U.S./World: National Organization for Marriage’s funding drops by half

National Organization for Marriage’s funding drops by half

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The rapid advancement of marriage equality from 19 states to 35 in a matter of weeks has not translated into financial success for an organization whose self-proclaimed sole purpose is to “protect marriage and the faith communities that sustain it.”

The Human Rights Campaign reports that in a time when virtually every nightly newscast, political debate, even television series delves into discussions about marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples, the beleaguered National Organization for Marriage (NOM) can’t seem to raise enough money to cover its expenses.

According to analysis of the organization’s 2013 tax filings by HRC, NOM raised $5.1 million in 2013, dropping by over 50 percent since 2012. Just two donors accounted for more than half of the organization’s funding — further evidence that everyday Americans have little interest in furthering NOM’s extremist agenda.

In addition, the NOM Education Fund also dropped by nearly $3.5 million in funding — a drop of almost 70 percent since the previous year. NOM ended the year more than $2.5 million in debt.

“NOM should start figuring out that people aren’t willing to give their hard-earned money to an extremist agenda that’s going nowhere,” said Fred Sainz, HRC Vice President of Communications. “If I were Brian Brown, I’d be worried that my two or three mega-donors are soon going to come to terms with the fact that they’d largely be better off flushing money down the toilet. Americans certainly aren’t buying what NOM is selling, and it’s only a matter of time before the trickle of money keeping the lights on at NOM HQ dries up.”

NOM made their 2013 990s available after repeatedly refusing to make them public following their Nov. 17 deadline — a direct violation of federal law.

In 2012, NOM ended the year in the red with roughly a $2 million dollar deficit. Just three donors accounted for roughly two thirds of the organization’s funding.

— LGBTQ Nation (lgbtqnation.com), a qnotes news partner

HRC co-founder charged with felony sex abuse of minor

PORTLAND, Ore. — A prominent gay rights activist who co-founded the Human Rights Campaign and the Victory Fund and his former boyfriend have been arrested on charges of sex abuse in a case involving a 15-year-old boy.

Terrance Bean, 66, was charged with two counts of third-degree sodomy, a felony, and one count of third-degree sex abuse, a misdemeanor, The Oregonian reports. His former boyfriend, Kiah Loy Lawson, 25, is accused of third-degree sodomy and third-degree sexual abuse.

Both Bean and Lawson are accused of having a sexual encounter with the same 15-year-old boy in a hotel in Eugene, Ore. last year. They had arranged the encounter with the teen after meeting him via a website, investigators allege.

Bean has been one of Oregon’s biggest Democratic donors and an influential figure in gay rights circles in the state.

He helped found two major national political groups, the Human Rights Campaign and the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, and has been a major contributor for several Democratic presidential candidates, including Barack Obama. He’s also a close friend of former Gov. Barbara Roberts.

Bean, who has been on the board of directors of the HRC since 1980, has taken a voluntary leave of absence from the HRC board until the issue is resolved, an HRC official told LGBTQ Nation on Nov. 20.

[Ed. Note — Bean has pleaded not guilty to the charges. See the latest update.]

— LGBTQ Nation