Maggie Gallagher, head of NOM, attends pro-gay marriage rally in DC; still supports Carrie Prejean [video]
Washington, D.C. — A protest rally held in Dupont Circle tonight brought together same-sex marriage supporters who say they were angered by yesterday’s vote to overturn marriage rights in Maine.
A surprise attendee of the rally was Maggie Gallagher, President of the National Organization for Marriage. Gallagher’s organization spearheaded the effort to repeal Maine’s same-sex marriage law, and by a small majority — 53 to 47 percent — voters opted to revoke equal marriage rights in that state. It appeared to bother some attendees of tonight’s rally that Gallagher would appear at a pro-gay marriage event, yet the estimated crowd of 120 mostly left her alone as she observed the hour-long protest.
Gallagher said she had just been at a nearby building and it was by “great coincidence” that she was passing by. She stated that she was not attending the event as part of a professional capacity and did not wish to go on camera for an interview.
When asked what her feelings were about Carrie Prejean‘s latest developments, Gallagher said, “I don’t have all the facts.” Earlier today, TMZ.com reported that a “XXX home video” had surfaced of the controversial California beauty queen, and that a legal complaint from Prejean had been hastily settled.
This past May, Prejean had been introduced by Gallagher at a media event held in D.C. At the time, Prejean spoke of her life-changing “Miss USA” moment, when she told pageant judge Perez Hilton, “I believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman, no offense to anyone out there.” That highly publicized National Press Building event served to launch an advertisement paid for and distributed by the National Organization for Marriage. The ad featured Prejean’s famous statement, and added that passage of gay marriage could cause small businesses and religious organizations “widespread legal conflicts” and that the “effects would be…devastating.” Entitled “No Offense, ” the ad also claimed gays wanted to “silence the opposition.”
Gallagher claimed tonight that Prejean did not work for NOM and was not a spokesperson for the organization. Gallagher then remarked that NOM had never invited Prejean to speak in D.C., and that organizers of the Values Voter Summit had invited her to introduce Prejean at a second, separate event this past September. She added that she wished Prejean well and that she would introduce Prejean again.
After the rally ended, Gallagher was asked if opponents of same-sex marriage like her were enjoying the ability to prevent people from having the right to get married. She replied that “People can make up what they want, but they can’t make up what’s in my head…. I am enjoying the victory in Maine for which we fought hard, but I am not enjoying seeing people disagree with me. No.” Asked to explain what exactly “the victory” was, she stated, “People disagree on this issue. And I think it’s important to hear what people who disagree with you say. That’s why I showed up.” She concluded by saying she didn’t think gay unions were marriages and that changing the definition of marriage would do a lot of damage.
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