Some Things Never Change (UPDATED) (SECOND UPDATE)

Actually, things change all the time. It’s the religious right that never, ever changes.

(h/t Equality Texas)

UPDATE
TFN has issued the following statement in response to the anti-gay mailer in the District 10 Texas Senate race.

TFN PRESIDENT CONDEMNS HATEFUL MAILER IN NORTH TEXAS SENATE RACE

Texas Voters Rejected Similar Anti-Gay Hate Campaign 12 Years Ago

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 28, 2014

Texas Freedom Network President Kathy Miller is condemning a reprehensible anti-gay campaign mailer attacking the Democratic nominee for a state Senate seat from North Texas.

“These kinds of hateful campaign tactics represent politics at its worst,” Miller said. “To smear a candidate because she supports equality for everyone is shameful and out of step with Texas voters who are leaving that kind of bigotry in the past.”

Reports indicate that an out-of-state organization called the National Family Coalition sent out mailers to voters in the District 10 state Senate race between Democrat Libby Willis and Republican Konni Burton. The mailer charges that Willis is “pushing the radical homosexual agenda” and supports allowing sexual predators to use women’s restrooms and “forcing homosexual marriage” on Texas. The mailer includes a photo of shirtless men participating in a gay rights march and asks: “Is this Libby Willis’ vision for Texas?”

In 2002 a far-right political action committee, Free PAC, used similar anti-gay mailers in an effort to defeat a half-dozen Republicans — including then-acting Lt. Gov. Bill Ratliff — in GOP legislative primaries in Texas. None of the targeted incumbents lost their races.

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The Texas Freedom Network is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization of religious and community leaders who support religious freedom, individual liberties and public education.

SECOND UPDATE
Republican Konni Burton’s campaign is denying that it had anything to do with the offensive mailer. On the other hand, when asked by the Austin-based political news website Quorum Report (subscription required) whether Burton thinks the mailer is homophobic, a spokesman for the campaign refused to comment.

That response shows a campaign wanting it both ways — denying responsibility for a vicious, bigoted and misleading attack piece while refusing to repudiate what the piece says.