NOM to kick-off "Summer for Marriage Tour" in Maine

In an effort to promote marriage as a union only between a man and a woman, the New Jersey-based National Organization for Marriage is launching its month long "Summer for Marriage Tour" on Wednesday, July 14.

The tour's first stop will be Augusta, Maine. The rally will feature NOM President Brian Brown, Bob Emrich, director of the Maine Jeremiah Project, and other local activists and religious leaders.

On Sunday, July 18, the tour will make a stop in Providence. The event will feature Chris Plante, director of NOM Rhode Island, attorney Scott Spear and either Bishop Thomas Tobin or Auxiliary Bishop Evans from the Diocese of Providence. And a rally will begin at 2 p.m. at the Rhode Island State House.

Other stops on the 19 state, 23 city tour include New Hampshire, Indiana, Ohio, Maryland, Washington, New York and New Jersey. The selection of Maine as its starting point, however, is perhaps due to last year's successful repeal of a law that had allowed same-sex couples to get married in the Pine Tree State.

Betsy Smith, executive director of Equality Maine, noted NOM spent close to $2 million on the referendum. She told EDGE a lot of work needs to be done to explain to Maine voters why gays and lesbians should have the same rights as heterosexual couples.

"It is what we have always based our work on," said Smith. "It's about Maine people talking to their family and friends about why all families in Maine need protections, the protections of marriage. That is how we insure that families are strong and healthy."

Equality Maine will hold a press conference before the NOM rally, which will feature LGBT couples and other activists and religious leaders. Smith noted marriage supporters will also write letters-to-the-editors to express their frustrations over not having the same legal protections as heterosexual couples.

Further south, Rhode Island has been one of NOM's top priorities in the last few years.

The organization has announced its second annual Celebrate Marriage and Family Day will take place at the Aldrich Mansion in Warwick on Aug. 15. Glenn Stanton, director of family formation studies at Focus on the Family, will deliver the keynote address.

Last year's event drew protests from LGBT organizations. And while Rhode Island remains the only New England state where lawmakers have not approved marriage for gays and lesbians, Karen Loewy, a staff attorney for Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, explained NOM's efforts in the Ocean State may actually indicate progress on the issue.

"I think what it shows is a recognition that Rhode Island is moving in the right direction with regard to marriage equality," she said.

Loewy explained NOM is bringing its marriage tour to states where the fight for LGBT rights has already been won. She said same-sex couples need to continue to counter NOM's message by talking about why marriage is important to them.

"I'm confident that [NOM] are not going to be successful," added Loewy. "The denial of marriage to same-sex couples is incredibly harsh inequality and people get that."