Orrin Hatch On Gays: 'Their Religion Is Politics'

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) says that Republicans need to get the money flowing the way the gay community does for Democrats -- though it helps, he said, that gay people aren't distracted by things like religion.

"Gays and lesbians don't pay tithing, their religion is politics," Hatch told 300 or so constituents at Dixie State University Tuesday night, the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

Hatch's remark was part of a longer screed about the supposed Democratic unity -- meaning, apparently, willingness to donate -- of unions, environmental groups and "personal injury lawyers" as well as gay rights activists. The Trib does not clarify whether the senator also claimed those groups are not religious.

Comments

[mitchpeter]

09:38 AM on 06/06/2010

What? I shouldn't be tithing to my Synagogue? Where my son with 2 dads goes to Hebrew school? Thanks for the info Orrin! Now lets see your charitable contributions vs. the gay community!
www.gaynycdad.com

[rambot02]

06:52 PM on 06/04/2010

"Gays and lesbians don't pay tithing, their religion is politics."

Well, if gays and lesbians had equal rights under the law, they could afford the luxury of being apolitical. It is the the systematic effort of the religious right to deny the gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transexuals their rights that prompts them to direct their time, effort and money to Democrats.

[Imago]

06:44 PM on 06/04/2010

This brings sniveling to a whole new level...

They never cease to inspire, those Republicans...

[RODERICK098]

05:00 PM on 06/04/2010

Anyone see Orin Hatch speak-he fits the stereotype of a gay man and there are many gay marines more masculine than Ms. Hatch

[Ioan Lightoller]

02:57 PM on 06/30/2010

Oh SNAP! Faved and fanned!

[Jdaddy1951]

10:08 AM on 06/04/2010

"Gays and lesbians don't pay tithing, their religion is politics," Hatch told 300 or so constituents at Dixie State University Tuesday night, the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

Response: Come to St. Mary's Episcopal Church in Middlesboro, Kentucky, Senator Homo Hater. I'll show you some very nice gays and lesbians who not only pay tithing but participate on the church Vestry board, the planning of Ministry of Music, and are Community Outreach leaders, working on projects like adult literacy and building homes and providing food for low-income people, regardless of politics or religious affiliation.

God may forgive you for your slur against gay people in an obviously attempt to pander to the increasingly out-of-the-mainstream prejudices of the Party of No. I'll try to, as well. However, I hope YOU'LL forgive me if it takes ME a while to do so. Please take a deep breath, hold it, and wait ...

Senator Hatch may also enjoy this quote from the 1939 fantasy film, "The Wizard of Oz."

"Almira Gulch. Just because you own half the town doesn't mean that you have the power to run the rest of us. For twenty-three years I've been dying to tell you what I thought of you! And now... well, being a Christian woman, I can't say it!" --- Auntie Em (Clara Blandick) to Almira Gulch (Margaret Hamilton).

Snort.

[Soulmentor]

01:55 PM on 06/04/2010

Fanned. Very eloquent. Too bad he probably won't see it as he obviously doesn't care what we think or feel.

[Jdaddy1951]

05:24 PM on 06/04/2010

Thanks for fanning. He'll get his, someday, as we all will. God doesn't discriminate.

[walleymr]

02:09 PM on 06/05/2010

Well said!

[Jdaddy1951]

11:59 PM on 06/05/2010

Thanks for the kind feedback.

[Lofn Gilbreath]

09:39 AM on 06/04/2010

Like the facebook page if you are GLBT, care about religion, and give to charity/tithe.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/manage/#!/pages/Tell-Orrin-Hatch-that-you-are-tithegive-and-are-GLBT/126943047326718

[CoastalNC]

09:02 AM on 06/04/2010

As an ex-Mormon I can tell you that his religion has clogged his brain and he can't think past it to reality or reason.....been there, done that and walked away 25 years ago. So nice to finally feel the fresh air on my face....haha.

[Jeffrey Marks]

05:38 AM on 06/04/2010

Actually if you want to see something really scary about religion and politics, I would suggest the new movie coming about the role of the Mormon Church in Prop 8. The film is 8: The Mormon Proposition and the website is: www.mormonproposition.com/

It was enlightening to say the least and certainly puts the Senator from Utah's comments into perspective.

