HB 1826, a homosexual “marriage” bill (minus the “M-word”) — masquerading as a “religious freedom” bill — has cleared a committee hurdle in the Illinois House. The bill’s homosexual activist sponsor, State Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago), says HB 1826 would “protect” the religious freedom of churches and those who have a moral objection to homosexual behavior. But Harris’ view is contradicted by a legal analysis of the bill by Illinois constitutional attorney Paul Linton. CWA’s Matt Barber, Policy Director for Cultural Issues, and analyst Martha Kleder discuss with AFTAH’s Peter LaBarbera the homosexual activists’ crafty attempt to sell this radical “gay marriage” bill as a “compromise” measure that “protects” churches.

Click HERE to listen to the interview online.

You can also download the interview by going to the CWA site.

Linton: HB 1826 would “empty the institution of marriage of all substance” 

Memorandum

Date:  March 19, 2007

To:  Illinois pro-family groups, including Illinois Citizens for Life, Americans For Truth, Illinois Family Institute, CWA of Illinois, and Real Civil Rights Illinois

From: Paul Linton, Esq.

Re:  Analysis of Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 1826

Introduction

Amendment No. 1 to House Bill 1826, if enacted by the General Assembly, would create civil unions in Illinois for both same-sex and opposite-sex couples.  The Amendment would “deconstruct” the meaning of marriage in two vital respects:

First, it would allow same-sex couples to enjoy “all the same protections, benefits, and responsibilities under law . . . as are granted to spouses in a marriage.” § 105(a).  This is contrary to the longstanding public policy of Illinois (and, until very recently, every other State in the Union and every other country in the world) to confer such “protections, benefits, and responsibilities” only upon married couples who, by definition and the very nature of marriage, are opposite-sex. 

Second, it would allow opposite-sex couples to enjoy “all the same protections, benefits, and responsibilities under law . . . as are granted to spouses in a marriage,” § 105(a),  see also §§ 105(c), 106, 201, without actually being married, a legislative novelty that has not been adopted in any other State, including those States that have enacted civil unions statutes (Connecticut, New Jersey and Vermont) or their equivalent (California’s Domestic Partner Act).  Opposite-sex couples (who, of course, may marry under current law) are included for the twin purposes of diluting the meaning of marriage and blurring the distinction between opposite-sex and same-sex relationships (by calling them by the same name).

Amendment No. 1 would empty the institution of marriage of all substance, leaving only an empty form (i.e., the name, “marriage”) as a “consolation prize” for those who oppose same-sex “marriage.”  Marriage, however, is more than a name–it is an institution that is fundamental to the existence and continuity of societies throughout history, in all times and places.
 
Legal Land Mines

Apart from the public policy reasons for opposing Amendment No. 1, which are discussed below, there are legal reasons for opposing the Amendment, as well.

Dear AFTAH Readers,

Please be a part of the wonderful story of former lesbian Charlene’s Cothran’s rebirth in Christ by subscribing to her magazine VENUS — which has been transformed from a publication that celebrated “gays and lesbians” to one that tells that stories of people like herself who have overcome homosexuality with God’s help. Subscriptions to VENUS are $19.95 per year for four issues. — Peter LaBarbera

THE RESURRECTION!, published in VENUS magazine 

by Charlene E. Cothran

Venus Magazine Publisher

When I asked God to come into my heart, I knew that EVERYTHING would change and I thank Him for the opportunity to bare my cross for Christ’s sake.  Oh, I’d been persecuted before, jeered at and rejected, but not for Christ’s sake.  It was for MY sake, for the right to hold on to MY own sinful pleasures and wave them, in the form a rainbow flag, in God’s face.  But the Lord is so loving, patient and merciful that He gave me one last chance to make things right. 

I shared my new convictions and VENUS’ new mission right away with our advertising agencies.  One executive was particularly kind and reassured me that our clients would probably stand by us. But eventually, letters and emails from gay organizations found their way to the advertising director’s office of several major corporations with whom we have done business for years. 

