Dave Smith

Kudos to Dave Smith and the Illinois Family Institute, an independent family group, which led the charge against this misguided legislation to create “domestic partner” benefits for Chicago teachers. Pro-family lobbyists Ralph Rivera and Rev. Bob Vanden Bosch also deserve credit for their hard work against this bill in Springfield.

Illinois still faces “civil unions” bills in the House and Senate that would put the state’s authority foursquare behind extramarital relationships — heterosexual and homosexual — which is the last thing that children and the beleaguered institution of marriage need in the Land of Lincoln. A roll call of the vote is available HERE. — Peter LaBarbera

Here is the IFI report:

IFI Update: Good News! Homosexual Teachers Bill Falls Short in the Illinois House;

How did they vote?

By David E. Smith, Illinois Family Institute

You made a difference! Thank you for taking action on this bill!

Thanks in part to your phone calls and emails, the Illinois House of Representatives in Springfield voted 43 to 67 (with 1 voting ‘present’) yesterday, defeating HB 4731, a bill that would have allowed homosexual partners of public school teachers to qualify as surviving spouses for purpose of survivor and death benefits.

Look at the chart below to see how your State Representative voted, or you can also download it by clicking HERE.

If your State Representative voted ‘NO’ — please call to thank him/her. You can look up your elected officals HERE, or you can call the IFI office at 630-790-8370, and we will be happy to look them up for you.

Sent today (April 14, 2008) to the Americans For Truth website:

“I am so tired of listening and reading your CHRISTER AGENDA! You want to take over the world and make us all succumb to a fairy tale that has no proof at all whatsoever. Do not press your beliefs into my life. If you dont want to be gay then dont [sic]. But you better accept me being [here] and an equal. You have rights that were granted to you just because you are an ignorant and uneducted CHRISTER [sic] that loves jeebus for christs sake [sic]. Why should you have protected rights over others? Your arguments are ridiculous and irrational. You are a bigot and a fraud. STOP YOUR AGENDA!!!!!!! I hate all of you for what you say and will fight you ever day of my life. So will all of my friends and associates.”

T. Clay Rooker

Houston, Texas

AFTAH responds: Then unsubscribe from our e-mail newsletter and don’t go to our website, Mr. Rooker. It’s that simple. I feel your hate. — Peter LaBarbera

Rooker replies: I do not go to your bigoted hate-filled website you stupid moron.  Do you not realize that your drivel is posted all over the net on other websites.  God damn you are stupid. Did you even go to college or even have a high school diploma.   You feel my hate?   I fell your stupidity and ignorance.

Matt Barber, Policy Director for Cultural Issues at Concerned Women for America (and Board Member or Americans For Truth), has requested prayer for Lisa and Isabella Miller, whose tragic case will be heard before the Virginia Supreme Court this Thursday, April 17. Lisa Miller is a born-again Christian who abandoned the lesbian lifestyle. As Matt writes, “this hearing will determine whether a lesbian woman who is Lisa Miller’s former partner will share custody of Isabella, Lisa’s daughter. The woman is neither an adoptive parent nor is she biologically related to Isabella. In fact, she’s a total stranger to the little girl. Isabella, who is now 6-years-old, hadn’t seen this woman since she was 17-months-old. This case could have national ramifications and will help decide whether state’s like Vermont and Massachusetts get to export their radical new definitions of marriage and family around the country.”

Please pray for justice and protection of this innocent child. You can commit to praying for the Millers at www.cwfa.org/millersign.asp. Below is Matt Barber’s original column on this sad situation:

You’re Not My Mommy!

By J. Matt Barber

This article was published by CWA on August 1, 2007:

The person trying to take Isabella away from her mother is entirely unrelated to the little girl and is essentially a total stranger.

We hit you with a lot of bad news at Americans For Truth, thanks to the committed morality-phobes on the Left. So here’s some great news for a change: a wonderful Christian legislator, Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern, refused to be cowed into submission by the nation’s self-described “queer” movement. Get pumped for truth-telling by watching these rally videos (about 43 minutes total for all six videos).

The following are YouTube videos of last week’s “Rally for Sally” Kern held April 2 at the Oklahoma State Capitol, including my talk representing Americans For Truth. A huge and enthusiastic crowd of 1,500 (Daily Oklahoman estimate) or more citizens came out to support State Rep. Kern, who had been deluged with hate mail and hate phone calls after a homosexual activist group, the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, created an anti-Kern YouTube using selectively edited portions of a public speech she had given.

The quality of these videos is not that great, but it is more than made up for by the moral clarity of the speakers. Below is part one of Sally’s moving speech:

Compare this “Rally for Sally” crowd to an earlier “anti-Sally” homosexual protest rally in the same Capitol Rotunda, which drew less than 100 activists. (The Daily Oklahoman later misreported the homosexualist rally attendance at 500 people; Paul Blair of Reclaim Oklahoma observed the rally and said there were 60 people there.)

