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crossposted on Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters
Brian Brown, head of the National Organization for Marriage, published a Christmas message on the group's blog featuring a picture of him and his family:
Brown looks like he has a wonderful family and he has every right to be proud of them.
But something is bothering me. What's the difference Brown's family and these families:
None of these families are any different except for the sexual orientation of the parents. Yet it is this one little thing which propels Brown, NOM, and other members of the religious right to oppose not only same-sex marriage, but also same-sex households. I could cite many studies which easily demonstrate that there is nothing with same-sex households, but sometimes I just feel like I don't need to.
At what point do we recognize the fact that same-sex families having to always have to “prove” themselves is a basic insult?
The truth is we all know of same-sex households which include children and we all know that these children are happy and healthy. We all know that these households provide children with the love, support, and structure they need to get through life.
To claim that same-sex households are harmful or even push the cynical talking point that same-sex households is an “untested experiment” is an insult to basic intelligence.
The question that those on the right, Brown included, never seem to want to answer is what makes them the arbiters of what constitutes a “good family.” What gives them the right to create a caste system for families who doesn't fit their narrow idea of an “idealized situation?”
An “idealized situation” is not reality. It's a fantasy. Reality is the fact that two-parent heterosexual families are not always the best place to raise children. Reality is that sometimes children thrives in single parents households or even same-sex households.
If Brown and company really cared about families or children, they would do something more about the reality rather than to manipulate the fantasy.
By writing this, I mean no disrespect to Brown and I certainly don't mean any disrespect to his family. But it is patently obscene to me that someone will show pride in his family while attempting to deny others the chance to have the same privilege simply because he does not agree with their sexual orientation.
41 Comments
Brown’s boyfriend is missing from that pictureHey — we ALL know he’s go one on the “Down Low.”
Maggie’s family as wellI was thinking something similar the other day when I happened upon yet another clip of Maggie Gallagher talking about how children need “a mom and a dad.” Yet Maggie’s own family hardly fits the ideal that she and Brown are selling – children by two different fathers, only one of whom actually married her, not to mention the mixed religious backgrounds of Maggie and her husband. When she decided to raise her first child as a single mother, she deliberately chose to raise a child in a home without a father, just as lesbian moms are constantly being accused of doing, yet I never hear her criticized for this choice.
Now, I have no idea what kind of home Maggie’s children have had, or how good a parent she has been. I would guess that, like most people, she and her husband made some mistakes along the way, dealt with the stresses of a mixed marriage and blended family and raised decent kids – just as families all around the country, of all makes and models, manage to do.
What I am sure of is that Maggie would reject utterly the notion that society should hold a referendum on whether her family should have the same value as all others. Even though some of her lifestyle choices (e.g., having sex before marriage and marrying a non-Christian) are denounced as immoral by the very allies with whom she conspires to demand inequality for LGBT people, Maggie does not think those opinions should affect her relationship status, even as she uses those opinions against families headed by same-sex couples. I guess that is the fundamental hypocrisy of the “pro-family” movement.
And then there’s THIS family
I agree 110%……but there is absolutely no chance that NOM is going to stop peddling false BS about GLBT families.
By fighting for marriage equality, we are proving our commitment to our families, our kids, our partners. I think the country is seeing this more and more. Ultimately, NOM can’t win. All the money and effort they have put into oppression will be for naught, but they will undoubtedly be the last to realize it.
wow……that’s adorable.
No, Disrespect that little shit.It’s people like Brian Brown who delegitmize my father as a parent and disrespect him as a parent. He raised my deaf sister and me by his self and according to people like Brown, we children should be taken away to live with “a father AND a mother”.
He may not realize that’s what he’s implying (or worse, he does), and because of that, I take the issue of family very seriously.
I’m sure I’ve said as much about this topic someplace else, so let me finish my reply the same way: “Brian Brown, fuck you.”
