Kentucky clerk's 'Christian' counsel was named anti-gay hate group

Tweet sent out by Liberty Counsel's Matt Barber

Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who defied a federal judge's order to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, and her defenders would have you to believe that her case is one of religious liberty, i.e. someone being forced to act in direct opposite of their religious beliefs.

However that is a lie on two counts. First of all, Davis is an elected official.  She has sworn to do her duties in accordance to the law. And the law says that gay couples can legally marry.

Secondly, when one looks at the organization defending her and advising her to defy the judge's orders, the Liberty Counsel, one can easily determine that this is not a case of religious liberty, but one of homophobia.  The Liberty Counsel claims to be an  "international nonprofit litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family . . ."

However,  the Southern Poverty Law Center  considers the Liberty Counsel to be an active anti-gay hate group because of the organization's history of denigrating the lgbt community via lies and distortions (such as the above tweet by Liberty Counsel employee Matt Barber).

SPLC also said:

The Counsel also has been active in battling same-sex marriage, saying it would destroy the “bedrock of society.” In 2005, the group’s blog said: “People who … support the radical homosexual agenda will not rest until marriage has become completely devalued. Children will suffer most from this debauchery.” A 2007 blog posting said same-sex marriage would “severely impact future generations.”

Mat Staver

The lgbt group GLAAD has tracked the Liberty Counsel and its employees, particularly it's chairman, Mat Staver. According to the group, Staver has made many eyebrow-raising statements about marriage equality and the lgbt community in general, including

claiming that LGBT advocates are doing "the bidding of the devil"

claiming that negotiating with what he calls 'homofascists' (i.e. advocacy groups like GLAAD) is 'almost like negotiating with terrorists

suggesting marriage equality should lead opponents to rise up and fight “another American Revolution.”

claiming that children with gay parents will end up “behind bars for committing violent crimes.” (0:00 - 0:56)

Matt Barber

GLAAD also called Matt Barber (who sent out the above tweet) one of the Liberty Counsel's most visible spokespeople.  Barber has:

said that gay male relationships constitute "one man violently cramming his penis into another man’s lower intestine and calling it ‘love’”

called same-sex marriage: "Fake 'gay marriage' is fake 'consummated' through squalid & feculent abuse of the reproductive & digestive systems"

has called President Barack Obama an "anti-American" "enemy" who is "determined to destroy America"

What's going on here is clear. Ms. Davis is allowing herself to be used by a group who has an absolute hatred for the lgbt community. This group (the Liberty Counsel) is advising her to continue to not follow a judge's order probably in hopes that she be found in contempt and jailed. They will then work  to make Davis into some sort of martyr of "religious freedom."

The sad truth is that Davis is not a martyr. She is a pawn, not just of the Liberty Counsel, but of her own hubris. She seems to be aware of the so-called Biblical verses against homosexuality, but she should really familiarize herself with the one about pride going before a fall.

Because she is heading for one and the Liberty Counsel's not there to cushion her blow. They are there to make the fall as hard as possible. The better for them to get more press, more money, and direct more animus towards the lgbt community.