Think About it

I was counseled, ‘we’ll give you a week to carefully think about what you are doing.’  They were basically saying,  O.K. you’ve given your ‘testimony’ but now go on publishing the old VENUS, affirming gays and lesbians, and reassuring them to be proud of who and what they are.   There was no need for time to think.  God himself knew that I meant it when I gave complete control of VENUS Magazine to Him, to be used for His exclusive glory.  However, in my spirit, I also knew that it was just a matter of time before I would receive the news that the company’s income was gone. 

Reading page after page of negative email, letters, and blog entries began to wear at my joy.  My countenance began to fall.  Satan laughed right in my face; ‘Look at you now, ‘saved’ huh? Your old friends don’t want anything to do with you, your local church community wants to ‘wait and see’ how ‘saved’ you’ll be next year this time, and by next month you’ll have no more money coming in, after all the years you’ve worked to build this thing. You are such a fool.’    To counter these negative thoughts — rebuke Satan — I began to fast and pray, and to call on the name of the Lord.  I prayed, Lord I need you; Don’t let it be so, don’t let my enemies appear to have won.

I Trust God

During my fast, the Lord spoke to me in a passage of scripture, Jeremiah 17:7,8 and said ‘Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.  For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.’   I emerged with a revelation and understanding of what a commitment to God truly means: It means we must TRUST Him totally, completely, unconditionally. My strengthen renewed, my joy restored, I can face, with Godly confidence, whatever comes my way; all because I TRUST GOD!  What a wonderful gift!

Sure enough, on that Monday morning, we received several faxes cancelling all current and future advertising in VENUS.   All praises be to God, I couldn’t even get upset!  Then, NOTHING happened for three days.  The phones didn’t ring, no emails or no letters, not a word from anywhere.   It was as though the business had died that Monday. 

On The Third Day

On Thursday morning, I sat down at my computer and I could hardly believe my eyes.  Hundreds of new emails waiting to be read, with subjects like ‘Thank God for Your Testimony’; ‘This has Changed My Life’, ‘Redeemed! So Powerful!’.  I cannot begin to express the joy that flooded my soul.  I cried and typed responses for hours and hours, but they just kept coming! Sometimes I had to just get up and walk around and praise God out loud! God had sent His ARMY to encourage me!   Thank you Jesus!  God fearing people from all of the world wrote to say, ‘We are praying for you, God is preparing to use you in a mighty way.’  The Lord had opened a window and continues to pour out a blessing I hardly have room to receive!

I believe with all my heart, this Easter season, that the Lord burried the old VENUS Magazine, then in three days He resurrected it unto Himself, changed it, and placed His blessing on it.  We are  perusing nearly 1,000 new emails, and letters, and will post as many as the Lord approves.

Click HERE to read some of the wonderful letters Charlene has been receiving from people all over the world — including one from one of her former contributing writers! We will continue to bring you exciting news from Venus magazine and Charlene’s new life.

Former lesbian and VENUS Magazine publisher Charlene Cothran published this letter online, which she received from a former contributing writer to the then-pro-homosexual VENUS magazine:

I can say, too, I am changed.

 

I am very happy for you because you have found a relationship with God and he does what He always does; He changes people.  I have been where you are, my calling is to teach and He changed me in so many ways.  I did not know that God was going to fully change me when I stopped writing for you.  I just knew God wanted me to change and I could not teach and write for your magazine in its form and focus.   I can say, too, I am changed.  I am no longer in the life, it happened in a blink of an eye and it was not what I thought he would change but he did.   I had my alone time but that is what God does, he will take you away so you have to depend totally on him.  When I came out of wilderness I had a missionary from my church befriend me.  It was great.  Having said that, if you want me, and will allow me to write for you again I would love to.

 

I love you with the Love of Christ,

 

Lavonia-New York,
Olympic Silver Medalist
Former Contributing Writer for [the old] VENUS Magazine

____________________________

P.S. Please be a part of the wonderful story of former lesbian Charlene’s Cothran’s rebirth in Christ by subscribing to her magazine VENUS — which has been transformed from a publication that celebrated “gays and lesbians” to one that tells that stories of people like herself who have overcome homosexuality with God’s help. Subscriptions to VENUS are $19.95 per year for four issues. — Peter LaBarbera

Pro-family leader Gary Glenn: “gay” Task Force blamed him for “murder” of homosexual man 

How would you like to blamed for a murder that never even happened? Ask pro-family hero Gary Glenn, president of American Family Association of Michigan. This is part of an incredible national story: “gay” militants staging “hate crimes” which are then blamed — with the help of the biased liberal media — on pro-family conservatives and Christians. You could fill a large book documenting the cases of fake “hate crimes” — just in the last couple of decades — many of them homosexual-related, others racial.

