Pastors will test Matthew Shepard Act by "inciting hate crimes"

Religious conservatives still outraged over the passing of hate crimes legislation have decided to test the limits of the new law with a publicity stunt involving incendiary hate speech directed at gays and lesbians.  In order to "prove" that their God-given right to harass LGBT folk is being threatened, a group of pastors plan to travel to the nation's capital and ratchet up the rhetoric in hopes of getting themselves arrested.  (Can you believe this shit?  And these zealots have the audacity to refer to hate crimes legislation as the "Hate Christians Law.")

You can't miss the irony here.  Christianity is supposed to be all about "Love Thy Neighbor" and "Do Unto Others," right?  So in order to challenge the new law, a posse of homobigots led by Pastor Gary Cass (president of the so-called Christian Anti-Defamation Commission) is heading to Washington DC on November 16th where they will assemble outdoors and shout hatred and even foment violence against gays - y'know, to see how far they can go before being arrested under the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

From the creepy World Net Daily:  The "Rally for Religious Freedom" in front of the Department of Justice in Washington is intended to force Attorney General Eric Holder either to address the issues or be put in a position of ignoring those who say they are violating the provisions of the federal law, Cass said.  "We're basically going to defy the law, and challenge it," Cass told WND. "We're going to declare the whole counsel of God, including those parts that some may consider 'inciting a hate crime' to see if the attorney general is going to come down and arrest a group of peaceful clergy exercising their First Amendment rights."

They want to get arrested so that they can assume the role of martyrs.  They'll whine piteously:  "See? See?  We told you this would happen!  Just look how the government tramples our right to agitate against gays and lesbians!  See how brave and noble we are when we engage in hate speech!  Please, bring us our crosses!" 

Don't expect subtlety from this assembly of assholes.  They're yearning to be handcuffed.  I imagine they'll take a page from Pastor Steve Anderson's playbook and start demanding the execution of homosexuals.  (He got away with it and became a sort of insta-celebrtiy, like balloon boy.)  They'll do their damndest to out-Phelps the Phelps Clan, they'll try to out-Savage Michael Savage.  The spittle will fly. 

Still, I don't think D.C. tourists will appreciate hearing anti-gay slogans shouted as they make their way toward the Lincoln Memorial.  The police will be standing by, bored expressions on their faces.  The local news might make an appearance.  I doubt anyone will be arrested during Cass & Company's little hate fest, which will only serve to make the participants look like what they are: a bunch of delusional preachers with way too much time on their hands.

(Pictured: Pastor Gary Cass)

Comments

[Katie B.]

What they will get out of this is not martyrdom. It's called sowing the wind and reaping the whirlwind.

Sick fucks.

[Michael Z. Williamson]

Speaking as a real conservative, I've long suspected the lot of them are latently gay and afraid to face it.

And I'm boggled that a Christian can claim cultural repression when 80% of the nation claims some form of Christianity as a faith. What they mean is, their particular extreme brand of Christianity is threatened. That's probably because, oh, I don't know...it's extreme?

Hell, if Fred Phelps can get away with his shitbaggery, I don't think ANYONE can claim their faith is threatened.

[Grizz]

"Speaking as a real conservative, I've long suspected the lot of them are latently gay and afraid to face it."

I don't say this facetiously...this has almost been scientifically proven.

When a homophobe is shown gay porn...they almost always get aroused...this does not happen to non-homophobic straight men.

[Nita H]

They are attention whores. I hope people don't judge all Christians by their deplorable acts...we are so much more than they are.

[Gary]

Didn't Jesus say something about loving thine enemies and conquering hate with love? I dunno, I guess I'm not a professional theologian.

[Gary]

If mainstream Christians really didn't support the actions of these hateful loons, then there'd be a counterprotest of several hundred pro-gay Christians surrounding them and drowning them out. What's the likelihood of that happening? not much.

Until proven otherwise, I am forced to conclude that almost all religious people are hateful lunatics.

[Bee Girl]

Attention whores - that's it exactly. And a black eye for every Christian denomination that doesn't speak out against this. They're all feeling so smug now that they've killed gay marriage in Maine. Just disgusting.

[A. G.]

Gary, just because most Christians choose not to make a spectacle of their faith, doesn't make us "hateful lunatics." Our minister speaks to us regularly about acceptance. I'm sure many others do the same. If you were in church, you'd realize this.

When you and others like you brand all Christians because of the loud mouthed extremism of a few, you are sinking to their level.

