National Organization For Marriage

The National Organization for Marriage is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization whose stated mission is to "protect marriage and the faith communities that sustain it" -- i.e., to oppose gay marriage. It was founded in 2007 by conservative activist Robert George, of Princeton University, and syndicated columnist Maggie Gallagher. It is essentially an outgrowth of Gallagher's Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, and similarly exists primarily on paper on the Internet.

Backstory

Gallagher had last made headlines in 2005, when nominally objective columnists including herself and Armstrong Williams were found to have been secretly paid to advocate for Bush administration policies. The 501(c)(4) status of the National Organization for Marriage provides looser ethical restrictions, allowing Gallagher and other principals to engage in partisan political activity. The group's raison d'etre is a claim that churches will somehow be forced to perform same-sex marriages. While untrue, the claim has proven successful in attracting financial contributions. As of mid-2008, the NOM is engaged with a recent ruling in California that overturned the state's longstanding gay marriage ban.

Fast Facts

1. President: Maggie Gallagher
2. Executive Director: Brian S. Brown
3. Chairman of The Board: Robert P. George

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