It’s all about the politics of “hate” and the homosexual activists’ manipulative push for a “gay”- and “trans”-inclusive federal “hate crimes” law — which would only quadruple the potential for abusing American law enforcement to punish Christians and promote the homosexual agenda.

Don’t hold your breath waiting for Matt Foreman of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force to apologize to Glenn, after maliciously blasting Glenn by name following the apparent assault of 72-year-old Anthony Anthos (see Foreman’s slanderous comments at bottom or click HERE). All of this is a reminder of the potential for abuse if “hate crimes” law based on homosexuality and gender confusion (“sexual orientation” and “gender identity”) is federalized.

TAKE ACTION against “Thought Crimes”: Call your U.S. Representative and Senators at 202-224-3121 and ask them to oppose HR 1592, the “Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act,” and other versions of “Hate Crimes” legislation. (For more information about two other “Hate Crimes” alternative bills, HR 984 and HR 808, click HERE.) ALso, click HERE for an excellent video message by Family Research Council President Tony Perkins about the “Thought Crimes” bill; from there you can sign on to FRC’s “Public Declaration of Opposition to Thought Crimes Laws.”

____________________________________________

American Family Association of Michigan News Release 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, March 29, 2007

CONTACT: Gary Glenn: 989-835-7978

“No evidence an assault occurred,” Detroit police say

Homosexual activists pressed to come clean, apologize for claims about discredited “hate crime”

Police urged to investigate complicity in filing of false report

DETROIT — A statewide family values organization accused by homosexual activists of inciting an elderly Detroit man’s alleged murder Thursday called on Detroit police to investigate who may have been complicit in the filing of a false police report after police and medical officials announced that 72-year old Anthony Anthos had not been attacked and instead died of an accidental fall caused by a degenerative disease.

The Associated Press reported today (Thursday): “‘There’s no evidence that an assault occurred,’ police spokesman James Tate said Wednesday. …’They determined that he died of natural causes,’ Tate told The Detroit News.”

Gary Glenn, president of the American Family Association of Michigan, issued the following statement:

“Homosexual activists were obviously well into great plans to exploit and profit both financially and politically from the now apparently false claims about the tragedy of this poor man’s death.  It’s time for Jeff Montgomery and the Triangle Foundation to come clean and tell us whatever they know about whether someone convinced an elderly man suffering from mental illness, a week after he accidentally fell and hit his head, to falsely accuse an African-American man of attacking him for ‘being gay.'”

The Associated Press reported March 21st: “(Cousin Athena) Fedenis said Anthos, who received state disability payments, was diagnosed with mental illness in the 1950s.”

The Detroit Free Press reported Thursday: “Initially, Anthos told police he did not know what happened to him, police said. But about a week later, he told police he was struck from behind after someone called out, asking him if he was gay.”

Glenn also called for an apology from a national homosexual advocacy group.

“Now that police and medical personnel have reported the truth, Matt Foreman of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force — if he has a conscience — will issue an immediate public apology for falsely and maliciously accusing Cardinal Maida and the American Family Association of Michigan of being responsible for Mr. Anthos’ accidental death,” Glenn said. 

(See NGLTF statement: http://www.tri.org/violence/pdfs/taskforce.pdf )

Glenn also urged police and Wayne County Prosecuting Attorney Kym L. Worthy to investigate who may have been complicit in Anthos’ filing of an apparently false police report a week after initially telling police he did not know what happened to him.

He cited an almost identical case of a false “hate crime” allegation by a Boise State University student.  The university’s student newspaper in January reported that the Boise city prosecutor “has filed a summons for a BSU student accused of making up an account of an anti-gay assault on the BSU campus. Authorities announced that Alex ‘A.J.’ McGillis, 20, of Boise must appear in court on charges…relat(ing) to a false report McGillis made to police…According to police reports, McGillis initially claimed a white male struck him from behind with an object while using anti-gay expletives.”  Similarly, in his altered police report a week after intially telling police he didn’t know how he’d been hurt, Anthos claimed a black male struck him from behind with an object while using anti-gay expletives.

