Jeremy Hooper at Good As You calls our attention to Sunday’s televised “debate” on same-sex marriage between Freedom to Marry President Evan Wolfson and National Organization for Marriage President Brian Brown.

The discussion was centered on whether marriage equality in New Jersey — or in any other state — should be decided by the state legislature, or, as Gov. Chris Christie has advocated, a ballot referendum.

As Hooper describes, “Brian Brown continued to (a) make the case for majority tyranny stifling the civil rights of a minority; and (b) filter his personal, faith-based desire to discriminate through that oh-so-exhausting lens of self-victimization that the far-right has adopted in order to make their cause seem ‘nice.’– fortunately, Freedom to Marry’s Evan Wolfson was on hand to speak undeniable sense to blatant untruth.”

Watch the exchange via WABC-TV, which serves New York and much of Northern New Jersey:

In making the case that civil marriage between gays and lesbians infringes on religious freedoms, Brown cited as his lone examples that Justices of the Peace in New York state were forced issue marriage licenses to gays, “against their religious beleifs,” or lose their job.

Wolfson countered that Justices of the Peace “who receive government salaries” and who “take an oath” to serve all New Yorkers, have simply been told they have to “perform their job” — which Wolfson said, has nothing to do with same-sex marriage, but non-discrimination law.

Last week, a committee in the New Jersey State Assembly approved a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage, setting the stage for a showdown between the Democratic-controlled state legislature, and Christie, who has vowed to veto the measure.

Tags: Brian Brown, Evan Wolfson, Freedom to Marry, Marriage Equality, National Organization for Marriage (NOM), New Jersey, New York, Religion, Religious Freedom

Filed under: Newsmakers