There have been a few startling developments over the past few weeks that deserve a mention here, and the links below will take you to more information, about how the anti-LGBT movement is rightfully being labeled as Hate. That’s a word I don’t use easily, but one that I think is very fitting. This quote is from a story in the Huffington Post, but stories are all over the place about the Southern Law Project naming a number of anti-gay groups as Hate groups.

It is worth remembering that despite his clear extremism, Fischer is not an outcast. In fact, he has been embraced not only by the religious right, but by the mainstream GOP. This spring, Fischer rubbed elbows with GOP presidential hopefuls Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Mike Huckabee, Michele Bachmann, and Mike Pence at the Family Research Council’s “Values Voter Summit.” He frequently has right-wing politicians as guests on his show, including Tea Party kingmaker Sen. Jim DeMint.

Fischer, on his AFA-sponsored radio show and blog, often makes comments that would be ridiculous if they weren’t so offensive. He routinely directs his hate-filled rants at gay people, Muslims, and even select members of the animal kingdom. He last caused a minor splash on the Internet when he declared an intifada on grizzly bears. He has said that the fire fighters who stood and let a house burn down earlier this year did “the Christian thing.” He has said multiple times that “gay sex is a form of domestic terrorism.” He repeatedly says that the building of new mosques should be banned in the U.S.

A few weeks ago, I was talking to an activist friend about some legislation that the conservative right is against to protect youth from bullying. It protects all youth- it isn’t a gay-only bill, yet groups like the American Family Association are totally against it. The activist friend had called a college acquaintance who he knew was a conservative strategist to ask why groups like this are opposed to such protective legislation, and the guy’s answer was shocking. Groups like ther AFA want gay youth to be bullied because they want these kids to “be taught” that being gay is wrong. If there is no bullying, they will learn that being who they are is OK, and a good thing. They don’t want gay kids to think that being gay is OK, so they support bullying, violence and intimidation against LGBT youth.

While I fully support same-sex marriage, I get it that not everyone sees things the same way. I think if some want to be opposed to same-sex marriage on religious grounds they have that right, but they do not have the right to keep me  from being treated equally under the law. but here is where the line gets crossed and it moves from a person’s individual right to their own beliefs into Hate.  These groups use, lies, misinformation, fear mongering, bullying, violence, and other tactics to force their views onto others. For me, this is where it becomes hate. The lies and intimidation used towards their end goal is what separates this from being about self expression and the protection of their own rights. This is from the SPLC:

Generally, the SPLC’s listings of these groups is based on their propagation of known falsehoods — claims about LGBT people that have been thoroughly discredited by scientific authorities — and repeated, groundless name-calling. Viewing homosexuality as unbiblical does not qualify organizations for listing as hate groups.

via Michael B. Keegan: Bryan Fischer, Tony Perkins, and the Hate Agenda.

Post about the Southern Law Project’s list of anti-gay hate groups on Pam’s House Blend

I titled this post, “The Hate Agenda” specifically since most anti-gay groups attack LGBT’s as having some Gay Agenda, when in reality, the gay agenda is simply a matter of being treated as equals in our society, and having the same rights and freedoms as everyone else. But no one has really, until the SPLC, labeled the oppositions efforts as an agenda of hate.  This is a critical issue, and this designation extremely important.

Photo by DCAtty