On Sunday, May 15, at an anti-marriage equality rally sponsored and promoted by Maggie Gallagher’s National Organization for Marriage, Rev. Ariel Torres Ortega spoke before the audience, microphone in hand, and said,Â
“Committing sexual acts between man and man. And receiving the retribution of the things that they have done from straying away. And because they did not take God in count. God gave them over to reprimand their mind to do things that are not right, being against all justice, fornication, perversity, aberrations, malignity…those who practice such things are worthy to death, not only do they do it, but those who also practice it. God bless this earth. That is the word of God.”
Advocating death, especially death of a particular group, is unacceptable, and certainly hate speech.
Maggie Gallagher, Chairman of the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) must immediately denounce this hate-filled statement that occurred at her event, and agree that no one should advocate or support the killing of LGBT people.
Yes, according to this man of God, gay and bisexual men (evidently, not lesbians though,) should die. He did not state if he believed this should be coded into law, whom would be the judge, how proof would be obtained, and if this was a stepped program, i.e., if any homosexual act would automatically deserve the death penalty, or if there would be a “three strikes†provision.
What is especially troublesome is that this rally was headlined by New York State Senator and Reverend Rubén DÃaz, who spoke just minutes after Rev. Ariel Torres Ortega. Senator Diaz certainly has the ability to introduce a bill supporting Rev. Ortega’s beliefs. What would prevent him? We already know, according to a Diaz aide, that Senator Diaz does not believe in separation of church and state. Â
Watch the video.Â