District 19 Delegate Sam Arora below:

FORMER SAM ARORA SUPPORTER: I sent you an email about this event a couple weeks back but I have some news to share - Jay Hutchins, who as you know is running to replace Sam Arora in District 19, will be joining our post-show discussion panel for "8" the play (this Monday at Round House Theatre Silver Spring). Chris Geidner will be moderating the panel (cool piece on his participation in Fishbowl today).

I know you've written extensively about Sam Arora. I've personally known him for over 10 years and was an ardent supporter and donor to his campaign. This is one of the reasons we were inspired to produce this play in Silver Spring in the first place. His betrayal hit me and our mutual friends really hard - many of whom are gay and were told BY SAM, to their faces, that he supported their right to marry. We can't forget Sam's betrayal the next time his name is up at the ballot box.

Jay Hutchins, District 19 Delegate Candidate

NOTE // 2014 SLATE IN DISTRICT 19 - JAY HUTCHINS & BONNIE CULLISON + 1 (???): Delegate Sam Arora currently serves in a 3-member State House district with Delegates Bonnie Cullison and Ben Kramer. But Kramer may run for Montgomery County Executive in 2014 and create an open seat in District 19.

If that happens, to defeat Sam Arora, there will need to be two strong challengers running to replace Sam and create a de facto progressive slate with Delegates Bonnie Cullison and Jay Hutchins.  

Folks who care about knocking out Sam Arora in 2014 need to start thinking about that possibility.

See the press release about the marriage equality play below:

DC THEATRE COLLECTIVE ANNOUNCES READING OF  DUSTIN LANCE BLACK’S NEW PLAY “8”

Actors, Activists, and Community Leaders Join Fight to  Protect Marriage Equality in Maryland with Landmark Marriage Equality Play
[Silver Spring, MD] – Less than a month before Marylanders go to the polls to make an historic decision about same sex marriage, a local group will build momentum for marriage equality with a unique night of theater and activism.

The DC Theatre Collective, with license from the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and Broadway Impact, is proud to announce a one-night-only benefit reading of “8,” a play chronicling the historic trial in the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8. The event, which will take place on October 8 at Round House Theatre Silver Spring, will feature a post-show discussion moderated by award-winning journalist Chris Geidner of BuzzFeed. Panelists include Jay Hutchins (candidate for Maryland State Delegate in District 19, Silver Spring), Rabbi Stephanie Bernstein (Foundation Board President of Equality Maryland), and Katie Rooney (advocate and volunteer with Marylanders for Marriage Equality). Hutchins is running for the seat currently held by Del. Sam Arora, who voted against Maryland’s marriage equality bill earlier this year. “8” is written by Dustin Lance Black, the Academy Award-winning author of the feature film Milk. Proceeds from the event will benefit AFER and Equality Maryland.

“This election day, Marylanders will vote on Question 6 – the Civil Marriage Protection Act – which provides civil marriage licenses to committed gay and lesbian couples,” said Jenny Lynn Towns, Director/Producer of “8”and Co-Founder of the DC Theatre Collective. “We must do everything in our power in the weeks before the election to protect marriage equality for our friends and neighbors in MD – by getting people to the ballot box, building resources for the organizations fighting for it, and raising awareness about what’s at stake if anyone sits on the sidelines this November.”

The cast of well-known local actors includes Helen Hayes Award winners and nominees, as well as several openly gay and lesbian actors. The cast includes: Frank Britton, Caleb Caudill, Felicia Curry, Chris Dinolfo, Lee Mikeska Gardner, Will Gartshore, Chris Geidner, Rick Hammerly, Lisa Hodsoll, James Konicek, Susan Lynskey, Rose McConnell, Scott McCormick, Carl Menninger, Jared Mercier, Tom Story, MaryBeth Wise, and Jaysen Wright.

When: October 8, 2012 @ 7:30pm

Where: Round House Theatre Silver Spring | 8641 Colesville Road | Silver Spring, MD 20910

Tickets: Online at www.roundhousetheatre.org or by phone at 240-644-1100

“8” is an unprecedented account of the Federal District Court trial in Perry v. Schwarzenegger (now Perry v. Brown) – the case filed by AFER to overturn Proposition 8, which stripped gay and lesbian Californians of the fundamental freedom to marry. Dustin Lance Black, the Academy Award-winning writer of the feature film Milk and the film J. Edgar, based “8” on the actual words of the trial transcripts, first-hand observations of the courtroom drama, and interviews with the plaintiffs and their families.

“8” had its much-heralded Broadway world premiere on September 19, 2011, at the sold-out Eugene O’Neill Theatre in New York City, and had its West Coast premiere reading at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on Saturday, March 3, 2012, in Los Angeles. The West Coast reading featured an all-star cast including Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Martin Sheen, and was directed by AFER Founding Board Member Rob Reiner. The two readings collectively raised more than $3 million for the fight to secure full federal marriage equality.

“People need to witness what happened in the Proposition 8 trial, if for no other reason than to see inequality and discrimination unequivocally rejected in a court of law where truth and facts matter,” said AFER Founding Board Member Dustin Lance Black. “The goal of ‘8’ is to show the world that marriage equality is a basic constitutional right.The facts are on our side and truth always finds the light. AFER and Broadway Impact are doing all we can to help speed that process along.” Throughout 2012, AFER and Broadway Impact are licensing “8”for free to colleges and theatres nationwide in order to spur action, dialogue, and understanding.

“The DC Theatre Collective believes in creating theatre that challenges audiences and inspires them to act. When I read ‘8,’ I knew it was a piece that could do that,” said Towns. “I also believe it’s a piece that will remind people of what’s at stake this November.”

Tickets can be purchased online at www.roundhousetheatre.org or by phone at 240-644-1100.

Follow DC Theatre Collective on Twitter, Facebook, or visit www.dctheatrecollective.com

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