Glenn said such fabricated reports are “part and parcel of homosexual activists’ media-driven propaganda campaign to promote so-called “hate crime” legislation under which a criminal who physically attacks a pregnant mom, senior citizen, or small child would be punished less severely than someone who assaults a grown man, if that grown man engages in homosexual behavior.”

“Mr. Anthos’ accidental death was a tragedy to his family and friends because he was a human being, not because he engaged in homosexual behavior,” Glenn said.  “Had he or anyone else actually been physically attacked, the assailant should have been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, not punished any more or less severely based on the victim’s sexual activity.”

_________________________________________

Matt Foreman’s and the Triangle Foundation’s Lies about Gary Glenn:

On Feb 24, 2007, Matt Foreman, Executive Director of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force (which takes in over $30 million/year), issued the following statement blaming Christians:

“The hatred and loathing that led to the vicious murder of Andrew Anthos only because he was gay is not innate. Instead it is being taught every day by leaders of the so-called Christian right and their political allies. They disguise their bigotry as ‘deeply-held religious beliefs.’ They cloak themselves in ‘family values.’

“For years, Michigan has been subjected to the homophobic rants of Gary Glenn of the American Family Association of Michigan, while so many otherwise good and decent people have been silent. Just two years ago, the state endured an ugly campaign, led by Cardinal Adam Maida, to ‘protect marriage’ by writing anti-gay discrimination into its constitution. Based on that amendment, a three-judge panel of Michigan’s court of appeals voted last month to terminate medical insurance coverage for families of LGBT government workers throughout the state.

“It is appalling hypocrisy for these forces to pretend that their venomous words and organizing have no connection to the plague of hate violence against gay people, including the murder of Mr. Anthos…”

That’s right: Matt Foreman publicly (and falsely) accused Gary Glenn and Cardinal Maida as accessories to the murder [which we now know was probably not a murder–AFTAH editor] of a 72-year-old man, simply because these men exercise their constitutional freedom of speech to vocally uphold the Christian principles upon which our nation was founded — including God’s design for one man to wed one woman for life and His consistent condemnation of homosexual behavior.

Perhaps Matt Foreman took his cue from Sean Kosofsky of Triangle Foundation, a Detroit-based homosexual activist group, who once made this preposterous claim against Glenn’s group:

“We personally believe that the AFA may support the murder of gay, lesbian and bisexual people… We are also fairly certain the AFA wants all homosexuals locked up on sodomy charges and put in jail.”

Michigan pro-family leader Gary Glenn: victim of homosexual smear campaigns 

On Feb 24, 2007, Matt Foreman, Executive Director of the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force issued the following statement blaming Christians and specifically Gary Glenn, president of American Family Association of Michigan, for the apparent murder of homosexual Andrew Anthos — which Detroit police have now reported was not a murder:

“The hatred and loathing that led to the vicious murder of Andrew Anthos only because he was gay is not innate. Instead it is being taught every day by leaders of the so-called Christian right and their political allies. They disguise their bigotry as ‘deeply-held religious beliefs.’ They cloak themselves in ‘family values.’

“For years, Michigan has been subjected to the homophobic rants of Gary Glenn of the American Family Association of Michigan, while so many otherwise good and decent people have been silent. Just two years ago, the state endured an ugly campaign, led by Cardinal Adam Maida, to ‘protect marriage’ by writing anti-gay discrimination into its constitution. Based on that amendment, a three-judge panel of Michigan’s court of appeals voted last month to terminate medical insurance coverage for families of LGBT government workers throughout the state.

“It is appalling hypocrisy for these forces to pretend that their venomous words and organizing have no connection to the plague of hate violence against gay people, including the murder of Mr. Anthos…”

That’s right: Matt Foreman publicly (and falsely) accused Gary Glenn and Cardinal Maida as accessories to the murder [again, which we now know was probably not a murder–AFTAH editor] of a 72-year-old man, simply because these men exercise their constitutional freedom of speech to vocally uphold the Christian principles upon which our nation was founded — including God’s design for one man to wed one woman for life and His consistent condemnation of homosexual behavior.

