Family Research Council exploits shooting to cover up its homophobia

Just as I thought he would, the Family Research Council's Tony Perkins has exploited the shooting at the organization's headquarters to attack the Southern Poverty Law Center:



Perkins claims that FRC is merely defending the family. Let's see how FRC defends the family:











If this isn't enough for you, then consider the following statements and actions by Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council:

- Says many gays have an "emptiness within them" (:55) because they are "operating outside of nature" (1:09)

- Says that gay young people “have a higher propensity to depression or suicide because of that internal conflict; homosexuals may recognize intuitively that their same-sex attractions are abnormal.”

- Despite what health experts have said, insists that pedophilia is “a homosexual problem.”

- The Family Research Council has distributed a pamphlet that erroneously depicts gay men and lesbians as physically and mentally ill pedophiles who can be cured.

- The Family Research Council has distributed a pamphlet that begins by likening the logic behind same-sex marriage to the logic behind man-horse marriage (complete with horse graphic)

- Compares gay people to terrorists (at 0:31 mark): “[B]ack in the 80s and early 90s, I worked with the State Department in anti-terrorism and we trained about 50 different countries in defending against terrorism, and it’s, at its base, what terrorism is, it's a strike against the general populace simply to spread fear and intimidation so that they can disrupt and destabilize the system of government. That's what the homosexuals are doing here to the legal system.”

- “The truth is that we cannot redefine marriage without opening the door to all manner of moral and social evil.”

- Called the It Gets Better project "disgusting," claiming it tells children "that it's okay to be immoral" and constitutes a "concerted effort to persuade kids that homosexuality is okay and actually to recruit them into that lifestyle."

If Megyn Kelly was any type of true journalist, she would have asked about these things. But we all know that her aim was not to gain truth or start discussion but to give alibis.

The Southern Poverty Law Center called the Family Research Council a hate group because the organization spreads lies and propaganda about the gay community.

 The Family Research Council also deliberately distorts science and legitimate research in its further aim to demonize gays.

SPLC had absolutely nothing to do with the shooting. It's ugly to point this out but I think that Perkins and FRC are exploiting the situation to gain points.

Certainly no one is advocating violence and no one condones what that young man did, but it would be a huge mistake to allow Perkins and the Family Research Council to exploit this near tragedy to get some type of exoneration for its history of propaganda and lies against the gay community.

It's not right and it's not Christian. And no matter how many times Perkins tries to cover up on friendly interviews on Fox News, nothing will change this fact.

Related posts:  16 reasons why the Family Research Council is a hate group

'Hate group leader wants photographs showing graphic consequences' of gay sex' and other Thursday midday news briefs

Bryan Fischer Of American Family Association Calls For Photos Showing 'Graphic' Consequences Of Gay Sex To Deter 'Immoral' Act - Just in case folks forget what this debate is all about, Bryan Fischer thankfully reminds us. He wants photographic evidence of the supposed "graphic consequences of gay sex" to be shown.

'Oh, and Tony Perkins and Pete Sprigg are friends'— Erick Erickson demonstrates everything wrong with this debate - Expect to see more of this. "Influential" (which really doesn't give a positive view of the word in this case) Erik Erickson pretends in his tweets not to know why the Family Research Council was declared a hate group.

Understanding ‘Hate’ In The Wake Of The Family Research Council Shooting - Zack Ford of Think Progress lays down what it's all about.

Linda Harvey Attacks Teachers' Unions for Promoting 'Destructive' Gay Rights - And let's not leave out little Linda Harvey.

FRC shooting - LGBT groups show class while NOM tries to score points

Yesterday's violence at the Family Research Council headquarters has garnered many reactions.

 I present to you two of them.

A joint statement by 25 LGBT organizations condemning the violence:

We were saddened to hear news of the shooting this morning at the offices of the Family Research Council. Our hearts go out to the shooting victim, his family, and his co-workers.

The motivation and circumstances behind today’s tragedy are still unknown, but regardless of what emerges as the reason for this shooting, we utterly reject and condemn such violence. We wish for a swift and complete recovery for the victim of this terrible incident.


Michael Adams
Executive Director, Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE)

Tico Almeida
President, Freedom to Work

Katie Belanger
Executive Director, Fair Wisconsin

Wayne Besen
Founding Executive Director, Truth Wins Out

A.J. Bockelman
Executive Director, PROMO

Sharon Brackett
Board Chair, Gender Rights Maryland

Carly Burton
Deputy Director, MassEquality

Dr. Eliza Byard
Executive Director, Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN)

Jennifer Chrisler
Executive Director, Family Equality Council

Brad Clark
Executive Director, One Colorado

R. Clarke Cooper
Executive Director, Log Cabin Republicans

Dwayne Crenshaw
Executive Director, San Diego LGBT Pride

Heather Cronk
Managing Director, GetEQUAL

Jerame Davis
Executive Director, National Stonewall Democrats

Emily Dievendorf
Director of Policy, Equality Michigan

James Esseks
Director, ACLU Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Project

Lynn A. Faria
Interim Executive Director, Empire State Pride Agenda

Jenna Frazzini
Executive Director, Basic Rights Oregon

Joshua A. Friedes
Spokesperson, Equal Rights Washington

Herndon Graddick
President, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD)

Chad Griffin
President, Human Rights Campaign (HRC)

Jody M. Huckaby
Executive Director, PFLAG National (Parents, Families, Friends of Lesbians and Gays)

Mara Keisling
Executive Director, National Center for Transgender Equality

Kate Kendell
Executive Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR)

Abbe Land
Executive Director & CEO, The Trevor Project

Gregory Lewis
Executive Director, True Colors Fund

Eileen Ma
Executive Director, API Equality-LA

David Mariner
Executive Director, The DC Center for the LGBT Community

Ineke Mushovic
Executive Director, Movement Advancement Project

National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs

Darlene Nipper
Deputy Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

Donna Red Wing
Executive Director, One Iowa

Marisa Richmond, Ph.D.
President, Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition (TTPC)

Aubrey Sarvis
Executive Director, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network

Josh Seefried
Co-Director, OutServe

Peggy Shorey
Executive Director, Pride at Work

Brian Silva
Executive Director, Marriage Equality USA

Lee Swislow
Executive Director, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders

Rachel B. Tiven, Esq.
Executive Director, Immigration Equality

Shane Windmeyer
Executive Director, Campus Pride

Chuck Wolfe
President & CEO, Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund and Institute

Evan Wolfson
President, Freedom to Marry


Meanwhile, Brian Brown from the National Organization for Marriage attempted to score points:

"Today's attack is the clearest sign we've seen that labeling pro-marriage groups as 'hateful' must end," said Brian Brown, President of NOM. "The Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled the Family Research Council a 'hate group' for its pro-marriage views, and less than a day ago the Human Rights Campaign issued a statement calling FRC a 'hate group'—they even specified that FRC hosts events in Washington, DC, where today's attack took place."

For now, we are learning that FRC's anti-gay actions was the reason why the young man committed the act. While the violence of his actions should be condemned (all violent actions should be condemned), let's not sugarcoat the fact that FRC is a hate group whose sole reason for existing is to denigrate the gay community through lies and distortions.

That being said, the actions of the lgbt groups was classy and appropriate. And unfortunately, Brown's comments is the main reason why we shouldn't let FRC off the hook on this one.

 Related post - Shooting at the Family Research Council - ALL violence (physical and spiritual) must be condemned