If I’m not mistakenthere’s considerable research that shows children raised in very large households don’t fair as well as children with fewer siblings.
So Brian and his wife have made a decision to raise children under less than ideal circumstances.
Spot the differences?The families with two dads or two moms have only the children they can raise with care and love. Families like the Browns squirt out spawn regardless of whether they can raise them properly. Come on, SEVEN CHILDREN? I would not at all be surprised to learn that Brown is receiving government support because his wife (obedient little Christian goodwife that she no doubt is) does not have a paying job and they cannot otherwise support that brood without tax-payer handouts.
Exactly.Brian’s position is that hetero parenting, any hetero parenting, is more important than responsible parenting.
Seriously!Look at that grimace on his face.
Big familiesSome of my best friends, literally, are from large families. While they had a very different experience from mine as an only child, I can’t say they fared badly. Certainly they turned out well and are happy, productive people, with good relationships with their sibs.
But that was another time. In this day and age, to have more than 2 kids/per couple is simply wildly irresponsible. Even if you have the financial resources to support them in the short run, the earth doesn’t. Why anyone with more than room temp IQ doesn’t see this is beyond me.
“Brown looks like he has a wonderful family and he has every right to be proud of them.”I’m sure the sperm donor is proud as well.
my question is: how many of those kids do you think the browns adopted?i’d bet on ZERO. if all kids supposedly deserve a mother and a father, then the browns and all of their fellow christian fundie bigot married couples should be snapping them up out of places where they’ve been discarded and neglected like garbage. because this fucking stupid christmas photo is not the reality for millions of children in this world–the reality is that it’s a shitty place for a lot of innocent kids. and when fuckheads like brian spout off about the damage that same-sex families supposedly inflict, while simultaneously doing nothing except exacerbating the problem with their seemingly endless breeding (yeah–we get it, brian…you are SOOOO amazingly hetero), those kids suffer even more, and loving same-sex couples suffer along with them.
i’ve got no problem attacking brian’s family. he came collectively after ours, first. this raging hypocrite deserves a special place in hell for the pain he’s inflicted on so many people, and so many children.
YeahEVERYONE knows that two 13 year old straight teenage parents automatically and by default make better parents than a same-sex couple who has been together for 20 years….
Mrs Brown looks really tiredThe kids look happy and healthy, which is great to see, but it must be taking a real toll on their mother keeping that huge household of little ones together. Especially considering it looks like the kids are no more than 1-2 years apart in age. I wonder how she coped while Brian was away all summer on his failed bus tour.
On the other hand, the more children they produce, the greater chance that one or more will turn out to be gay, so keep at it Family Brown.
In the time it took me to log on….… You said exactly what I was going to say. The more children they have, the more likelihood there will be at least one who is gay. Then they will have to do some serious introspection. Problem is, by that time, the damage to the public has already been done.
Plus, the child probably grows up as a Ted Haggard — so called “straight, with issues”. Whatever the hell that is.
Keep squirtin’ Brian, to show us how much a man you are.
Poor kidsI would freakin’ HATE to be one of his kids. Imagine the control and judgment (all with a smile) in that household.
I see a few big differencesTwo of those families had a choice of when to have a child, and worked hard to get them. One of those families is dealing with “happy accidents.”
One of those families is indoctrinating their children into an unhealthy life of hatred and bigotry, to further their own kind. The other two are helping kids that were most likely in a rough situation.
Two of those families will support all their children no matter who they are. One of those families will make their children hate themselves.
The blond boy is gay.Just a hunch.
Just think……if one of used pics of his/her kids in a blatant fundraising appeal to further our cause, Brown would be the first to hurl accusations of “exploiting children for political and financial gain.”
Look for Brown and NOM invalidate New Hampshire’sMarriage equality this coming year. NH legislature is in Repug hands now.
From http://www.seacoastonline.com/…
Sure to be the first thing on the anti gay agenda this coming year.
