1. 11 April 2011 · 11:05 AM · 8 notes
    NOM Loses Thousands Of Facebook Fans As 'Volunteer' Endorses Gay Marriage

    civillyunioned:

    The National Organization for Marriage (NOM), the nation’s most vociferous opponent of gay marriage, lost thousands of Facebook fans after its online strategist reclaimed the group’s profile.

    On Friday, Louis Marinelli posted on his website that he supports “full civil marriage equality.”

    “The constitution calls for nothing else,” he concluded.

    After the news broke of Marinelli’s defection, he took a swipe at President Barack Obama, who supports civil unions for gay and lesbian couples. “Mr. Obama: I’ve come out for marriage equality and I’m a conservative Republican. Now, it’s your turn #DOMA #LGBT #SSM,” he messaged on Twitter.

    Marinelli said he was behind the group’s Summer for Marriage Tour 2010, a nationwide bus tour to rally opposition to gay marriage. NOM President Brian Brown disagreed, saying his role in the tour was limited to driving the bus.

    “Louis Marinelli worked in a volunteer capacity as a bus driver during our summer marriage tour,” Brown said.

    He also helped the group expand its reach on the Internet. Brown acknowledged Marinelli worked in this capacity: “NOM began to pay him as a part-time consultant for helping us expand our Internet reach.”

    Volunteer or mastermind, Marinelli controlled NOM’s official Facebook page, which he shuttered, throwing off the lights on more than 219,000 fans.

    “We wish him well,” Brown said on the group’s new Facebook page, which had attracted 219 fans.