Thom Hartmann takes on NOM's Maggie Gallagher: Your work causes others misery

Thom Hartmann of Russia Today interviewed Maggie Gallagher, founder and former head of the National Organization for Marriage, after a federal court upheld the right of same sex couples to marry in California.

NOM was formed to support Proposition 8, California’s 2008 ban on same sex marriage. The group is dedicated to fighting same sex marriage and preventing same sex couples from adopting children.

"The work that you're doing is causing for many [gays and lesbians] considerable pain and misery in their lives," Hartmann told Gallagher. "How do you reconcile that with your notion of yourself, you know you talked about your experiences as a single mother, you seem like a compassionate person. It seems to me like a disconnect."

"Well, I guess when people fundamentally disagree about what is good for the country, I certianly have always tried to make my arguments in ways that are respectful of people who disagree," she responded. "But if you come to me and say, 'Well, the fact that you think marriage matters because children need a mom and dad is deeply painful to me,' all I can say is I'm sorry."

When Hartmann pressed further, Gallgher said she was only fighting against same sex marriage, not fighting against the acceptance of gay and lesbian people in general.

In 2010, the Southern Poverty Law Center included NOM in its list of anti-gay groups. That same year, the LGBT rights organizations Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and the Courage Campaign launched a website targeting the group, called “NOM Exposed.”

“NOM has become the leading anti-equality force in this country seemingly overnight,” Fred Sainz, vice president of communications for HRC, said in 2010.

Watch the interview, uploaded to YouTube on February 10, below: