As legal recognition for same-sex marriage came to state after state this year (but not Texas, unfortunately), the right exploded in fury — with overheated rhetoric that alternated between ridiculous and nakedly bigoted. Here’s what we heard from the right in 2014 about LGBT equality. Click here to read more quotes from the right in 2014.
“My suspicion is that they’re getting their semen from sodomites. Semen flavors up the coffee and makes you think you’re having a good time.”
– Anti-gay Pastor James David Manning of the ATLAH World Missionary Church in New York City, claiming that Starbucks flavors its coffee blends with semen from gay men.
“Whether or not you feel compelled to follow a particular lifestyle or not, you have the ability to decide not to do that. I may have the genetic coding that I’m inclined to be an alcoholic, but I have the desire not to do that, and I look at the homosexual issue the same way.”
– Texas Gov. Rick Perry, comparing gay people to alcoholics.
“They need some basic plumbing lessons.”
— U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, talking about federal judges who have ruled in favor of marriage equality.
“But you know what, it’s a different kind of fighting, it’s a different kind of war and if you’re sitting around getting massages all day ready to go into a big, planned battle, then you’re not going to last very long.”
– U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, making a strange argument against allowing gay people to serve in the military.
“So it is amazing that in the name of liberality, in the name of being tolerant, this fascist intolerance has arisen. People that stand up and say, you know, I agree with the majority of Americans, I agree with Moses and Jesus that marriage was a man and a woman, now all of a sudden, people like me are considered haters, hate mongers, evil, which really is exactly what we’ve seen throughout our history as going back to the days of the Nazi takeover in Europe. What did they do? First, they would call people “haters” and “evil” and build up disdain for those people who held those opinions or religious views or religious heritage. And then the next came, well, those people are so evil and hateful, let’s bring every book that they’ve written or has to do with them and let’s start burning the books, because we can’t tolerate their intolerance.”
– U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, comparing gay rights supporters to Nazis.
“I am not shocked that Mayor Parker decided to elope to California for a marriage that is unconstitutional in Texas. This is obviously part of a larger strategy of hers to turn Texas into California.”
— Texas state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, reacting to news that Houston Mayor Annise Parker married her longtime partner. Patrick won election as Texas lieutenant governor later in the year.
“Because same-sex relationships do not naturally produce children, recognizing same-sex marriage does not further these goals to the same extent that recognizing opposite-sex marriage does. That is enough to supply a rational basis for Texas’s marriage laws.”
— From a brief from Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott defending the state’s ban on same-sex marriage, arguing (without a shred of evidence) that opposite-sex marriage “increases the likelihood” that a married couple will produce and raise their children in “stable, lasting relationships.”
“Actually, the reason why you’re uncertain about it is because I didn’t answer the question. And I can’t go back and answer some hypothetical question like that.”
– Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, in his campaign for governor, answering questions about whether he would have defended the state’s ban on interracial marriage as he is doing with the state’s ban on same-sex marriage.
“I have thought about it and I’ve decided that I’ll change my definition when God changes his.”
— Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples, one of four Republicans who ran for lieutenant governor this year, answering a question about same-sex marriage.
“The national leadership of the [Boy Scouts of America] cannot be trusted. They can’t be trusted not to open the door for more infiltration from the gay agenda. Eventually we’ll have gay scouts and gay scoutmasters and gay troops. They’ll keep coming until their mission is fulfilled.”
— Don Huffines, Texas state senator-elect, talking about gay Boy Scouts.
“We do not accept the homosexual agenda, that is what we are talking about here. If those who embrace that homosexual agenda want to move to a state that does embrace homosexual marriage, there is a state of Massachusetts that they could move to.”
– Cathie Adams, president of the Texas Eagle Forum and former chair of the Texas Republican Party, suggesting that gay people get out of Texas.
“Homosexuality- Homosexuality is a chosen behavior that is contrary to the fundamental unchanging truths that have been ordained by God in the Bible, recognized by our nation’s founders, and shared by the majority of Texans. Homosexuality must not be presented as an acceptable alternative lifestyle, in public policy, nor should family be redefined to include homosexual couples. We believe there should be no granting of special legal entitlements or creation of special status for homosexual behavior, regardless of state of origin. Additionally, we oppose any criminal or civil penalties against those who oppose homosexuality out of faith, conviction, or belief in traditional values.
