VIDEO: 1996's Kids Taught Tolerance; 2010's NOM Strategist Not One Of Them

May 5, 2010

I have some wonderful video for you today. Louis Marinelli, a National Organization for Marriage (NOM) strategist*, uploaded these videos to youtube last night, claiming that they show “how teachers started indoctrinating the homosexual agenda to children as early as 1994.”

The clips come from Debra Chasnoff’s award winning 1996 documentary It’s Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School, which appeared on public television stations in 1999. Click here for more clips from the film’s official home.

Based on these clips, I can’t wait to see the rest of the film. It looks like a fantastic study of how critical thinking, social skills, and tolerance should be taught. I understand why Louis is all in a tizzy (they aren’t teaching the kids to shame gay people, after all), but it’s so bizarre when you compare his commentary on youtube and facebook to what’s actually happening in the clips.

(I love how he’s “uncovered” the video. It hasn’t exactly been heretofore hidden away under lock and key, passed from dark alley to dark alley.)

I explained to them why, as a straight man, I would be interested. And I like to answer the question because I think that it pushes them to think of this as more than just a lesbian and gay matter.

That’s how their life is! They’re gay, so what? That’s how their life is; I don’t think people should be strict about them, ’cause if they were gay they wouldn’t want to be getting beat up. …or stuff… Can I go to the bathroom?

A lesbian mom said, “You may lose your job over this. Do you want to go forward?” … I’m not a flagbearer, but I felt strongly that the children in this community needed to be educated around this topic.

* For several weeks I’ve been trying to figure out if Louis Marinelli actually works for NOM. He uses their logo and certainly presents himself that way, including listing himself as a NOM independent contractor in his profile. Today I found a post by Marinelli that bears that out (see below), in this case listing him as a “strategist.”

click image for live facebook page

click image for live facebook page

In addition, Marinelli claimed to be working “directly” with NOM on his group’s twitter account in March 2010. Also, he is facebook friend to both current NOM President Brian Brown and former President Maggie Gallagher according to his facebook page, and Brown is a member of his NOM page, which is different than the group’s original page listed on NOM’s blog.

And now I’m dizzy.

The bottom line is that Louis Marinelli speaks for NOM in an official capacity. (Folks at NOM, feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.)


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  • Louis Marinelli

    The information on my profile is accurate. However, NOM is one entity and my organization is a seperate entity that helps spread the NOM message. So while I do not “speak for NOM”, we are working together.

    Hope that clarifies everything for yourself and your readers.

    Louis Marinelli
    Director, Protect Marriage: One Man, One Woman
    http://www.protectmarriagesite.com

    PS

    Brian Brown is the President of NOM
    http://www.nationformarriage.org

    As you can see, two separate entities.

  • http://blog.mattalgren.com Matt Algren

    Hi Louis. Unfortunately, it doesn't clarify. Bear with me on this, please!

    You say the groups are “working together” and are separate, but you use their name and logo, and present yourself as a “contractor”. That's not “working together,” that's one working for the other. Further leading to confusion is your listing of NOM as your employer, which again is different than “working together.” What I'm trying to figure out is whether you and your group are part of the NOM corporate “family”' or if you're a like-minded separate entity with no formal connection to NOM proper.

    So I suppose my question is whether you are on the NOM payroll or receive funding from NOM. Would you be willing to answer that or further explain the relationship?

    Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your response.

  • Louis Marinelli

    The relationship is as follows:

    NOM and I are in frequent contact per our mutual agreement to work together. As part of that mutual agreement, I have taken the responsibility of promoting NOM's visibility and presense on the internet.

    That explains the use of the NOM logo/name. Our goal with NOM is focused on promoting the NOM organization over mine, so that further clarifies the use of the NOM logo.

    However, we are two separate entities. This explains why this video was posted on my organization's YouTube account and not the NOM YouTube account. Further demonstration of our relationship's limit.