[smithjohnson112]

04:55 AM on 06/04/2010

Their religion is politics.

From a member of the party that almost regularly outs a so-called 'family values' candidate or incumbent for a gay affair, or stealing, or fraud.

[lakephillip]

03:20 AM on 06/04/2010

So Rude, You Orin, you are just another Repulican Queen. You sound and act like a bitchy little queen.

[bubbepenny]

02:58 AM on 06/04/2010

time to say goodby, orin.

[lithium451]

02:52 AM on 06/04/2010

Poor Moral Orin, hope he enjoys his couple of centuries in purgatory.

[AntigoneRisen]

02:56 AM on 06/04/2010

The idea is enough to - almost - make me want to believe in a purgatory.

[lithium451]

12:30 AM on 06/28/2010

Ha!

[AntigoneRisen]

02:09 AM on 06/04/2010

I've never noted that gays are less likely to be religious. Of course, it may come as a surprise to Orrin Hatch, but Christianity is but one religion, and not all religions require tithing.

[deadelephant2]

02:41 AM on 06/04/2010

What he really meant to say was that most gays and lesbians are too intelligent to pay blood money to cults.

[AntigoneRisen]

02:55 AM on 06/04/2010

:D That's probably true. For years I've been trying to get some reliable statistics on the religious demographics of the LGBT community. I don't know that they have a higher percentage of Atheists or Agnostics, but when I was Wiccan we certainly had a lot of LGBT people in the Pagan community. However, such statistics do not exist, and the community is loathe to embrace one. I can't blame them, as it smacks of homophobia to say, "I want to know your religious demographics," even if it isn't, and the ways such a study could be used are daunting.

[Please Think Clearly]

01:58 AM on 06/04/2010

wow
so sad
sen hatch is a bright guy
as a gay dad with 4 kids
who go to sunday school every week
Get a Clue Dude!

[Jdaddy1951]

10:13 AM on 06/04/2010

Gay dad with seven adult kids (gay and straight) here, plus six grandkids. I go to church alone, mostly because the kids are afraid they'll encounter bigots like Orrin Hatch. I try to tell them that at the Episcopal Church where I attend, at least, the people believe God created everyone in his own image and that God must be male AND female, gay AND straight. A great victory occurred when I got three of them to attend a midnight service last Dec. 24 to hear me, two lesbians and a straight woman perform "The First Noel" in a hand chime quartet. They came looking like carnival workers and sat in a back pew, but I was proud of every one of them.

[20yearnavyvet]

01:43 AM on 06/04/2010

Reposting.........

Dear Senator Hatch,
I am gay. I do not tithe. I also do not donate money to political campaigns or causes. I am active in causes I believe in. I also happen to believe in a God of my own understanding which, frankly, is none of your d@mn business and does NOT need to meet with your or anyone else's approval.
While gays may be active politically, in money and/or action, I believe that is one of the hallmarks of our form of government, activism. I believe that is why the base you are pandering to, the American Taliban, fear those who disagree with them and find it necessary to make them out to be enemies of "the state". The ironic part of that is that you, and those like you, are truly against what the Constitution of the United States actually stands for - freedom, liberty and justice.
If being religious is what makes one right and just, why is it that so many Republicans who claim God, the bible, and christianity have been so prominently, and tearfully, begging forgiveness and admitting to have sinned so terribly against that said god? Perhaps they forgot to tithe as well?
Your remarks are shameful as a representative of our government. You really should realize, at some point, that the people in this country that do not believe as you do are not the moral derilicts you make them out to be.

Sincerely,
A Citizen and a Vet

[arlandbaee]

02:51 AM on 06/04/2010

Honorable. Thank you.

[jhandduck]

09:55 AM on 06/04/2010

You sir have spoken my exact thoughts for me so elequently and consisely. I take my hat off to you as another gay man who believes exactly the way you do.

Kudos - I man have to print this and put it in my office.

Jason