Ron Paul's Iowa campaign director
Michael Heath serves as board chairman of the anti-gay group
Americans for Truth about Homosexuality (AFTAH),
BoxTurtleBulletin.com
reported.
The Illinois-based group was founded by
anti-gay rights activist Peter LaBarbera and has been designated as
an anti-gay hate group by the Southern
Poverty Law Center.
In 2009, Heath was pushed out of the
Christian conservative group Maine Family Policy Council, which he
headed for 15 years, over his aggressive anti-gay sentiments as the
group pushed for a “people's veto” on a gay marriage law approved
by Maine lawmakers. (Ultimately, the law was repealed. Gay
marriage activists are considering a return to the ballot box in
2012.)
In a September 25, 2008 blog post
titled The Nation Will Right Itself If It Fixes Sex at his now
closed personal website (mikeheath.blogspot.com), Heath wrote that
the financial crisis is a symptom of America's sinful sexual culture,
including the acceptance of gay unions. In accepting his
resignation, the board of the Maine Family Policy Council said Heath
had become a “lightning rod.”
Heath told Yahoo!
News last month that he's heading church outreach for the Paul
campaign in Iowa.
“That's the biggest part of what I'm
doing as state director,” Heath said. “Going to churches with a
message in support of Dr. Paul's campaign's that is very much
faith-based and is also rooted in his commitment to a
constitutionally defined limited federal government.”
In an
interview with the Des
Moines Register's
editorial board, Paul said he believes the government should
“butt out” of the marriage business. A former Paul staffer this
week alleged that Paul is “uncomfortable around homosexuals,” a
claim the Paul
campaign has denied.