WASHINGTON – Over the years, many of the nation’s most notorious and outspoken opponents of equality for LGBT people have warned of the disastrous effect legal marriage equality will have on American society.  Yet today, as same-sex couples can legally marry in 32 states and Washington, DC, it seems the country’s march toward nationwide marriage equality has not triggered the doomsday scenario many anti-LGBT extremists prophesied.

“The scare tactics and incendiary rhetoric used by our opponents to scare people away from supporting marriage equality have proven to be bogus,” said Fred Sainz, Vice President for Communications at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC).  “Whether you live in San Francisco or Salt Lake City, the sun still comes up every morning, a dozen eggs still cost $2.00, and the Rolling Stones are still touring.  Tony Perkins, Brian Brown and the rest of the anti-equality fearmongers should address whether they still truly believe the ludicrous and insulting doomsday narrative they’ve been peddling over the years.”

Many anti-LGBT advocates have long suggested that allowing same-sex couples to marry would result in a “revolution” or would somehow result in the destruction of society as we know it.  Here are a few examples: 

Tony Perkins – President, Family Research Council

·       "I think if the court steps in at this moment and says, 'We're redefining marriage, same-sex marriage will be the law in every land,’ I'm telling you what, I think you will create a firestorm of opposition. I think that could be the straw that broke the camel's back.  When you look at a nation that is so divided along these moral and cultural issues, that you could have — you know I hate to use the word — but, I mean, a revolt. A revolution. I mean, I think you could see Americans saying, 'You know what? Enough of this.' And I think it could explode and just break this nation apart."– “Washington Watch with Tony Perkins,” November 2012

·       “I think the court is very much aware with the backdrop of the fortieth anniversary of Roe v. Wade just two months ago that interjecting itself in this, especially when you have thirty states that have taken the steps that they have, could literally split this nation in two and create such political and cultural turmoil that I’m not sure we could recover from it.” He continues, “I believe the court will push as far as they think they can without creating a social upheaval or a political upheaval in this country… if you get government out of whack with where the people are and it goes too far, you create revolution. I think you could see a social and cultural revolution if the court goes too far on this.” The Janet Mefferd Show, March 2013

Brian Brown – President, National Organization for Marriage

·       “Marriage is a foundational institution, something at the core of civilization. It is our only institution that brings men and women together as husbands and wives to be fathers and mothers to any children born of their union. Marriage is the foundation of the family and an essential element of a thriving society. No nation can long survive if it abandons the natural family and denies the unique contributions men and women each bring to child rearing.” Deseret News, September 2014

Maggie Gallagher – Former President, National Organization for Marriage (NOM)

·       “Winning the gay-marriage debate may be hard, but to those of us who witnessed the fall of Communism, despair is inexcusable and irresponsible. Losing this battle means losing the idea that children need mothers and fathers. It means losing the marriage debate. It means losing limited government. It means losing American civilization. It means losing, period.” National Review, July 2003

Mathew Staver – Chairman, Liberty Counsel

·       “Basically marriage will be completely destroyed, families will be destroyed, children will be hurt by this and freedom of speech and freedom of religion, including in the pulpit itself, will absolutely be bulldozed over. This would open a floodgate of unimaginable proportions. That’s why with those kinds of consequences to have five of the nine justices ultimately have this kind of power in their hands, that’s not how this court and this country was established, to have five individuals to be able to have that kind of catastrophic, social reengineering power in their hands, that’s just not something that was envisioned by the founders.”  He continues, “If we ultimately say as a court and if the country follows it that marriage is between two people of the same sex and it’s now how common sense, history and the Bible ultimately defines it, that has catastrophic consequences. That is staggering and it is actually something that we ought to be in significant prayer about because this could be the unraveling of the United States.” In the Market with Janet Parshall, December 2012

According to poll results released by TargetPoint consulting in June of this year, 62% of voters say America wouldn't be all that different if gays and lesbians were allowed to marry nationwide, while 74% say their life wouldn't change.  Participants who oppose marriage equality were also asked to respond to Tony Perkins’ promise of a revolution if marriage equality were to become the law of the land in America.  Unfortunately for Perkins, barely 18% of his constituents said they agree with him, while a vast majority disagree.  What’s more, nearly 60% of those who oppose same-sex marriage said they would do nothing in response to marriage equality becoming the law of the land nationwide.

To view more key findings from the poll, click here. 

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. HRC envisions a world where LGBT people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

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