Anti-Gay Christian Group Files Suit Against Federal Hate Crimes Law
The Michigan Messenger reports that The Thomas More Law Center has filed a lawsuit against the federal government on behalf of "Gary Glenn, president of the American Family Association – Michigan; Levon Yuille, pastor of The Bible Church in Ypsilanti, Michigan; René B. Ouellette, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Bridgeport, Michigan; and James Combs, pastor of four different churches in the state" against the recently-passed federal hate crimes act, also known as the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
The plaintiffs charge that, among other things, "the Hate Crimes Act has the purpose and effect of deterring, inhibiting,
and chilling the exercise of fundamental rights by persons, including
Plaintiffs, who publicly oppose homosexual activism, the homosexual
lifestyle, and the homosexual agenda, which seeks to normalize
intrinsically disordered sexual behavior that is contrary to the moral
law and harmful to the common good of society. Supporters of the
homosexual agenda seek to demonize, vilify, and criminalize deeply held
religious beliefs that are in opposition to their agenda."
According to Ed Brayton of the Messenger, "it would be unlikely to survive a motion to dismiss and very, very unlikely to survive a motion for summary judgment" because "The complaint seems to base its standing argument solely on the fact that some people have argued that there should be legal limits on anti-gay rhetoric, not on whether the text of the law itself actually imposes such limits."
The Thomas More Law Center was founded by Domino's Pizza founder Thomas Monaghan and Kevorkian prosecutor Richard Thompson. Rick Santorum and Alan Keyes are among those who have sat on its board.
Here's the complaint in full (PDF).
Posted Feb. 9,2010 at 9:12 AM EST by Andy Towle in Crime, Matthew Shepard, Michigan, News | Permalink
Nonsense. It will be dismisssed on its face.
Posted by: David Ehrenstein | Feb 9, 2010 9:15:24 AM
Yeah, and the Ku Klux Klan's religious beliefs give them the right to racist behavior. Let groups like this one waste as much money and time of theirs as possible - better than spending it on things that COULD actually happen.
Posted by: Tonic | Feb 9, 2010 9:22:30 AM
Glad I don't order from Domino's anymore.
Posted by: sparks | Feb 9, 2010 9:25:15 AM
i hope they tell the American Family Institute to Fuck off!!
It is my country too...not theirs, they don't like gay people, they have that right, they do not have the right to demonize gay people...saying we are immoral. Who the hell do they think they are? Mathew Sheppard and James Byrd were killed simply because they were gay. The perpertrators sought them out because they were gay. It is a hate crime!! That was the motivation...get it through your skull. Not all crimes are because of hate.
I can't stand these self-righteous people!! They need to get out there and help people, not persecute people!! course I am preaching to the choir here.
Posted by: Paul | Feb 9, 2010 9:28:17 AM
THEY'RE complaining?
Posted by: RICH | Feb 9, 2010 9:30:40 AM
How much energy does it take for these douchebags to perpetuate so much hate.
Where is the comfort their religion is supposed to provide for them?
Domino's-practicing Christian values one slice at a time-
Posted by: NIck | Feb 9, 2010 9:41:22 AM
Yep, pure nonsense. Religion is protected by the Federal Hate Crimes Law. So they can't honestly oppose extending it to others while keeping it for themselves. One could take their bogus complaint and insert "religion" in place of "homosexual" and argue that protecting the religious from hate crimes infringes on our right to speak out against their deviant lifestyle.
Posted by: Ernest McLeod | Feb 9, 2010 9:44:22 AM
In a way, it's too bad that this case will be tossed out of court. The more they are forced to put their "experts" on witness stands, the better for gay rights.
I've been boycotting Dominos for over 20 years. And my partner and I still boycott Wendy's as well - they hate us too.
Posted by: wisebear | Feb 9, 2010 9:57:45 AM
I also don't go to Wendy's... ever. But I didn't know about Domino's... is that guy still alive?
Is there a website that informs of companies w/ anti-equality history?
Posted by: stephen | Feb 9, 2010 10:21:38 AM
OK I missed the part about Wendy's, I haven't eatin Dominos for years. fill me in on Wendy's please.
Posted by: greekboy62 | Feb 9, 2010 10:26:22 AM
Towleroad has not provided an email option to this posting. How can i email this to others?
I know this Gary Glenn.
