GLAAD Calls For CNN To Fire Political Analyst and Contributor Roland Martin
CNN contributor Roland Martin has once again made extreme, anti-gay comments — and this time GLAAD has said, enough. During Sunday’s Super Bowl commercials, Martin took special offense, apparently, to an H&M commercial for David Beckham’s underwear, which showed Beckham wearing his Beckham briefs, and nothing else. Roland Martin wrote via Twitter, “Ain’t no real bruhs going to H&M to buy some damn David Beckham underwear!,” and then, “If a dude at your Super Bowl party is hyped about David Beckham’s H&M underwear ad, smack the ish out of him!” Sunday night, GLAAD began a campaign calling on CNN to fire Martin: “Advocates of anti-gay violence have no place at CNN or Time Warner.”
GLAAD, which is the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, also notes:
Earlier today, Martin posted to his Facebook fan page: “Who the hell was that New England Patriot they just showed in a head to toe pink suit? Oh, he needs a visit from #teamwhipdatass”
Since making the comments, Martin has suggested his tweet regarding David Beckham was intended as a slight toward soccer fans. He did not respond to a question from Metro Weekly about why, if the tweet was about soccer and not based in anti-gay sentiment, he only referenced his concern about “a dude … hyped” about the ad and not any soccer fan.
Martin also commented on Twitter, “I said ladies, if your boyfriend don’t like sports, send him back to the factor. He’s defective. It’s called A JOKE.” We’re assuming he meant “factory.”
It is inconceivable for Martin to attempt to claim that his Facebook comment and his tweets were an attack on soccer and not homophobic.
Not only are they homophobic, but they advocate violence against gays, or anyone who doesn’t fall into Martin’s personal concept of how men are supposed to behave.
Frankly, it’s sad that a 43-year old journalist is so insecure that he feels the need to make anti-gay comments via Twitter advocating for violence against gays.
Watch: The David Beckham Super Bowl Ad That “Made†Roland Martin Advocate Anti-Gay Violence
Of course, Twitter was ensconced in outrage over Martin’s comments. Martin, for his part, told his detractors to “deal with it,” claiming their objections were “just another lie,” and claimed many were wrongly “assuming” they knew what he actually had meant. At one point Martin told MetroWeekly’s Chris Geidner, “what you’re missing is I’ve cracked on real men and football.”
GLAAD also notes the homophobia in Martin’s past.
A closer look at his record gives a window into Martin’s anti-gay views.
Last year, Tracy Morgan said during a stand-up routine that if his son were gay he would ‘stab him.’ Morgan later apologized and worked with GLAAD to send a positive messages to parents and LGBT youth.
Morgan understood how his words could influence his fans and put youth in danger, while Martin defended Tracy Morgan’s original remarks.
Wrote Martin: “Say I’m wrong. Fine. Say I’m insensitive to gays and lesbians. Fine.”
He continued: “Sorry, if I’m being honest here and not focusing on political correctness. I just believe that many of you would be shocked and amazed that you laughed hysterically at some of the most sexist, homophobic, racist stuff imaginable by comedians of all shapes, sizes, ethnic backgrounds, genders and sexual orientations.”At a time when the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs found that violence against LGBT people was up 23%, we need people in the public eye to speak out against the dangers of anti-LGBT violence, not openly encourage it.
Martin also has used his platform to misrepresent religious views about LGBT people. Far from the church being uniformly anti-gay, as Martin has claimed, LGBT people are welcomed just as they are into the full life of the church, in congregations and entire denominations across the United States. Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Episcopal denominations welcome LGBT folks, as well as many congregations from a variety of denominations.
On Martin’s website he ignores the medical evidence about the ineffective nature and harms associated with so-called ex-gay programs and instead praises his wife who he says “has counseled many men and women to walk away from the gay lifestyle.”
Roland Martin’s comments Sunday night, along with his comments during the Tracy Morgan episode, in conjunction with his 2006 column, “Faith – not social pressures – must govern church on issue of homosexuality,” make it clear Martin is incapable of representing the CNN brand appropriately.
Of Rev. Al Sharpton’s attempts “to create a faith movement among gay, transgender, lesbian and bisexual African Americans,” Martin wrote,
“What leaders of this effort must come to understand is that the fundamental issue is that gays and lesbians want to be accepted and embraced by the church, and not acknowledge that they are engaged, in the eyes of the church, in sinful behavior.”
Martin, equating homosexuality with alcoholism and theft, added, “for Christians, going to church is not supposed to be a feel good exercise. We are expected to be convicted, and encouraged to walk away from sin and live a more Christ-like life. In my church, this goes for the woman who is an alcoholic, the child who continues to be disobedient to his parents, the young lady who is hell-bent on stealing, and the person who is gay.”
“The church is called to love our fellow man, preach the good news and set the captives free – free from a life of sin. Â That isn’t being homophobic. It’s being a Christian. And no one should have to apologize for that.”
Yes, they should, Mr. Martin. And it’s about time that you do. But we’ve been here before. We’ve time and time again asked you rot reconsider your anti-gay positions and apologize and you refuse.
GLAAD is right to call for your termination.
I hope your colleagues at CNN, including Don Lemon, Anderson Cooper, John King, David Gergen, Donna Brazile, and Wolf Blitzer personally sign this petition, and then pick up the phone and call the people at CNN’s Human Resources and file a complaint about your behavior.
You can sign GLAAD’s petition here, and contact CNN about Roland Martin here.