Here's something that comes as a surprise. Rick Perry, the Texas governor and former presidential candidate who wants to end Obama's war on religion, released a statement expressing his support for a group of Texas A&M students who formed a human chain around a soldier's funeral to protect the ceremony from the hateful signs of the Westboro Baptist Church. The deceased, Lt. Col. Roy Tisdale, was an alum of the university, as is Rick Perry, and 650 students gathered to make sure his funeral was not interrupted by the group of religious fundamentalists who like to protest solider funerals with belligerent anti-gay messages.
It's an interesting move for a politician so staunchly anti-gay and pro-religion, isn't it?
To say that Perry is conservative is an understatement. The man's campaign ad from this winter where he says "you know there's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military, but our kids can't openly celebrate Christmas" is about as right wing as it gets, promising that if elected, he'd "fight liberal attacks on our religious heritage."
And now, eight months later, Perry is supporting the protest of a church. A church that's anti-gay, much like he is. I should hope any intolerance Perry has for homosexuality doesn't come anywhere near that of the WBC, but still. It's shocking that Perry even bothered to have his office release a statement showing support for the Aggies against the WBC.
Shocking, but not at all unwelcome. This is the man who signed a pledge that was all for a federal ban of same sex marriage, and once compared homosexuality to alcoholism. Perry's defense of the students doesn't outweigh all the anti-gay remarks and resolutions he's made over the years, but it's a start. And yes, it's an easy route to come out against the WBC since almost everyone hates them, but again, you gotta start somewhere.
I don't think this is some beginning of a new Perry who's more tolerant of alternative lifestyles, but I do think it's a nice, unexpected wrinkle in his political fabric.
What do you think of Perry's defense of the students against the Westboro Baptist Church?
Photo via eschipul/Flickr
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Comments 25
i think it just proves what a bunch of crazy, ridiculously over the top group that WBC really is when you get support against them from a guy like Rick Perry.
Why do you find this shocking? There is nothing shocking about this. The people who make up The Westboro Baptist Church are hateful, vicious people who actually seek to somehow harm everyone they disagree with and are nothing like actual Christians. Why is it so hard to understand that choosing to protect the sanctity of marriage and fight for it not to change is NOT hatred. We don't hate gays! We LOVE the people who stand up to the WBC. The maroon wall was totally awesome!
Westboro is a cult. Not your average church. This isnt a shock to me, but perry is still a bigoted moron.
It doesn't state that the soldier was gay. WBC just likes to protest the military period.
This is about coming out against hate. Christianity should not be about hate; it should be about love.
The WBC protests at all military funerals, it doesn't have anything to do with whether the deceased soldier is gay or not. They say they do this because the military allows gays to serve in the military but they've been doing it long before DADT was repealed. It's pretty comical when you think about it. The military is not particularly gay friendly. If they want to protest something they should go to Disney, lol. Seriously, as the mother of a Marine if my son died and they showed up at his funeral they'd have to bury me right along side of him because I wouldn't be responsible for my actions. Also, just because someone is opposed to same sex marriage does not mean they're anti-gay. My sister is gay and I love and support her. I just believe marriage is between one man and one woman. I believe in civil unions and frankly don't care what people do behind closed doors, I just believe in the sanctity of marriage and don't want people's sex lives, gay or straight, flaunted in my face.