[Equal Marriage] Press Release| Broadhurst Condemns Hatemongering Flyer

[Owen Broadhurst]

Owen R. Broadhurst
96 Elbert Road
Agawam, MA  01001-3202
413.786.1508

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AGAWAM – The Green-Rainbow Party candidate for State Representative in the
Third Hampden District, Owen R. Broadhurst of Agawam, denounced a flyer
circulated at the recent Town of Agawam Democratic Committee sponsored
debate as a "propaganda piece" that is "packed with lies and
misinformation". Broadhurst noted that he does not object to the Democratic
Committee permitting its circulation at a literature table for the
candidates: "The Democratic Committee did not have involvement in any
materials distributed, and allowed candidates free reign in their choice of
materials to circulate. I found that decision appropriate. I question the
wisdom of only those responsible for this irresponsible flyer, which was
designed to be divisive and inflammatory."



The flyer credits an organization called Mothers Mobilizing Massachusetts
with its creation. Broadhurst observed that he has no familiarity with this
organization, and expressed doubts that it was a legitimate organization. "I
would not be surprised to learn of this being but a one or two person
operation assuming a name that they believed may lend some semblance of
credibility while employing loaded terminology to solicit a visceral
emotional response to their hate campaign," Broadhurst noted.



"The flyer contains some outrageous claims," Broadhurst observed, "and I
would appreciate any candidate responsible for this nonsense to please step
forward, accept responsibility for this, and withdraw from the race. Any
candidate who might approve of this is ill-equipped on an intellectual
level, and ill-suited on a moral level, to lead."



Broadhurst promptly rebutted many claims made in the flyer. "The propaganda
piece in question perpetuates a great many proven falsehood and is packed
with lies and misinformation", Broadhurst argued. As examples, Broadhurst
cited the following:



   - The flyer claims that Catholic Charities had to close its operation
   because "the same sex ruling required it to place children for adoption in
   homosexual households." In fact, Catholic Charities had placed children for
   adoption in gay households even before the Goodrich decision and did so –
   not because of any same sex marriage ruling, but rather because of state
   anti-discrimination statutes. Furthermore, the board of Catholic Charities
   unanimously decided to continue the practice, but the Bishops overruled them
   [Boston Globe, "Catholic Charities stuns state, ends adoptions", 5/11/06].



   - The flyer claims that sexual relations between men "has a 5 times
   greater risk" of "transmitting HIV". Yet, 59% of all new cases in the United
   Kingdom in 2004 were from heterosexual sex, and the CDC has observed that
   throughout the 1990s the largest increase in reported cases of HIV were from
   heterosexual sex.



-- 
Owen R. Broadhurst
Candidate for State Representative
Third Hampden District
http://www.owenbroadhurst.org