HRC Blog

NOM’s Fuzzy Math

March 26, 2012 by Dan Rafter, Online Campaigns Manager

Brian Brown and Maggie Gallagher have a problem with math – they always seem to be getting their numbers wrong! In NOM’s most recent attack on Starbucks, NOM claimed the coffee company’s support for marriage equality was tantamount to a culture war on all people of faith. Maggie Gallagher herself has said that polling can’t be trusted because people don’t want to appear anti-LGBT, and that opposing marriage equality is “a mainstream, winning issue in America today.”

The problem is – all of that information is inaccurate. It’s just wrong.

Let’s take a look at some numbers about marriage equality:

According to a 2011 Gallup poll, a strong percentage of Americans – 53 percent – support marriage equality.
An even higher number of Americans – 63 percent – believe gay and lesbian couples deserve legal recognition, according to a recent New York Times/CBS News poll.

As for NOM’s misleading claim that marriage equality is an affront to people of faith? The numbers paint a pretty different picture:

According to a recent PRRI poll, 66 percent of Catholic Millennials support marriage equality.
An exceptionally high proportion of people of faith – 85 percent – say their religious beliefs lead them to the conclusion that LGBT people should be treated equally under the law.

No matter how NOM tries to spin it, the numbers just won’t shake out in their favor. Support for equality is growing around the country, and NOM’s increasingly desperate tactics are aimed at stirring up whatever possible anti-LGBT sentiments they can.

Take action now, and tell NOM to get their facts in order when it comes to who does and doesn’t support equality.