Tony Perkins hates when his gay-hating Family Research Council is called a ‘hate group’ [video]
”The Southern Poverty Law Center is a massively funded liberal organization that operates under a veneer of public justice when, in fact, they seem more interested in fundraising ploys than fighting wrongdoing…. This is a deliberately timed smear campaign by the SPLC. The Left is losing the debate over ideas and the direction of public policy so all that is left for them is character assassination…. We call on the Southern Poverty Law Center to apologize for this slanderous attack and attempted character assassination.”
Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council, in a flailing statement that criticizes the Southern Poverty Law Center for including his religious and political organization among the nation’s 18 most anti-gay hate groups. (FRC)
SPLC has release two important studies for their winter “Intelligence Report” — “Gays Remain Most Targeted by Hate Crimes” by Mark Potok, and “18 Anti-Gay Groups and their Propoganda.”
The latter lists these outspoken opponents to gay rights, most of which is based on conservative religious doctrine:
- Abiding Truth Ministries
- American Family Association
- Americans for Truth About Homosexuality
- American Vision
- Chalcedon Foundation
- Christian Anti-Defamation Commission
- Concerned Women for America
- Coral Ridge Ministries
- Dove World Outreach Center
- Faithful World Baptist Church
- Family Research Council
- Family Research Institute
- Heterosexual Organized for a Moral Environment
- Illinois Family Institute
- Liberty Counsel
- MassResistance
- National Organization for Marriage
- Traditional Values Coalition
”In other words, the American College of Pediatricians, despite its erudite name, is akin to the fake environmental front groups some energy corporations have set up to make dubious claims about the non-existence of global warming. There’s more that Perkins failed to mention about the American College of Pediatricians. Until this spring, long-time anti-gay propagandist George Rekers, who has testified against adoptions by same-sex couples, was on the Pediatric Psychosocial Development Committee of the American College of Pediatricians.”
Mark Potok, Director of the Southern Poverty Law Center‘s Intelligence Project. He writes here about an on-air debate he had with the head of the Family Research Council, Tony Perkins. He points out that Perkins reference to the “American College of Pediatricians” is a “tiny group of doctors who broke away from the American College of Pediatrics in 2002 because the latter group supported LGBT parental rights.” He says Perkins’ associates’ organization should not be confused with the larger and well-respected “American College of Pediatrics.”
”The Southern Poverty Law Center labels these groups as hate groups and yet the leaders of these groups, people like Tony Perkins, are welcomed onto networks like CNN to espouse hate directed at gays and lesbians. And similarly hateful people who are targeting Jews or people of color or anyone else would not be welcome to spew their bile on networks like CNN and then that really — we really have to start there.”
Dan Savage, author, advice columnist and creator of the online gay youth support movement, It Gets Better. He appeared on CNN to discuss the Southern Poverty Law Center’s study that found that gay people are still the top target of hate and discrimination. (CNN via Media Matters)
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