Reparative Therapy- We recognize the legitimacy and efficacy of counseling, which offers reparative therapy and treatment for those patients seeking healing and wholeness from their homosexual lifestyle. No laws or executive orders shall be imposed to limit or restrict access to this type of therapy.”
– From the Texas Republican Party’s 2014 platform
“There has never been a state in this country that has ever banned gay marriage. That is a liberal lie.”
— Right-wing radio talk show host Michael Medved, speaking on a CPAC panel.
“And the thing that I think is getting a little tiresome is the gay community have so bullied the American people and they have so intimidated politicians that politicians fear them and they think they get to dictate the agenda everywhere. Well, not with the Constitution you don’t.”
— Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., speaking on one of her favorite topics.
“The fascists at the Homosexual Lobby are thrilled that [gay NFL player Michael] Sam has strolled out of the closet in support of their twisted, tangled, tawdry agenda. The homosexual leaders are the most vile, vicious, and vitriolic people in the world.”
— Former Indiana House of Representatives member Don Boys, writing in an online screed against homosexuality.
“I’m beginning to think, are re-education camps next? When are they going to start rolling out the boxcars to start hauling off Christians?”
– Family Research Council president Tony Perkins, referring to gay rights supporters, after the Colorado Civil Rights Commission unanimously upheld a judge’s ruling that a Colorado baker had discriminated against gay customers.
“There’s no way that the state of California can deny a marriage license to four spouses now, eight spouses. Or, I would say, three human spouses and the canine they absolutely love because if love is the foundation of marriage, they can love their dog, too.”
– Dr. Keith Ablow, the resident psychiatrist at Fox News, asserting that legalized same-sex marriage would lead to bestiality.
“Today, there is a growing intolerance on this issue, intolerance towards those who continue to support traditional marriage. And I promise you that even before this speech is over, I will be attacked as a hater, a bigot or someone who is anti-gay.”
– Florida Senator Marco Rubio, making accusations against same-sex marriage advocates.
“The progressive movement is out to destroy our country as it has existed. It is against patriotism. It is against religion in general and is in particular hostile to evangelical Christianity and traditional Catholicism. It is against borders. It is against capitalism. It is for high taxation and government control and regulation of almost everything.”
– American Family Association president Tim Wildmon, airing his grievances in a fundraising email sent to AFA members.
“Today’s Supreme Court ruling is the Dred Scott of gay marriage. Legalizes something morally indefensible.”
– The American Family Association’s Bryan Fischer, offering a remarkably offensive comparison between the Supreme Court’s pre-Civil War decision that black people were property and not citizens and the high court’s decision this summer not to hear appeals to lower court rulings striking down laws banning same-sex marriage.
“It started in South Carolina with the Civil War, as you know, for the same kind of issue: states’ rights. Obviously the issue is different. I mean, slavery was different than obviously this. But, I mean, it was a states’ rights issue.”
– Frank Turek, anti-gay activist, on the American Family Association’s radio broadcast “Today’s Issues,” comparing efforts to stop gay marriage to slavery during the Civil War.
“Benjamin had been annihilated. They had killed all the women, they had killed a good portion of the fighting men, they burned a number of their cities, it was a complete mess. Why? Because they had defended these rapist homosexuals. Is that a message for Houston? For someplace else in America?”
– Pat Robertson on “The 700 Club,” not so subtly suggesting that the legal battle around Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance could lead to destruction as seen in the biblical city of Gibeah.
The TX Republican platform contends that homosexuality is contrary to the Bible and God and that view is “shared by the majority of Texans.” Really? The majority of Texans? Hmmmmm….let’s do the math: According to the Texas secretary of state’s office, there were 18.9 million adults in the state in March 2014, and 13.6 million of them were registered to vote. Did the Repub party ask 6.8 MILLION Texans whether they share the Repub platform view on homosexuality? Did they? Documentation, please.