During an appearance on Fox News, host
Megyn Kelly appeared to agree with Family Research Council (FRC)
President Tony Perkins' view that HGTV's decision to break ties with
twin brothers Jason and David Benham over their anti-gay, anti-Muslim
rhetoric was an attack on Christians.
HGTV canceled Flip It Forward, a
reality show which featured the brothers as they helped families buy
and sell distressed properties for a profit, after Right Wing Watch
published a report on the brothers' activism.
David Benham compared opposition to
marriage equality to efforts to defeat Nazi Germany and stated that
gay men need to find God. The brothers also staged a prayer rally in
Charlotte in part to protest the city's acceptance of marriage
equality.
(Related: David,
Jason Benham: We love gays, oppose agenda.)
Perkins told Kelly that HGTV was
“bullied” by a “tiny minority” into silencing those “who
have orthodox Christian views.”
Kelly appeared to agree, saying that
if HGTV had pulled the plug on a show because it featured gay hosts,
“the backlash would be enormous in this country.”
“And that's because gay rights are
more and more protected and recognized in this country,” Kelly
said. “Christian beliefs and Christian rights, not so much.”
To her credit, Kelly pointed out the
extreme tone of the Benham brothers' rhetoric, saying it was
“extremely alienating” to many people.
Perkins dismissed Kelly's point: “I
would just say Megyn that those quotes come from Right Wing Watch,
I've read those, and Right Wing Watch is about as reliable as the
Obamacare website. There are people in this country who hold
religious positions based on the Scripture, they have every right to
be in the public space as everyone else.”
Writing
at Equality Matters, Luke Brinker called the segment's arguments
“transparently ridiculous.”
“Religion is a federally protected
class – as former attorney Kelly certainly knows – but sexual
orientation and gender identity lack federal protection. Not only do
gay couples lack the right to marry in 33 states, but they can be
fired because of who they are in 29 states. Transgender workers can
be fired based on their gender identity in 33 states. LGBT people
are also disproportionately targeted for hate crimes,” Brinker
wrote.