The Christian conservative group
American Family Association (AFA) last week criticized President
Barack Obama for proclaiming June LGBT Pride month.
Senior leadership at the group appeared
in a video where they took potshots at the president's proclamation.
“You know, one of the real ironies of
this proclamation is the president here cites the need for more
funding for HIV/AIDS,” AFA President Tim Wildmon says between sips
of coffee. “But, unlike Michelle Obama, who advocates that
children stay off the sodas, he doesn't advocate behavior change when
it comes to homosexual behavior affecting your health.”
“Abe, why doesn't he say, 'Stop doing
what you're doing and you won't get AIDS?'” Wildmon rhetorically
asked Abe Hamilton, a public policy analyst with the group.
“I think once again you highlight one
of the glaring episodes of hypocrisy that comes from secular
progressivism as applied to public policy,” Hamilton responded. “In
terms of other health areas, well, you need to get exercise, you need
to cut the sugars, you need to not eat sodas. But in terms of
homosexuality, there’s no adjustment needed in your behavior. We
just need to pour more money into treating the results of the
behavior.”
(Of course, HIV/AIDS awareness
campaigns encourage safe sex practices.)
“Even though it's very provable that
engaging in homosexual activity is dangerous to your health, in the
same way that smoking is, or sugar, too much sugar, or anything of
that nature,” Wildmon
added.
Ed Vitagliano, the AFA's executive vice
president, took issue with president's support for LGBT workplace
protections. “The only [people] I know [who] are getting fired in
this country in 2016 are Christians, because they oppose that
proclamation and the ideas behind it.”