[jasper]

the absence of a counter demonstration from queer-positive christians doesn't mean that we aren't here. My minister's son was out; and we regularly had openly queer folks singing for the church service. Growing up in the south, the only out people I knew were in my church.

so ya, we're here, but often people don't like to dignify these things with counter protests, because often the counter protests make the initial protest into a media worthy story, whereas without a counterdemonstration they aren't interesting enough to make the news.

[James]

bring it on, this fag can kick some ass! the USMC made me a trained killer with either my bare hands or most any weapon

[Aggie, Fair Haven, Vt.]

On the Christian Anti-Defamation website, it says Cass, "... was given the Salt and Light Award by Dr. D. James Kennedy in 200 for his leadership in the San Diego area." So, not only is he an asinine carbuncle on the hindquarters of society, he's a vampire of some sort, because he's 1,809+ years old.

[Rens the crazy dutchman]

A.G.: "When you and others like you brand all Christians because of the loud mouthed extremism of a few, you are sinking to their level."

And when you and others like you consistently fail to speak out - loudly - against this kind of extremism, you condone them.

[Paul M]

See what someone should do is go and stand by them with some of the more outlandish things in the bible. you know stoning women & children. lobster is an abomination. make them look even more like idiots.

[B-rod]

Since religious affiliation is also protected under the Hate Crimes statutes, why not get a counter demonstration going using similar rhetoric against Christians, specifically these douchebags? Set up right next to them and spew as much as we want.

[Zov]

"When a homophobe is shown gay porn...they almost always get aroused...this does not happen to non-homophobic straight men."

I actually have heard of this study, and the whole "if you hate gays it's because you're gay yourself" thing is mostly un-true. They get erections because erections can also arise(get it?) from being under conditions of extreme anger, which it is presumed they are in when watching gay porn.

Fun Fact: The Gallic warriors who inhabited France at the time of the Romans believed it to be a sign of being blessed by the Gods to get an erection during battle. Also, they fought naked sometimes.

[Candideinnc]

For Christ's sake, will you just embrace the heterosexual bigots as your own? I am so sick of hearing that every hate filled homophobe is just a "closet case." Don't blame these a' holes on us. They are all heteros until proven otherwise.

[Amanda]

Every time stuff like the happens people who might be on the fence about religion jump off that fence and turn away. You'd think the Thumpers would realize HATE is no longer a winning strategy.

[alguien]

this is a page right out of the westboro baptist church handbook. they should just give in and join forces with rev. phelps right now.

[hadassah]

Oh goodie, I hope Max Blumenthal is there.

[dFlowers]

hmmm
i would love to get several members of our prominant gay community
including actors/ actresses, clothing designers, professional athletes, musicians and political figures *cough A. Cooper *cough. and meet up with these so called fighters of injustice at our nations capitol. bring a little red wagon with large river stones and put a sign up sayin he who is without sin. and then line up in a row holding hands with equality tape over our mouths. to show everyone just how wrong they are.
Our greatest problem has been our willingness to fall victim to their angry and bigotry filled slander and to slip up and become angry, exactly what they are wanting us to do. i wish i had the money to organize something like this cause i would be there in a heart beat. someone do this, for us. for me.

[JT]

So we counter them with the opposite extreme: Show up and pay them the loveliest, gayest comments possible. "Oh, honeychild, that bold pink stripe in your tie just sets off the throbbing vein in your forehead so perfectly!" "I just love how you can pronounce all those 's' sounds in 'Jesus' without sounding too much like a snake in the grass." Keep it civil and nonsexual, and see if they actually have a stroke right there. Remember to wear your rain slickers; the amount of spittle will make Noah jealous.

[hephaestion]

These rightwingers are so stupid. They come to EVERY gay pride parade and yell horrible things at us and they never get arrested for that. Their ignorance knows no bounds.

And yes, most vehemently anti-gay people are self-hating gay people who have been made justifiably terrified of coming out by our unrelentlingly anti-gay society.

[Kevin Schneider]

Okay I might not have the world's best gaydar but the damn needle pegged when I saw that picture...
:shrug:

[David]

There is a tremendous opportunity here.

Some progressive in D.C. must video this temper tantrum, and document the ugliest of it as completely as possible, every threat, every demand for blood and violence.

Get these people on video demanding the death penalty for being gay or lesbian.

And then run that video in any state that faces anti-same sex marriage measures, and explicitly stating "They start with taking away rights, they won't stop at murder".

Homophobes have been using footage from gay parades and street fairs, to paint ugly, scary pictures of GLBTQ people.

So get the d*mn footage this time that shows the real ugliness in all this, and who we should all really be scared of. Turn Gary Cass's tirade in the mother of all public relations nightmares.

[Tyler]

Who else wants to see a drag queen show up with a machine gun?