Rick Warren, pastor at Saddlecreek Baptist Church, author of The Purpose-driven Life, and public thinker with the politics of James Dobson, wants us all to know that he can't be homophobic because he has gay friends.
Rick Warren: But the issue to me is, I’m not opposed to that as much as I’m opposed to the redefinition of a 5,000-year definition of marriage. I’m opposed to having a brother and sister be together and call that marriage. I’m opposed to an older guy marrying a child and calling that a marriage. I’m opposed to one guy having multiple wives and calling that marriage.
Steven Waldman: Do you think, though, that they are equivalent to having gays getting married?
Rick Warren: Oh I do. ...
... Most people, you know... I have many gay friends, I’ve eaten dinner in gay homes, no church has probably done more for people with AIDS than Saddleback Church. Kay and I have given millions of dollars out of "A Purpose-Driven Life" helping people who got AIDS through gay relationships. So they can’t accuse me of homophobia. I just don’t beleive in the re-definition of marriage.
You know what? I don't give a fuck if Rick Warren has gay friends. It doesn't make up for him being homophobic.
It's the dumbest excuse for thinking that we're going to destroy America, straight folks, children's minds, and Western civilization. Ever. I can't think of anything stupider to say when accused of homophobia.
Which explains why all of these homophobes say it.
Here's Sarah Palin, who supported Alaska's ballot initiative to ban same-sex marriage, who created a multi-million dollar non-binding referendum in Alaska just to stir people up against the state giving same-sex partners of state employees health care, who refused to recognize Pride month in her state, and who opposed pretty much anything that would have benefited LGBT people nationally:
Palin said she's not out to judge anyone and has good friends who are gay, but that she supported the 1998 constitutional amendment.
Elected officials can't defy the court when it comes to how rights are applied, she said, but she would support a ballot question that would deny benefits to homosexual couples.
"I believe that honoring the family structure is that important," Palin said.
She said she doesn't know if people choose to be gay.
Why don't you fucking ask your gay friends that last question?
Here's Mike Huckabee, who wrote about how people with AIDS should be quarantined in 1992, who wrote that homosexuality leads to school shootings, and who recently said that there haven't been enough dead gay people in the street to justify having a gay rights movement:
I've had people who were gay that worked on my staff. Y'know, it's not like I'm some homophobe. But if you ask me, is it the normal pathway, I don't think so. Y'know, I respect that people have different views about it.
Even non-famous people use that excuse. Here's Margie Christoffersen, who recently donated to the Yes on Prop 8 campaign because homosexuality would destroy marriage and who refuses to apologize for those views:
Christoffersen, raised Mormon by her late father, told me she has no problem with gay people.
"I love them like everybody else."
I could go on and on. But the point is, it's out there and it's stupid.
I don't care if these people have gay friends. Because if these folks think that their friends are perverts out to destroy the world, they're probably pretty shitty friends anyway.
So it's done. If you have a friend who's gay, it doesn't get you off the hook anymore. You still have to take responsibility for your beliefs, actions, and words. And if you can't do that, then your friends are putting up with a lot of crap from you, and you should just be grateful that you have any friends.
This movement isn't about people being friends. It's about autonomy, safety, and equality, but definitely not making friends. And if you're flapping your mouth about the sinfulness of a group of people, and that group of people is getting shot down in the streets, you really need to look up the definition of friendship in the dictionary. Because you're doing it wrong.