The Human Rights Campaign’s VP Fred Sainz has come to the conclusion that The national Organizatioon For Marriages, “One Man, One Woman” HATE-APOLOOZA Tour is atually an attempt6 to set-up the gay community to draw out harassing counter-protesters so that those incidents can be brought into court  in court to overturn donor disclosure laws by proving they are indeed harassed:

“The bus tour is a total sham, plain and simple,” said Fred Sainz, HRC’s vice president of communications.

“NOM’s highly-touted bus tour is less about so-called ‘traditional marriage’ and more about creating an elaborate and cynical stunt. NOM rolled out a summer of nationwide events in order to draw lawful protesters, all so that NOM and its allies can pepper ongoing lawsuits challenging public disclosure laws with made-up stories of harassment. This unprecedented victimization crusade is the lowest denominator of political activism, and it won’t fly.”

In events in seven states, NOM has routinely played to crowds reportedly as small as two dozen people including NOM staff members. The organization’s public statements on the bus tour have barely mentioned the content of the programs or the substance of its anti-LGBT message, instead focusing attention on much larger counter-protests that NOM has attacked as intimidation and harassment. NOM issued a press release last Friday saying that LGBT supporters have “approached and threatened children,” engaged in “bullying tactics” and committed acts of harassment. However, NOM’s uncorroborated claims belie legitimate local media reports demonstrating that pro-equality supporters, which have vastly outnumbered NOM’s faithful, have been civil. NOM has yet to document any illegal activity or actual harassment, despite the presence of law enforcement at all the events.

NOM’s efforts to trump up false claims of harassment are part of a radical nationwide plan to evade long-established public disclosure laws and to hide their political activities from legitimate scrutiny and accountability. In doing so, NOM has falsely alleged that their donors have been harassed and intimidated across the country to justify why it shouldn’t have to play by the same rules as everyone else. These tactics have prompted a state ethics investigation in Maine and recent court defeats across the country.

As far as it being a sham.  If so it’s a very expensive one.  I also know for a fact that there message has been sent out by other affiliated hate groups trying to persuade people who support anti gay marriage to go to these of events.  So they ahve promoted it and a sham like that wouldn’t work iof they had large crowds.

Have there been any documented incidents of violent or unlawful action/intimidation by gay counter-protesters?  No.  Even their made-up stories of harassment aren’t believed by thier followers.There are angry confrontations at campaign events all the time, and nobody has ever though that was an excuse for the candidates to be able to keep their donor lists a secret.

Fred may be overthinking.  Then again its nioce to see that someone at HRC is thinking at all.  (By th way they have been hiding Joe Solmonese nicely as of late, haven’t they.)