Posted by: kiyoatee | Feb 9, 2010 10:38:18 AM
Actually James Byrd Jr was a racially driven murder. Dragged behind a truck by chains.
Posted by: Allen | Feb 9, 2010 10:42:27 AM
In most western countries it would be laughed out of court. So wait. They are upset their sensibilities are hurt by us having basic human rights? What cunts! Do they really not see the irony here?
For me it all comes down to this: Other countries have gay rights and protections and they havent been struck down by god, or had their societies fall apart so why should the US be any different? Is it somehow inferior and unable to cope?
Posted by: rovex | Feb 9, 2010 10:48:10 AM
I know that Thomas Monaghan is alive and well and spending his time these days inventing a Catholic city in Florida called Ave Maria. The entire town surrounds a cathedral and there's a Catholic university (he is the Chancellor). Initially, he wanted to impose rules such as not providing contraception in the pharmacies, not allowing abortions, etc, but has since said that he won't break the law since the ACLU threatened to sue.
I have no idea about Wendy's though - I'm going to have to google that and see why the ban.
I love that these religious folk clutch to the laws that allow them freedom of religion (and if you ask me, the ability of religion to influence policy and government in the US is rampant, terrifying and way out of control, but I digress) but they feel that these same laws shouldn't be applied to groups that they disagree with. They'd like to continue their accusations, lies and bigotry without having to worry about the consequences of preaching hate to millions.
Posted by: Nicole | Feb 9, 2010 11:15:23 AM
When Christ commanded us to treat others as we want to be treated, He did not mean permit hate crimes against others. Radical anti-gay activists are trying once again to redefine morality. In this case, they want society to believe that hate crimes against law-abiding, taxpaying, American citizens is "moral" and a legitimate "religious belief."
Posted by: Michael | Feb 9, 2010 11:19:44 AM
Well, I guess I'll continue to not eat Domino's nasty pizza! LOL
Posted by: Phil | Feb 9, 2010 11:27:39 AM
According to Wikipedia, the Wendy's ban originated when the company pulled its ads from Ellen (the sitcom, not the talk show) after Ellen came out of the closet on the show.
Posted by: Nicole | Feb 9, 2010 11:29:28 AM
Kiyoatee,
Just right click and copy the URL (the web site address) once you're on the page you want and paste it into the text of your email.
Posted by: Phil | Feb 9, 2010 11:31:55 AM
It should be dismissed with a warning that if churches continue this route of litigation that they come under the possibility of losing their tax-exempt status.
Posted by: jakeinlove | Feb 9, 2010 12:02:29 PM
I just let Domino's know how I felt. I'm kind of bummed about this. I have very limited delivery choices where I live, but now I'll support locally owned businesses like I should have been doing in the first place.
Posted by: Dusty | Feb 9, 2010 12:10:36 PM
Wendy's has completely changed it's tune. Look it up on the Equality Project.
Posted by: Dusty | Feb 9, 2010 12:20:59 PM
Wendy's founder (Dave Thomas?) supported gay adoptions.
Posted by: Gabriel | Feb 9, 2010 12:56:06 PM
Reading this, one wonders just how fast it will be dismissed by the court. This is not a lawsuit, per se, but a political statement. It has Alan Keyes written all over it and I wouldn't be surprised if Mr. Keyes did, in fact, compose most of it. There are so many flawed, deeply flawed, arguments in this brief that it is difficult to know where to begin to refute it. Suffice it to say that this so-called "lawsuit" will be brought up on the court calendar and just as quickly relegated to the judicial trash-bin.
Posted by: jamal49 | Feb 9, 2010 1:00:12 PM
The suit as filed, is factually incorrect on its face and should be dismissed with prejudice and have the filing parties barred from ever filing another suit in that state.
Posted by: Mykelb | Feb 9, 2010 1:29:25 PM
This should shut them up, it's the language of the law:
----------------
"Rule of Construction"
"Nothing in this Act...shall be construed to prohibit any expressive conduct protected from legal prohibition by, or any activities protected by the free speech or free exercise clauses of, the First Amendment to the Constitution."
--------------
Basically they can say whatever they want while at the pulpit, they just can't foment criminal activity or call on their flock to go and kill gay people. And the judge will most likely reference this fact and tell them to go home and stay home.
Posted by: johnny | Feb 9, 2010 2:15:10 PM