Cardinal George KKK Comment: Petition Calls For Archbishop To Step Down (VIDEO)

An online petition launched this week is calling on Cardinal Francis George, the Chicago Archbishop, to resign from his post following a comment he made on a Chicago news station that compared LGBT rights advocates to the Ku Klux Klan.

Cardinal George's controversial comment was made Sunday during an interview on Fox Chicago concerning Chicago's Gay Pride Parade. Addressing a local parish's complaints that the parade passing by its church on a newly changed route would force it to cancel its Sunday services he said, "You don't want the gay liberation movement to morph into something like the Ku Klux Klan, demonstrating in the streets against Catholicism."

When asked by the Fox host that his comparison was "a little strong," Cardinal George stood by it.

"It is, but you take a look at the rhetoric," he continued. "The rhetoric of the Ku Klux Klan, the rhetoric of some of the gay liberation people. Who is the enemy? Who is the enemy? The Catholic Church."

The petition, launched Friday by national LGBT advocacy group Truth Wins Out, has already garnered 2,600 signatures.

"It is outrageous that Cardinal George would place law-abiding, peaceful citizens in the same category as a notoriously violent hate group," Truth Wins Out's executive director Wayne Besen said in a statement. "George's resignation is his only road to redemption and if he has a shred of dignity and a sliver of class he will immediately step down."

Other LGBT advocates have said the Cardinal's statement was out of line and joined in the call for his resignation.

In an editorial posted Friday, Windy City Times publisher and executive editor Tracy Baim wrote that the cardinal "has gone too far, and he should graciously apologize, and step down from his post."

"At this point, an apology is not enough," Baim wrote. "George has proven he is out of touch with the progress of the LGBT movement in this city and country, and he should pass the torch to a new generation of Catholic leadership."

LGBT groups are not the only ones who have spoken out against the Cardinal's comment.

The Rev. Eric Lee, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference executive director, also condemned the statement.

"I have spent most of my adult life engaged in the civil rights struggle for African American people who have been terrorized by racist Klan violence," Lee said. "I am insulted by the comparison of the Klan to the current LGBT movement. When we distort the history of terror for cheap political aims, we only inflict pain on those whose lives have been scarred by the Klan."

A spokeswoman for the Chicago Archdiocese responded to the controversy, as reported by the Chicago Tribune, and said, "Whether it was the best choice of analogy I don't know. Taken out of context the meaning can be misinterpreted. ... I would suggest people read the whole interview."

Comments

[medic628]

11:04 AM on 12/29/2011

The enemy I thought was the dude in the red suit with the tail! Which side is so called man of God on? Which way is his elevator going to go?

[queen kimi]

04:55 AM on 12/29/2011

the KKK was most prominent for their hate against Blacks. They were also rabidly anti Semitic and anti-catho­lic. The Cardinal was comparing the ant-cathol­ic rhetoric of both groups not as to how the KKK treated Blacks.
someone posted this , and i think it serves to point out that , before you assume that you know what someone meant , you should take a moment and try to put it into context .

[ApprxAm]

06:46 AM on 12/29/2011

Good point

[queen kimi]

03:12 AM on 12/29/2011

i'm not sure why a simple solution of keeping access to the church open and available can not be worked out . if the city and or parade officials had just done this from the beginning would we even be having this conversation ?

[queen kimi]

12:15 AM on 12/29/2011

he did say , you don't want it to 'morph into' (which means he did not say it was like the kkk) and i think we can all agree we would not want that to happen. and he referred to the rhetoric of 'some' and don't pretend that those some do not exist .
1. people need to not be so touchy . his comments were far from an attack on all lbgt persons or those who support them .
2. if the lbgt community wants everyone to fully accommodate them , they might as an act of good will consider finding a way to accommodate church goers , so they can attend mass freely with out obstruction . especially since the change in start time and route is due to no fault of the members of this parish.
3. this business of calling for apologies , and resignations . every time someone says something someone does not like is simply getting ridiculous . they asked the man his opinion , he gave it . if you didn't like it or were offended by it , you are free to say so . so just say ouch , and then get over it .

[Jguig]

11:26 PM on 12/28/2011

From the article: "It is outrageous that Cardinal George would place law-abiding, peaceful citizens in the same category as a notoriously violent hate group,"

I reject the premise of the statement. Perhaps the Cardinal is remembering how AIDs activist disrupted church services across the county in their "freedom of speech" moment to protest the lack of involvment with AIDS.

This is not the act of a community that is "peaceful." You have every right to protest, but to do it within the context of a solemn religious ceremony that all of the other people are there to embrace is utterly disprespectful and shameful. It does not raise awareness. It escalates resentment and intensifies it. I do not blame the Cardinal for being suspicisous based on the acts of those from the LGBT community in those years before.

