A Letter to Mike Huckabee About Homophobia

Recently, Mike Huckabee was on “The View” offering his homophobic views on how gay rights don’t compare to civil rights because gay people haven’t suffered the oppression and abuse that African-Americans endured.

I would never claim the degree of oppression and abuse was equal to that of the African-American’s were subject to, but I will not agree the GLBT community has not been abused or endured suffering and oppression. I would like to add that I do not feel any amount of oppression and abuse should be tolerated.

I do not feel any group should have to endure any of these elements in order to gain equal rights. No matter the degree, amount or scale, abuse and oppression are wrong. Please watch what Mr. Huckabee had to say, then read my letter I wrote to him in response. You can also respond to Mr. Huckabee by following the contact link on his website.

Mr. Huckabee,

I am writing as I am extremely disappointed in your continued displays of homophobic behavior. It’s bad enough you had the likes of Janet Porter, who verbally abuses gays and lesbians on national radio work for your campaign, but now you have appeared on “The View” and have openly demonstrated hate and bigotry towards the GLBT community. You stated the Gay Rights movement is NOT the same as the Civil Rights movement because Gays and Lesbians have not endured the physical abuse or oppression that our African-American citizens once endured.

Now I will admit, the scale of events perhaps hasn’t been as large as the Civil Rights movement, but I will argue the suffering and abuse was any less.

I’m not sure if you’re aware of the Stonewall riots of 1969 or why they occurred, but it was because of suffering the GLBT community endured prior. Did you know it was once illegal for gay and or lesbian people to congregate? If they did, they could be arrested and fined and often times were. The police raids of gay and lesbian establishments lead to the physical abuse and even death of gay and lesbian persons. This was not an isolated incident, these events happened in many cities and towns nation wide.

What about Harvey Milk? Shot and killed for being openly gay. What about Matthew Sheppard? What about the thousands of others who died simply because they were gay?

Unlike the Civil Rights movement, you may have not “known” any gay people when you were growing up and living through the Civil Rights movement, but that’s because if they had come out, they would have been risking death as well. How is hiding who you are in order to protect your own safety and life NOT oppression?

You have NO idea of the suffering that has been endured by those in the GLBT community. I, for one, was fired from a job in 2003 simply for being gay. That action is still legal in 33 states.

Mr. Huckabee, I understand you have strong religious convictions, and those convictions do not allow you to accept gay people openly, but I challenge you to educate yourself enough to know that being gay is NOT a choice, and gay people suffer everyday simply for being who they are…who they were born as…who they love.

I would also like to mention that even though the “majority” of people in this country recently voted to deny gays and lesbians the right to marry, it still isn’t right. Once a majority of people believed in segregation. Once a majority of people believed women should not have the right to vote. Once a majority of people felt interracial marriage was wrong…but was the majority right? And f you really want to talk about majorities, once a majority of people thought the world was flat, so was it? And lastly on this point, since Christianity is NOT the majority religion in the world, should the majority religion be able to tell Christians who and how to worship?

Whether you know it or not, someone you love is gay, and whether you know them or not, someone gay is fighting for rights from which we will all benefit.

Mr. Huckabee, I am asking you to open your heart and mind, and lead the way to stopping hate!

Thank you!