Maggie Gallagher, Brian Brown, and the odious, lawbreaking crew over at National Organization for Mormons Marriage have embarked an on excellent adventure: touring the country on a bus rally “support for marriage.” Turns out they’re not exactly generating the buzz, crowds, excitement and photo-ops they probably hoped.

Photo courtesy Bilerico Project.National Organization for Marriage (NOM) the notorious front group for the Church of Latter Day Saint’s effort to put the brakes on America’s trend toward marriage equality has been sponsoring a summer bus tour to raise awareness of the great threat of the scourge of gay people marrying one another. Courage Campaign, and others have been trailing the group documenting the events. Local grassroots LGBT groups have been answering the call, organizing counter-protests, and mostly outnumbering NOM at their own events.

Marriage Equality supporters to NOM in Albany, NY: “We surround you.” Probably not the photo-op they imagined.

Turns out they’ve done the gay community a real mitzvah. Seems they’ve handled all the logistics of securing dates and venues for the events. And for their efforts, from Providence, RI to Augusta, ME to Albany, NY to Manchester NH, the supporters of marriage equality have been outnumbering the opposition. And spoiling their photo-ops.

Even in red Indiana just a handful NOM supporters showed, and were outnumbered 40 to 250 by some reports. Among them was this hateful gentleman, sporting the hateful sign above. Courage Campaign interviewed him for the cameras, he explained, “I care for them, and don’t want them to go to Hell.” He goes on to say:

“Homosexuality, it’s supposed to be against the law. If it was punished like it’s supposed to be, there wouldn’t be so much homosexuality out there.”‘

Not surprisingly he admits to having same-sex attractions, that he has avoided because “it’s from the Devil.”

How appropriate and not at all conicidental this Christian Taliban has seized on the same solution for “solving the gay problem” that the Islamic extremists in Iran practice regularly.

NOM would love to tell you he’s the exception not the rule. But face it, stripped of their extremist Christian Talibangicals, would anyone show up at all? Like the tea party stripped of racists even the meager facade of a movement would collapse.

The gentleman, like Michelle Bachmann of the GOP, merely lacks the common sense to sugarcoat the true agenda.

The goal is not merely to deny, or strip gay people of the right to marry; we know that, NOM fought as hard to stop civil unions in Washington state as they did marriage. No, their real goal it is to erase gay people entirely from the American landscape.

Too bad for them. We don’t cower in closets in terror from their bullying anymore. We’re here, we’re queer, they’re gonna have to get used to it.

And this time, we brought friends.

Photo courtesy of Courage Campaign.

Remaining Stops on the Tour:

Saint Paul, Minnesota
Summer for Marriage Tour Stop:
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 from 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Minnesota State Capitol
St. Paul, MN 55155

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Summer for Marriage Tour Stop:
Thursday, July 29, 2010 from 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Granite City Baptist Church
1425 Country Road 134
St. Cloud, MN 56303

Rochester, Minnesota

Summer for Marriage Tour Stop:
Friday, July 30, 2010 from 12:00pm – 1:00pm
New Life Worship Center
6301 34th Ave. NW
Rochester, MN 55901

Des Moines, Iowa

Summer for Marriage Tour Stop:
Sunday, August 1, 2010 from 2:00pm – 3:00pm
State Capitol
Des Moines, IA 50319

Sioux City, Iowa

Summer for Marriage Tour Stop:
Tuesday, August 3, 2010 from 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Sioux City, IA (Location TBD)

St. Louis, Missouri

Summer for Marriage Tour Stop:
Thursday, August 5, 2010 from 12:00pm – 1:00pm
St. Louis, MO (Location TBD)

Atlanta, Georgia

Summer for Marriage Tour Stop:
Saturday, August 7, 2010 from 2:00pm – 3:00pm
State Capitol (Washington Street side)
Atlanta, GA 30334

Tampa, Florida

Summer for Marriage Tour Stop:
Sunday, August 8, 2010 from 2:00pm – 3:00pm
Tampa, FL (Location TBD)

Raleigh, North Carolina

Summer for Marriage Tour Stop:
Tuesday, August 10, 2010 from 12:00pm – 1:00pm
State Capitol, South Side
Raleigh, NC 27601

Charleston, West Virginia

Summer for Marriage Tour Stop:
Wednesday, August 11, 2010 from 12:00pm – 1:00pm
State Capitol, Kanawha Blvd. Steps
Charleston, WV 25305

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Summer for Marriage Tour Stop:
Friday, August 13, 2010 from 12:00pm – 1:00pm
State Capitol
N. Third and State Streets
Harrisburg, PA 17120

Washington, DC

Summer for Marriage Tour Stop:
Sunday, August 15, 2010 from 2:00pm – 3:00pm
U.S. Capitol Steps or Freedom Plaza
Washington, D.C.

Update: Thanks to Michael Crawford of Freedom to Marry, he forwarded this link on their efforts to organize counter-protests. You can find it here. Go, have fun! Tell them this crap isn’t welcome in YOUR town.

Personal Note: Today, I will be leaving for a two week tour of Europe to attend the Gay Games in Cologne, Germany and Amsterdam’s Gay Pride. So, if you’re missing my postings, that’s why. I might post if I have the inspirations and the access, but am not going to kill myself to do so.