Perhaps Matt Foreman took his cue from Sean Kosofsky of Triangle Foundation, a Detroit-based homosexual activist group, who once made this preposterous claim against Glenn’s group:

“We personally believe that the AFA may support the murder of gay, lesbian and bisexual people… We are also fairly certain the AFA wants all homosexuals locked up on sodomy charges and put in jail.”

By Peter LaBarbera

Iliinois homosexual activist Rick Garcia equates advocates for concerned parents with Nazis 

Americans For Truth has joined the pro-family coalition NotOurKids.com — calling on parents across the nation to pull their kids from school if the school endorses or encourages the pro-homosexual “Day of Silence.” The annual event is the brainchild of the radical group GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network), of Massachusetts “Fistgate” notoriety.

Day of Silence is a propaganda exercise for schools designed to engender sympathy toward GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender) lifestyles. Many schools now officially back this disruptive, pro-homosexual event — so we’re calling on parents to pull their children out of school that day (Wed., April 18 this year). How did we get to the point in our society where schools would be used to promote acceptance of immoral homosexual behaviors and gender confusion (transgenderism)?

Many schools — especially in metropolitan areas — have become PC propaganda centers, and it’s way past time for parents to take a stand. Promoting unhealthy, changeable and immoral behaviors like homosexuality and bisexuality — especially to vulnerable teens (even middle schoolers!) –– lacks compassion.  Click HERE for a list of schools likely to be (or potentially) participating in the “Day of Silence.” 

Beware: it can be tricky to nail down a school’s policy on DOS because administrators will often claim that they are NOT endorsing the pro-homosexual event, yet then they will still allow students to remain silent that day — an obvious acquiescence to politicized behavior that disrupts the educational process.

For an idea of how GLSEN-friendly teachers use the classroom to promote the “victimhood” of homosexuals as a minority, click HERE to view a GLSEN document, “Lesson Plan: The Silencing Effect of Anti-LGBT Name-Calling.”  From the “Lesson Plan”:

“Instruct students to freewrite about one or both of the following topics: 1) How it feels to silence oneself and be silenced by others; and/or 2) What the Day of Silence means to them, and why they do or don’t think the Day of Silence is necessary in their school.”

Folks, this isn’t education, it’s ‘Gay’ Advocacy Training 101!

Concerned Parents = Nazis?

Rick Garcia, Illinois’ top homosexual activist, responded to the “Not Our Kids” press release below by saying that our pro-family coalition is advocating “animosity and bigotry” rather than a healthy school environment. Garcia told the Naperville [Illinois] Sun: “These people sound like they’d be perfect for Nazi Germany…Let’s burn books so our perfect children are not tainted. Not our kids, well they are your kids. If they think they’re going to keep their kids from gay people or a discussion of homosexuality anywhere, they are delusional.”  (Click HERE for ex-“gay” and Not Our Kids spokesman Steve Bennett’s response to Garcia’s nonsense.)

Nazi Germany? Burning books? Delusional parents?  So much for the homosexual advocates’ “no name calling” campaign. Can you see why your children are more likely to be indoctrinated than educated when the “gay” agenda elbows its way into their school? 

Americans For Truth and NotOurKids.com will have more information on the Parent/Student Pullout of the Day of Silence (Wed., April 18th) and practical information on what you as a parent or taxpayer can do in future e-mails.

Eli Lilly becomes the latest major corporation to sell out to the homosexual lobby — by selling out the institution of marriage. So protecting marriage as one-man, one-woman now makes a state “intolerant”? How sad. There was a time when corporations wanted to create a wholesome family environment, and sought to recruit family men. Now they subsidize perversion and are petrified of alienating vocal homosexual activists. The descent of the corporation into the outright promotion of evil (an organized sin movement) is one of the saddest stories of modern, “post-Christian” America. But there is still time for moral-minded employees at Eli Lilly to speak up and reverse this travesty. — Peter LaBarbera

The following article appeared on the front page of Wednesday’s Indianapolis Star. 

By Mary Beth Schneider (mary.beth.schneider@indystar.com)

Lilly Against Marriage Ban

Eli Lilly and Co. today became the latest large Indiana employer to oppose a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. 

Posted in Eli Lilly, News