    Also, the very first posting of the video on the Protect Marriage: One Man, One Woman fan page specifically indicated that it was a posting by Protect Marriage and did not represent the views of NOM. That original post has since been deleted. (So as to not over crowd our fans' newsfeed with multiple posts in one night).

    I doubt you'll take my word on that but I have no reason to lie. The issue of indoctrination/teaching of homosexuality is an issue NOM pushed in the Prop 8 campaign.

    NOM is listed as my employer on my facebook profile because that is how I spend my work day – dedicated to this cause and to NOM's mission. If you read further, you will see that my actual “job” is that of an English teacher in Russia.

    Can't cash checks here in Russia – nor would I trust the Russian mail system with any form of mail delivery. So my English teaching occupies my evenings and NOM occupies my days. That is the extend of my working relationship with them.

    My “group” is not a part of the NOM corporate family but would not be opposed to it if they wanted to “adopt” us.

    Louis Marinelli

  • http://blog.mattalgren.com Matt Algren

    You've actually cleared it up quite well. I appreciate the clarification!

  • Louis Marinelli

    No problem.

    I am always for civil dicussion between people of opposite sides of this issue. You can join our new discussion forum, through my website, if that is something that interests you.

  • Louis Marinelli

    The information on my profile is accurate. However, NOM is one entity and my organization is a seperate entity that helps spread the NOM message. So while I do not “speak for NOM”, we are working together.

    Hope that clarifies everything for yourself and your readers.

    Louis Marinelli
    Director, Protect Marriage: One Man, One Woman
    http://www.protectmarriagesite.com

    PS

    Brian Brown is the President of NOM
    http://www.nationformarriage.org

    As you can see, two separate entities.

  • http://blog.mattalgren.com Matt Algren

    Hi Louis. Unfortunately, it doesn't clarify. Bear with me on this, please!

    You say the groups are “working together” and are separate, but you use their name and logo, and present yourself as a “contractor”. That's not “working together,” that's one working for the other. Further leading to confusion is your listing of NOM as your employer, which again is different than “working together.” What I'm trying to figure out is whether you and your group are part of the NOM corporate “family”' or if you're a like-minded separate entity with no formal connection to NOM proper.

    So I suppose my question is whether you are on the NOM payroll or receive funding from NOM. Would you be willing to answer that or further explain the relationship?

    Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your response.

  • Louis Marinelli

    The relationship is as follows:

    NOM and I are in frequent contact per our mutual agreement to work together. As part of that mutual agreement, I have taken the responsibility of promoting NOM's visibility and presense on the internet.

    That explains the use of the NOM logo/name. Our goal with NOM is focused on promoting the NOM organization over mine, so that further clarifies the use of the NOM logo.

    However, we are two separate entities. This explains why this video was posted on my organization's YouTube account and not the NOM YouTube account. Further demonstration of our relationship's limit.

    Also, the very first posting of the video on the Protect Marriage: One Man, One Woman fan page specifically indicated that it was a posting by Protect Marriage and did not represent the views of NOM. That original post has since been deleted. (So as to not over crowd our fans' newsfeed with multiple posts in one night).

    I doubt you'll take my word on that but I have no reason to lie. The issue of indoctrination/teaching of homosexuality is an issue NOM pushed in the Prop 8 campaign.

    NOM is listed as my employer on my facebook profile because that is how I spend my work day – dedicated to this cause and to NOM's mission. If you read further, you will see that my actual “job” is that of an English teacher in Russia.

    Can't cash checks here in Russia – nor would I trust the Russian mail system with any form of mail delivery. So my English teaching occupies my evenings and NOM occupies my days. That is the extend of my working relationship with them.

    My “group” is not a part of the NOM corporate family but would not be opposed to it if they wanted to “adopt” us.

    Louis Marinelli

  • http://blog.mattalgren.com Matt Algren

    You've actually cleared it up quite well. I appreciate the clarification!

  • Louis Marinelli

    No problem.

    I am always for civil dicussion between people of opposite sides of this issue. You can join our new discussion forum, through my website, if that is something that interests you.

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