Ask Southern Poverty Law Center to classify anti-gay groups as Hate Groups

[Ian David]

Focus on The Family, Alliance for Marriage, Article 8 Coalition-- It's time to call them what they are. They are hate groups.

The Southern Poverty Law Center says:

The greatest growth in hate crimes in recent years is against Asian Americans and gays and lesbians, according to FBI statistics.

They even have that statement beside a picture of Matthew Shepherd


http://www.tolerance.org/10_ways/01.html

Then why aren't anti-gay groups classified by The SPLC as hate groups?

According to The SPLC, to be a hate group doesn't mean you have to actively go out and commit or advocate violence. To be a hate group, you have to spend a significant percentage of your group's energy demonizing a group to the extent that people may wish to do them harm or violate their civil rights based upon what you say about them.

In other words, you don't have to say, "Go out and hit this minority with a stick."

To be a hate group, you have to say, "This minority is trying to molest your children, destroy your family and bring about the end of Western Civilization, and that should make you mad."

More:
Gay-Bashing
http://www.tolerance.org/search/query.html?qs=&qc=&pw=100%25&ws=0&la=en&qm=0&st=1&nh=10&lk=1&rf=0&rq=0&si=0&col=test&ht=0&qp=&qt=gay-bashing&x=0&y=0


Also:
GLBT / LGBT
http://www.tolerance.org/search/query.html?qs=&qc=&pw=100%25&ws=0&la=en&qm=0&st=1&nh=10&lk=1&rf=1&rq=0&si=0&col=test&ht=0&qp=&qt=GLBT+LGBT&x=0&y=0


You can POLITELYcontact the SPLC at this page:
http://www.tolerance.org/about/contact.jsp


Or:

[e-mail]
[e-mail]

Morris Dees
Center founder and chief trial counsel
334-264-0286
[e-mail]

Joseph J. Levin, Jr.
Center founder and president emeritus
[e-mail]

Julian Bond
First Center president and member of the board
[e-mail]


Jennifer Holladay
Director, Tolerance.org
Telephone:[phone]
Fax:[phone]
E-mail:[e-mail]

National Campaign for Tolerance
[e-mail]




Letters may be mailed to:
Tolerance.org
c/o The Southern Poverty Law Center
400 Washington Ave.
Montgomery, AL 36104

Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

[MuseRider]

1. I was glad to see

that they do mention the Westboro Baptist Church.

Going back to look more at this site. I had not seen this one I don't think and I like it. Thanks.

[Meeker Morgan]

5. SPLC is all nice and liberal and all that ...

... but Westboro Baptist Church is so freaky that your average religious right type will sincerely denounce them. It's clearly a small family cult and they don't amount to anything. And they explicitly hate America.

An easy bone to throw us, and it doesn't irritate anyone who matters.

Let's see the SPLC take on some large, effective, anti-gay outfit. Such as the Republican Party, Agudath Israel, or the Roman Catholic Church.

[MuseRider]

6. Excuse me?

As someone who grew up with those people and see them 3 times a day on my streets I sincerely appreciated them being considered. It was much more than a bone to me, I have had to deal with them politically and they are not fun to be up against. You should answer my phone messages and then tell me they do not amount to anything. My city is hostage to them. So, while I would agree that nationally they are a bug that needs to be ignored there are some of us who actually physically have to deal with them on a daily basis.

I was actually talking about the tolerance site. I had never see it before.

[megatherium]

2. a very tough question.

Probably the reason they don't identify anti-gay groups as hate groups is that major organized religions teach that homosexuality is wrong. For example, I cannot imagine SPLC identifying the Roman Catholic Church as a hate group, even though its current leader Pope Benedict XVI has affirmed church teaching that homosexuals are disordered and that homosexual conduct is sinful.

[Ian David]

3. See related thread: Just published report by SPLC on anti-gay groups

Holy War- The religious crusade against gays- MUST READ\
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=221&topic_id=10814&mesg_id=10814

[w13rd0]

4. Teaching something is wrong...

...isn't the same as advocating hate. I wouldn't call the Roman Catholic Church as a whole a hate group, but Pope Rat and his cabal I would label a hate group. Same for many of these loons from the Talibornagain.

My viceral reaction wants to know who they are so I can avoid doing business with them, so I can scorn them and make fun of them. A brand on the forehead should do the trick. Or maybe on the back of the right hand :)