He’s making that money on our backs.The main reason Brian Brown crusades so vigorously against us is that he can make money doing it – money he desperately needs to support this mega-family.
I’m sure it was a relief
She was probably relieved that he wasn’t home knocking her up with another one.
Ned Flanders on steroids
Those…are Stepford Wife smiles.
Notice that one of them is not smiling.That’s the gay one I’m betting.
When I look at Brian’s large collection of young ‘unsI see a future dyke, sissy boy, switch hitter or tranny. It’s practically a statistical certainty. I hope they can find other families in which to shelter when the time comes.
you mean try to invalidateThe people of NH are not letting that happen without a fight.
Age difference.From NOM’s website
“Brian and his wife Susan have six young children: Elizabeth (10), Brian (8), Anne (6), Marie (5), John (3), and Max (1).”
Unless I have my beer goggles on too tight, I count 7 kids in that photo.
Now this might seem insensitive, but PSA’s are required when I see that many offspring under a single roof.
One after another, after another.
No wonder why we never see the wife, she’s constantly in labor! Poor thing. Probably gets rage banged after every lie filled speech he gives.
Maybe someone should preach to him about responsible parenting and limiting the amount of children as to not bankrupt the family. What if Brian is out of a job all of the sudden because his brand of bigotry isn’t for sale anymore?
Anyone hear the latest ‘octo-mom’ story? Going bankrupt.
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/…
Children are nice, a blessing and all. However it’s not like Uncle Jim needs to “produce” more help for the farm anymore. This whole vagina-is-a-clown-car craze is getting out of control. Children are a real burden and ginormous responsibility. People need to recognize this or end up in the gutter.
it’s really not okay to throw slurs around (unless they apply to you and you’re reclaiming them, anyway) even when it’s done in a joking wayHappy New Year BTW.
And I think even a hetero cis kid would probably want to run away from those creeps.
Re:Do you seriously think that would change him? I think it’s more like that he would force him/her to keep it a secret or just throw them out of the house.
I really wouldn’t wish having him as a father on a gay child. That’s cruel.
Don’t want to say this, but…I wonder how long it’s going to be until we hear of Susan going temporarily insane and harming her children?
She’s not unlike many other Christian Stepford wives, forced to bear as many children as the man wands, then forced to home school them, thus having little to no interaction with adults.
We can’t presume any of thatI’ve known enough large families who home schooled their kids to know that the mother cannot be presumed to be a slave. In those families, it was a deliberate team effort.
maybefor my part, i also am critical of parents who produce large numbers of children because there are simply too many people on earth already. why further burden an already overburdened planet with even more?
“A deliberate team effort”to make her love being a slave.
The operative phrase…Team* effort! How can Brian help with “educating” his brood if he’s constantly out on the road; running failed bus tours, speaking engagements to other American Taliban cells, etcetera?
Besides, if he were the proper Christian man, he would not do that, because it’s considered “womens’ work” anyway. His job is to provide for his family earning money, forcing himself on his wife whenever he wants, and sitting on his ass while she slaves away doing everything else.
There’s only one solution for Brian –Give the kids to Brad and Angelina.
Re:Angelina Jolie is bisexual. She probably wouldn’t make a good mother in their eyes.
over populationIn this day and age it is irresponsible for any family to bring seven children into the world. The world is already overpopulated by humans. There are finite resources, especially water, and space for all of us. We’re crowding out all other life. It is surely the challenge of our time and eventually will lead to civil unrest as food becomes scarce and oceans rise because of climate change.
The Mind of Mags…Question: Why is Maggie Gallagher and Brian Brown so ape-scat over imposing and perpetuatying this false ideal of gender-steriotypes into interpersonal relationships to the extent of civil and contractually-based marriages? Seriously, I wanna’ know!
The two of them have different reasons.Maggie’s first attempt at trapping a guy backfired spectacularly and Brian’s a closet case.