HOMOSEXUAL ACTIVISTS BLAME CHRISTIANS FOR HATE CRIME

AFA ACTION ALERT 10/16/98

American Family Association <><

Dr. Donald E. Wildmon, President

Tim Wildmon, Vice President

P.O. Drawer 2440

Tupelo, Mississippi 38803

Telephone: 601/844-5036

Fax: 601/842-7798

URL: http://www.afa.net

HOMOSEXUAL ACTIVISTS BLAME CHRISTIANS FOR HATE CRIME

American Family Association (AFA) is grieving and praying for the Shepard family over the death of their son, Matthew. "What happened to Matthew Shepard is deplorable and we are pleased that the authorities took swift action to apprehend those responsible for his death. Our hearts go out to the Shepard family," said AFA President Donald E. Wildmon. "I want to encourage all subscribers to the AFA ACTION ALERT to drop the Shepard family a note of condolence. You can send the Shepard family a note through the Poudre Valley Hospital where Matthew Shepard died," Wildmon said.

ACTION ADDRESS: mshepard@libra.PVH.org mailto:mshepard@libra.PVH.org

American Family Association today expressed its outrage at the ongoing campaign by homosexual activist groups and the secular media to link the murder of a Wyoming college student with Christianity.

Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old homosexual student at the University of Wyoming, was allegedly robbed and beaten to death last week by two men. Gay activists, such as the Human Rights Campaign and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, have blamed the death on Christian ministries, especially those, including AFA, which recently sponsored newspaper ads offering ministry for homosexuals who wanted to leave that lifestyle. News outlets have uncritically repeated the charges.

This past summer, AFA, along with 14 other organizations, placed a series of full-page ads - called "Truth in Love Campaign" - in major newspapers offering hope that homosexuals can change. The central message of the ads was that people desiring to leave the lifestyle can follow in the footsteps of thousands of ex-gays prominently featured in the ads.

"Our organization and other Christian groups abhor such criminal violence as was committed against Matthew Shepard, and condemn it without qualification," said AFA President Donald E. Wildmon. "But to blame the historic teachings of the church which clearly regard sexual immorality as a sin - including homosexuality - is nothing less than religious bigotry." Local law enforcement working the Shepard case have said the motive for the crime was robbery, but gay rights activists have demanded that the case be treated as a hate crime since Shepard was a homosexual.

As part of their agenda, gay rights groups have long demanded that Congress and state legislatures pass hate crime laws. Such laws would add criminal penalties to any crime that is committed with even a hint of an anti-gay motivation.

"Gay activists have no shame, exploiting the death of a young man to ratchet up the rhetoric for one of their pet political projects," said Wildmon.

Furthermore, he said, "to engage in the mental gymnastics necessary to link those redemptive newspaper ads with this crime - and then to demand hate crime legislation - clearly demonstrates that the real motivation behind such hate crime laws is to silence Christians. Gays will now feel free to blame any crime against a homosexual on Christians, ending all reasonable public discussion regarding homosexuality."

AFA has just learned that the Rev. Fred Phelps, whose hateful message includes slogans such as "God Hates Fags," apparently plans to picket the funeral of murder victim Matthew Shepard. AFA strongly denounces this action and urges him not follow through with his plans. AFA executive assistant Rev. Buddy Smith says, "The hateful tactics of Rev. Phelps do not represent AFA's Christian message. We believe God loves homosexuals and offers them hope for forgiveness and healing."

AFA ACTION ALERT subscribers need to be aware of what happened on the NBC program called "Today," which aired on Monday of this past week. Katie Couric was questioning Governor Jim Geringer and what follows is a portion of that interview. QUESTIONS POSED TO WYOMING GOVERNOR JIM GERINGER: KATIE COURIC: "Governor, Marv Johnson, who is Executive Director of the Wyoming ACLU has said that Wyoming is not gay friendly. Do you agree with that assessment?....Wyoming, as you well know Governor, is one of 10 states that does not have any kind of hate crime law and three times the Wyoming legislature has apparently crushed bills to enact such a law. Why hasn't that measure been successful in your state?....Would you like to see a hate crime law enacted? Will you go back to the legislature and try to do that?....What do you think about a federal measure that would be a hate crime law which would include sexual orientation? Would you support that at the federal level Governor?....And finally Governor some gay rights activists have said that some conservative political organizations like the Christian Coalition, the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family are contributing to this anti-homosexuality atmosphere by having an ad campaign saying in you are a homosexual you can change your orientation. That prompts people to say if I meet someone who's homosexual I'm going to take action and try to convince them or try to harm them. Do you believe that such groups are contributing to this climate?"

AFA encourages ALERT subscribers to contact Katie Couric at NBC and politely object to these groundless and hateful accusations.

ACTION ADDRESS:

Katie Couric

NBC "TODAY"

Today@NBC.com

mailto:Today@NBC.com

Telephone: 212-664-2333 & then press 4 for comment line.

"Today Show" Telephone: 212-664-4249