QUOTES ON HOMOSEXUALITY

"If GOD did not make homosexuals, there would be none."
"God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve."
"God made 'Adam and Eve' not 'Adam and Steve'?...hmmmm...then who made 'Steve'?"

"Why do we have to recycle the old conflicts so many times: first we fight about slavery, then segregation, then gender, and now sexual orientation? Why can't people look at the phrase 'liberty and justice for all' and simply accept that 'all' means 'all.' "

Jimmy Carter, quoted in the Los Angeles Times: "We must make it clear that a platform of 'I hate gay men and women' is not a way to become president of the United States."

William Sloane Coffin: "In reality, there are no biblical literalists, only selective literalists. By abolishing slavery and ordaining women, millions of Protestants have gone far beyond biblical literalism. It's time we did the same for homophobia." 1

Ed Dobson, former VP of Moral Majority, Inc.: "I haven't changed in the sense that I believe sexuality is a gift from God to be expressed exclusively within the commitment of heterosexual marriage and that all other expressions of that are outside the boundaries of God's creative intent as revealed in the Scripture. However, I do not believe that gives you a license to hate people, including homosexuals, and I think part of the struggle for people is that it's easy, it's easy to beat up what you don't understand. I have sat and listened to story after story after story from gay people of their journey and have cried with them and tried to listen to the awful pain they go through. [It] hasn't changed what I believe about the practice of homosexuality, but it has reminded me that 'Whom you would change you must first love.' Martin Luther King, Jr. said that. And in general, Christians have not been very good about loving gay people. Oh, they'll tell you they hate the sin but they love the sinner, but I don't see much love for the sinner."

Jerry Falwell: Quoted in Jim Hill & Rand Cheadle, "The Bible Tells Me So", Anchor Books (1996), P. 69-70: "[homosexuals are] brute beasts...part of a vile and satanic system [that] will be utterly annihilated, and there will be a celebration in heaven."

Billy Graham: "All homosexuals should be castrated." (Dr. Graham later apologized for this statement). 5

Steve Gunderson, first openly gay Republican congressman: "...the worst thing that happened to the gay community was the fall of communism...As long as the conservative movement had communism to fight, they could organize and raise their money over that issue. The minute they lost communism, they had to find a new enemy, and that enemy became homosexuality."

Vangie Jones; from a letter to the editor of the Maui News, Maui, HI, on 1997-FEB-3, titled "Change breeds fear:" "Homosexuality is a discovery, not a choice or a sin."
bullet Lynn Lavner: "The Bible contains six admonishments to homosexuals and 362 admonishments to heterosexuals. That doesn't mean that God doesn't love heterosexuals. It's just that they need more supervision."
bullet Rory Lewis (performer): "The epitome of evil is having spiritual leaders condone hate, in the name of God, against others such as our gay brothers and sisters."

Leonard Matlovich: Epitaph on his tombstone. He served for 12 years in the US Air Force, received exemplary ratings, won a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. After revealing his homosexual orientation, he was dishonorably discharged: "Here lies a man who was given a medal for killing two men, and a dishonorable discharge for loving one." 1

Chief Justice Moore, Alabama Supreme Court: "...the homosexual conduct of a parent -- conduct involving a sexual relationship between two persons of the same gender -- creates a strong presumption of unfitness that alone is sufficient justification for denying that parent custody of his or her own children or prohibiting the adoption of the children of others.... Homosexual conduct is, and has been, considered abhorrent, immoral, detestable, a crime against nature, and a violation of the laws of nature and of nature's God upon which this Nation and our laws are predicated. Such conduct violates both the criminal and civil laws of this State and is destructive to a basic building block of society -- the family....It is an inherent evil against which children must be protected." 2

Salt Lake City Board of Education:"...UFO Club, Hispanic Club,...Native American Club, Human Rights Club, ...Young Democrats,...UFO (Ultimate Frisbee Organization), Advancement of Hispanic Students, ...Chinese Checkers Club...HIS Club (Bible study club),...Latino Pride Club,...Students Against Drunk Driving, Students of the Orient, Young Republicans." This is a partial list of high-school clubs banned in 1996 after the board determined it was the only method of legally eradicating a single student gay/lesbian support club.

Desmond Tutu, South African Anglican archbishop concerning racism and homophobia: "We struggled against apartheid because we were being blamed and made to suffer for something we could do nothing about. It is the same with homosexuality. The orientation is a given, not a matter of choice. It would be crazy for someone to choose to be gay, given the homophobia that is present."