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Pat Boone: American gays are similar to terrorists in Mumbai
December 9, 9:15 AM
by Drew Wilson, Denver Gay Examiner
Pat Boone
The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual,
and transgender civil rights organization, responded today to the
exclusive commentary posted on the extremist, right-wing website World
Net Daily by anti-gay activist and former singer Pat Boone. Boone
published a bizarre and disturbing commentary comparing the horrific
tragedy in Mumbai, which took the lives of over 170 people, to the
protests against Proposition 8 here in the U.S. In essence, equating
the Mumbai tragedy with those protesting the passage of the
discriminatory amendment in California that took marriage rights away
from gay and lesbian couples to terrorists. In the commentary titled
“Hate is hate, in India or America,” Boone writes, “let me ask you:
Have you not seen the awful similarity between what happened in Mumbai
and what's happening right now in our cities?” Boone went on to state,
“What troubles me so deeply, and should trouble all thinking Americans,
is that there is a real, unbroken line between the jihadist savagery in
Mumbai and the hedonistic, irresponsible, blindly selfish goals and
tactics of our homegrown sexual jihadists.” “Pat Boone wouldn't
normally warrant a second thought, even if his only claim to fame these
days is his unabashed homophobia, but his disturbing commentary on this
right-wing site can't go unanswered,” said Human Rights Campaign
President Joe Solmonese. “His commentary marks a new low in anti-gay
rhetoric. And yet it also demonstrates the depths of hatred from these
demagogues toward the LGBT community. Most Americans would be shocked
to see this level of vitriol coming from someone who presented himself
as America’s sweetheart.” Boone even lodged an attack on Governor
Schwarzenegger for encouraging gay Americans to "never give up" in the
quest for equality. Boone wrote, “You haven't seen, on the evening
news, prominent entertainers and even California Gov. Schwarzenegger,
urging the demonstrators on, telling them they should "never give up"
until they get their way?” Boone added, “Hate is hate, no matter where
it erupts. And hate, unbridled, will eventually and inevitably boil
into violence.” “Bigots like Boone will never see how absurd their
arguments are, but just like that other anti-gay icon from the 70s,
Anita Bryant, Pat Boone's screed actually helps our efforts for
equality,” continued Solmonese. “In most places in America today it
isn’t acceptable to be an outright bigot. Obviously, Pat Boone hasn’t
got that memo.”
