WaPo Profiles NOM Head Brian Brown

The Washington Post has published a glowing profile of Brian Brown, the executive director of the National Organization for Marriage, whom they describe "ruthlessly sane" and "instantly likeable."

Is it possible, in 2009, to avoid the title of "gay basher" while dedicating your life to preventing a portion of the population from participating in a legal process allowed to other people? Does bashing require blows and slurs? Will those who oppose same-sex marriage eventually be put by their opponents into the same pile as people who think interracial marriage should be banned? Brown worries about that, about being squeezed out of the debate. "The racial bigot comparison is the most troubling part of the argument," Brown says. It's horrible, offensive, deliberately incendiary. He thinks it is "irrational," a word he uses often. It is irrational when the opposition points to polls suggesting that most young people support gay marriage. "People mature," he says. Their views change. It is irrational when people believe that the legalization of same-sex marriage is an inevitability: "We have the people. We have not had such an organized force" before, Brown says.

The Post notes the advice NOM makes to its supporters:

Avoid the phrase "ban gay marriage," the talking points suggest, adding that opponents "know it causes us to lose about ten percentage points in polls. Don't use it. Say we're against 'redefining marriage' or in favor of 'marriage as the union of husband and wife' NEVER 'banning same-sex marriage.' "

Also in the article, Brown's wife boo-hoos about a neighborhood party thrown by an acquaintance of the Browns' lesbian neighbors. The invite said: "We know what Brian does. If your views are not the same, you can come to the party." She stayed home.