“Same-sex marriage” in Massachusetts has opened up the door to pro-homosexuality lessons for young children in public schools. Illinois is a prime target of homosexual activists. To get involved in the Protect Marriage Illinois referendum drive, click on www.protectmarriageillinois.org. At left is one of the first pro-homosexual picture books, “Daddy’s Roommate.”

TAKE ACTION: Today is Homosexuals Re-defining Marriage Lobby Day in Springfield (at least that’s what we’re calling it). Homosexual activists are targeting Illinois — with the goal of turning us into the “Massachusetts of the Midwest” — and we need your help to stop their radical agenda. If you are an Illinois resident:

1) Call your State Representative and your State Senator at 217-782-2000 and urge them to oppose HB 1826, the House homosexual “civil unions” bill, and SB 2436, the Senate version. While you’re at it, ask your legislators to oppose the pro-homosexual “domestic partnership” bill, HB 4731, which would expand the definition of spouse for some Chicago teachers’ benefits to include homosexual “partners.” Illinois (and every state) needs to reward and provide incentives for real marriage and the natural family, not destructive and immoral homosexual behavior. If you don’t know the names of your representative and state senator, call Illinois Family Institute at 630-790-8370 or go to this IFI web page: http://www.votervoice.net/Core.aspx?AID=728&APP=GAC&screen=Address&.

2) Join Protect Marriage Illinois‘ (PMI) effort to defend marriage in Illinois! Go to PMI’s website, www.protectmarriageillinois.org, and download a pro-marriage petition sheet for the county you live in. PMI is working to get signatures to place an Advisory Marriage Protection referendum on the ballot to call on Illinois legislators to pass a constitutional amendment to preserve the sacred institution of marriage as between a man and a woman. The deadline is very near — April 30th — to get the necessary 269,000 signatures on the ballot, so please act now and encourage YOUR CHURCH to do a petition drive. All petitions must be notarized. Call PMI’s Acting Director Joetta Deutch at 217-377-6017 or email her at info@protectmarriageillinois.org for more information and for help in doing a petition drive at your church. More details on PMI below.

America the Decadent? Would previous generations have allowed homosexual propagandists to spread their ungodly message of male-to-male erotic love to young children — in schools — as this children’s picture book, ‘King & King,’ has been used to do?

QUESTION: How do we get back on the offensive in the Culture War battle against homosexual activism and gender confusion? Send your ideas to americansfortruth@comcast.net

Dear AFTAH Readers,

My friend Laurie Higgins below has hit on a microcosm of why our movement is on the brink of an astounding cultural defeat — the triumph of immoral same-sex behavior as a “civil right.” In the last decade, some of our leaders, and many conservatives, chose to “downplay” the very force — homosexualism — that was leading the assault on marriage, normalcy and children in our culture.

About three years ago, I sat in a roomful of evangelical leaders at a major ministry where it was taught that you should not criticize homosexual behavior in advocating against “same-sex marriage.” The “expert” speaker cited poll data and negative audience reaction to the issue being raised.

The following speech was given by Stephen Black, executive director with Oklahoma City-based First Stone Ministries, at the “Rally for Sally” in support of Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern (R), held April 2 at the state Capitol :

Good afternoon and thank you for the privilege of sharing with you today. My name is Stephen Black and I am the Executive Director with First Stone Ministries located here in Oklahoma City. First Stone is dedicated to helping men and women overcome unwanted same-sex attraction and to live in accordance with what we believe is God’s design for sexuality — which is one man and one woman in a covenant marriage relationship.

I stand with Rep. Sally Kern today to say that I, who once lived as a gay man, agree with her assessment, that there is a political agenda and a cultural message about homosexuality [and] that it is destructive to our country.

Homosexual smear campaign backfires; some cry out “Sally for Governor!”

By Peter LaBarbera

Yesterday’s “Rally for Sally” at the Oklahoma statehouse to support State Rep. Sally Kern (R) was an amazing success, and we will have several reports on it. By all accounts, more than a thousand people turned out — the Daily Oklahoman newspaper reports 1,500 — and people were turned away from the building once the rally began.

CLICK HERE to watch a short DAILY OKLAHOMAN VIDEO-STORY on the “Rally for Sally” [you may have to click on the video story, “Free Speech Rally for Sally”]; and click HERE to read an extended Baptist Messenger interview with Kern about the controversy. You can write Kern at sallykern@okhouse.gov.

It appears as though the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund’s smear campaign against Kern — their YouTube video left out the part of her speech where she said she tries to “love everybody,” even as they charged her with contributing to hate-violence — has only made her one of the most popular politicians in Oklahoma. Although Sally disavowed any interest in running for statewide office, the calls for “Sally for Governor” and “Governor Kern” were heard repeatedly yesterday from her enthusiastic backers.