On Tuesday's episode of Hardball, Family Research Council spokesperson and board member Peter Sprigg said that he believes that Lawrence vs. Texas (the Supreme Court decision that struck down the sodomy laws) was "wrongly decided" and that "gay behavior" should be criminalized.
His comments were in the middle of a debate with Servicemembers Legal Defense Network's Aubrey Sarvis.
Freudian slips about the LGBT community are nothing new to Sprigg. Two years ago, he said that he would prefer that the United States "export" gays and lesbians.
The entire video is below and Sprigg's comments about "criminalizing gay behavior" are at the end. But I would suggest a viewing of the entire exchange. Sarvis totally refutes Sprigg's talking points.
And it proves the point that in a head-to-head debate with facts on hand, religious right groups can't get away with their nonsense:
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
And lest we forget, the rest of Sprigg's comments are extremely offensive. His implication that gays and lesbians shouldn't openly serve in the military because we may subject heterosexuals to sexual harassment is akin to saying that integration should not exist because black men will force themselves on white women.
It's insane and if FRC had any personal integrity, it would make a statement distancing itself from Sprigg's statements. In light of all the attention about the Ugandan anti-gay bill, his comments about "criminalizing gay behavior" are just ugly. Of course even if there were no Ugandan anti-gay bill, Sprigg's comments should still be viewed as uncalled for.
But I doubt that FRC will say or do anything distancing itself from Sprigg. His comments are totally on point with religious right dogma, not only about gays in the military but also other facets of gay and lesbian lives.
The only reason why Sprigg got caught today is because he couldn't muster up enough shiftiness.
But whether he realizes it or not, Sprigg is the true face of religious right groups.
Behind their phony veneer of "traditional morality" and "loving the sinner but hating the scene" is a corrupt working of lies, distortions and yes, hate.
Let them be asked how many times they have been hit on.
The number has to be considerable since the Navy of chock full of gays.
And yet, they keep enlisting.
The morale must be at an all-time low, and it's obvious the capabilities of the Navy have suffered.
Can't these misguided "leaders" let the adults in Washington D.C., regardless of how spineless, duly elected by the people, bring U.S. Military Policy out of the confederate era and into the modern era, where all of our important allies have maturated in their policies, by accepting ALL qualified citizens, regardless of genetic makeup? It's not only "the right thing to do." It is the ONLY thing to do.
Senator McCain's argument against an ethical, constitutional policy is silliness on steroids, according to his quote in your piece, "At a time when our armed forces are fighting and sacrificing on the battlefield, now is not the time to abandon the policy." Really? When are our armed forces not at war in the scheme of the never-ending, ever-expanding military-industrial complex? He is right about the now - now is WAY too late. But, better late than never.
Ms. Donnelly sees it as a left-right issue, "Civilian activists do not understand or respect the culture of the military." "I'm sure the troops will be disheartened by this." It is not a left-right issue. It is an American issue. There are plenty of gay Republicans serving right now, who comprehensively understand and respect military culture. Does she think troops are more disheartened that the Commander-in-Chief is calling for integrity and equality within their ranks, or that their brothers are dying and being maimed in the service of voracious corporations?
Thank you for targeting a major issue within President Obama's State of the Union Address in this morning's edition of the L A Times. Even though Mr. Obama gave it short shrift, at least he went on record in the direction of reversing the idiotic, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy taken right out of the disingenuous pages of the Bill Clinton Marriage Manual. Promoting prevarication is never a good policy, especially from a government that has created more problems than it has solved.
I have been troubled by this aspect of American military policy far longer than the inception of the current cowardly concoction. For me, the issue is quite simple: Equal Access to Economic Opportunity. Anything less is un-American, unjust, and unconstitutional. Period. My father, who served in Burma during WWII, built his successful life from the launching pad of the GI Bill. He came from humble beginnings, but because of the GI Bill, he was able to go to college and make a better life for himself and his family, beyond what his immigrant parents were able to do. He achieved the American Dream. How can we as a nation, deny that opportunity to any American because of their genetic predisposition?