The American Family Association continues to show that they have lost any semblance of a moral compass, if indeed they ever had one in the first place, by attacking 10 year-old Will Phillips, who is supposed to be the grand marshal of Northwest Arkansas’s pride parade. Phillips, you’ll remember, is the precocious kid who refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance, because he understands that the line “liberty and justice for all” doesn’t apply to LGBT Americans, at least not yet. Indeed, AFA president Tim Wildmon is invoking the words “child abuse” and accusing people of exploiting Will Phillips:
AFA President Tim Wildmon says,” It’ shameful that adults would abuse a brain-washed child in this way,” said AFA president Tim Wildmon. “He’ obviously just parroting the nonsense he’ been told by manipulative adults.For gay activists to trot out this child and make him the poster child for promoting unnatural sexual expression is a form of child abuse. “
To which I reply: It’s shameful that adults abuse children brainwashed into Christian fundamentalism the way they do. Those children obviously just parrot the nonsense they’ve been told by manipulative adults. For Christian fundamentalist activists to trot out their children and make them the poster children for promoting unseemly bigotry and hatred against entire portion of the population based on a stack of lies about who gay people are is child abuse, especially since, as we all know, many of their own children are gay. At least we don’t lie to them.
This is all happening via an American Family Association e-mail action alert, to try to cow the mayor of Fayetteville, Arkansas, into rescinding his proclamation for the event, and Will’s mom views them (quite rightly, considering the people involved) as a threat to her family.
Two ways you can help:
1. Visit the Facebook page for the city of Fayetteville and leave supportive messages.
2. Contact Fayetteville’s public officials with nice, positive messages of support. You and I are well aware that the e-mails sent from AFA subscribers will contain a level of venom which is directly converse to their reading level. This is a time for catching flies with sugar, as they say.
Ward 1, Position 1 Adella Gray (479) 442-4958 ward1_pos1@ci.fayetteville.ar.us
Ward 1, Position 2 Brenda Thiel (479) 442-3095 bthiel@cox.net
Ward 2, Position 1 Kyle Cook (479) 521-7632 ward2_pos1@ci.fayetteville.ar.us
Ward 2, Position 2 Matthew Petty (479) 595-8303 (Email preferred) citycouncil (at) matthewpetty (dot) org
Mayor Lioneld Jordan (479) 575-8330 mayor@ci.fayetteville.ar.us
Ward 3, Position 1 Robert K. Rhoads (479) 973-5200 rrhoads@hallestill.com
Ward 3, Position 2 Bobby Ferrell (479) 442-3535 ward3_pos2@ci.fayetteville.ar.us
Ward 4, Position 1 Shirley Lucas (479) 442-4612 ward4_pos1@ci.fayetteville.ar.us
Ward 4, Position 2 Sarah Lewis (479) 263-2087 sarahelainelewis@gmail.com
Fayetteville is a great town, if you’re not aware, and Arkansas is not all anti-gay. Give Fayetteville and the Phillips family the support they need, because it’s never a good day when a band of rabid extremists attacks your child.
More at AfterElton and Pam’s House Blend.