[vgirl1]

10:37 PM on 12/28/2011

So offensive. So clueless.

[freddyb]

03:37 PM on 12/28/2011

It willnever happen. Why does'nt have a site for white voices? They have black, latino, gay, Yellow 1/2 black&white, have white & black, muslim voices. But no white or Christialn voices.

[IMeanWhat1]

10:45 AM on 12/28/2011

Let me just call the kettle black here. Cardinal George had to settle a sexual harassment case between an unamed boy and a priest named Daniel McCormack who pleaded guilty in 2007 to abusing five boys (ages 10-12) and was sentenced to five years in prison. http://bit.ly/uni9Gr

[Jguig]

11:21 PM on 12/28/2011

How does settling a case prove that it happened. Are you new to legal proceedings?

[thatbrothasmoove6]

08:35 AM on 12/28/2011

Criticize the Catholic Church, be labeled as the Klan. Great, I get it.

[Manchesterian]

07:53 AM on 12/28/2011

"You don't want the gay liberation movement to morph into something like the Ku Klux Klan, demonstrating in the streets against Catholicism."

I cannot see where the Bishop compared the two groups here, though I can see where he expressed his concern of the one becoming the other in opposition to the Catholic church.

While the church does not whole heartedly embrace the lifestyle, it does not judge anyone's right or lack thereof to serve his/her god. Afterall, "And God created "man", in his own image created he them...".

I attend Mass with people from all walks of life including members of the LGBT community, we worship in communion with each other and no one is turned away .

As a Bishop, he is responsible for the protection of and concern for the church - he is doing his job.

I suggest that the US do what Canada did; formally and legally recognizing and writing into law the rights of the LGBT community members; once this is done, their fellow citizens will be more apt to see them as citizens first - entitled to the rights and protections of their country and less like outsiders to be treated differently.

[ApprxAm]

04:43 AM on 12/28/2011

And this is on Black Voices because...........?

[Epilef2000]

02:48 PM on 12/28/2011

The KKK targeted Blacks with extreme violence..and comparing the LGBT movement with the KKK is to downplay the genocide supported by the KKK

[ApprxAm]

03:22 PM on 12/28/2011

What does that mean exactly? Are gays an existential threat? Or are you simply fetishistically holding on to a past image for some reason?

Since this is a Chicago story, are the KKK the most pressing issue for Blacks on the South and West sides? Black gangs, nationally, kill more Blacks in a year than the KKK could ever hope to dream of.

[James Fair]

03:06 AM on 12/28/2011

Seriously people? Guys in short shorts and rainbows are the same as murderers in white robes and burning crosses. I could see some catholics morphing to something similar to the kkk before i could see gays. How many times do you watch the news and see some catholic getting beaten to an inch of his life by a gang of gays? In 2010, 27 LGBT citizens were murdered for who being who they are. And that does not include the number of younger boys and girls who have commited suicide because they were taunted and constantly told they were wrong, something catholics are particulary good at. So, to all of you that think that homosexuals, who for the most part commit glitterbombing at their worst, could morph into the kkk, go to your local church on Sunday. Odds are, some of those worshippers' grand parents or great grand parents had once been proud members of the real KKK.

[Manchesterian]

08:05 AM on 12/28/2011

It is unfortunate that this continues to happen. Those among us who envision an equitable future for all of God's children, and are also American citizens, pick up your telephones and flood the telephones and voice mail systems of your law makers in Washington. Demand equal rights, safety, protection and the freedom to have a life well lived for the LGBT community. You have done this successfully for other minorities and other peoples who have come under seige in other lands - primarily through the denial of their rights to live and be free. If you cannot do this in America, then you should not be doing it anywhere. Charity should begin at home.

[queen kimi]

12:27 AM on 12/29/2011

i find your mean comments , clearly calling catholics , gay bashers and kkk members , offensive . i am demanding an apology and your immediate resignation .

[James Fair]

01:26 AM on 12/29/2011

Well I dont see where my comment warrants an apology or resignation, so I respectfully deny an apology and refuse resignation. If you read correctly I am accusing SOME catholics of being gay bashers, and I am not incorrect in accusation.

[Ifeanyi Akaolisa]

02:10 AM on 12/28/2011

the catholic church will receive its own scrutiny also since the same demons have been fully clothed and throned in their midst since the years of yore...

[k1dork]

11:51 PM on 12/27/2011

Cardinal there are many MORE people who support you, even black people. Keep the faith and keep speaking the truth.

[tfwm]

08:53 PM on 12/27/2011

Cardinal George was correct.