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:
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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.