FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Wayne Besen, Executive Director
Phone: 917-691-5118
Email: wbesen@truthwinsout.org
More than 4,000 People Have Already Signed TWO’s Petition Urging George to Step Down For Comparing LGBT Community to Ku Klux Klan
CHICAGO – Truth Wins Out stepped up its campaign calling on Chicago Archbishop Cardinal Francis George to resign today by placing a full-page ad in this upcoming Sunday’s Chicago Tribune. The ad is headlined, “Hey, Cardinal Francis George, Gay is not like the KKK,” and slams the Cardinal for foolishly comparing the LGBT community to the Ku Klux Klan. It satirically includes a picture of a rainbow-robed Klansman and debunks the lies and misinformation disseminated by the Archbishop about the LGBT community. The ad comes as an online TWO petition calling on George to step down has reached more than 4,000 signatures.
“We felt compelled to place this ad after Cardinal George compounded his initial smear with further insults disguised as an apology,” said Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen. “It seems the sin of pride is keeping George from saying he is sorry for his outrageous and misleading remarks about Gay Pride. At this point, the only road to redemption is his resignation.”
George’s offensive remarks first came during a dispute over the scheduled starting time of the annual gay pride parade in June. The event was originally set to begin at 10am, but a priest bitterly 
complained that the starting time would interfere with morning services. In an interview with Fox News in Chicago, Cardinal George said: “You know, you don’t want the Gay Liberation Movement to morph into something like the Ku Klux Klan, demonstrating in the streets against Catholicism.”
Instead of backtracking this week, George tried to rationalize his below the belt smear with an offensive statement from the Archdiocese: “When the pastor’s request for reconsideration of the plans was ignored, the organizers invited an obvious comparison to other groups who have historically attempted to stifle the religious freedom of the Catholic Church. One such organization is the Ku Klux Klan which, well into the 1940′s, paraded through American cities not only to interfere with Catholic worship but also to demonstrate that Catholics stand outside of the American consensus. It is not a precedent anyone should want to emulate.”
“This is not a legitimate fight over religious liberty as George wrongly implies, but a vivid example of religious bigotry fueled by a mean-spirited analogy that linked innocent, law abiding families with the KKK,” said Besen. “We will stand up against such lies and speak out when LGBT people are unfairly maligned.”
Earlier in the year, TWO launched a 160,000-signature Change.org petition that helped persuade Apple, Inc. to eliminate an “ex-gay” iPhone app by the group Exodus International.
Truth Wins Out (TWO) is a nonprofit that fights anti-LGBT religious extremism. TWO specializes in turning information into action by organizing, advocating and fighting for LGBT equality.
Sign TWO’s Petition
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Instead of saying as you do that the gay-bashing cardinal “foolishing” likened gays to the KKK, I would say that he MALICIOUSLY did so. The Catholic Church’s business model historically has depended heavily on social stigmatization of gays. The anti-gay bullies at the top of the Church hierarchy (the ones that live off the fat of the land and the near-slave labor within the Church) spread the idea that gays are an “abomination,” poison society against gay human beings and thus get young gays and lesbians to sign up for lives of cheap labor in the Church. As the Church is not only gay-bashing but also misogynistic, the nuns get hidden away to do the worst of the dirty work. The fall-off in the number of young people signing up to be priests and nuns corresponds precisely to the gradually increasing social acceptance of gay human beings. The Church knows that and is lashing out against gays. Don’t believe for a minute that this cardinal was not acting with malice when he likened gays to the KKK.
Comment by Scott Rose — December 29, 2011 @ 4:56 pm
Good work Mr. Wayne.
They’re criticizing you at JMG. But this is just the type of action we need: tightly reasoned argument in the public square.
It’s also the kind of action that is beyond our ‘leaders’. Until now, our enemies have had a free for all in the media, with virtually no blowback from our community (no pun intended). Hopefully, our leaders will take the hint and start publishing serious argument.
Comment by Wilberforce — December 29, 2011 @ 6:57 pm
On the other hand, gay ‘leadership’ is chosen for their looks, not their brains. So effective logic is beyond them, and the weak arguments they would make would probably do more harm than good.
Comment by Wilberforce — December 29, 2011 @ 7:01 pm
@Wilberforce, some of those commenters are being bitchy, I noticed lol…
Everybody’s a critic.
Comment by Evan Hurst — December 29, 2011 @ 7:11 pm
[...] pronounces gays as “disordered” and “sinful.”The group Truth Wins Out will be placing this full-page ad in the Chicago Tribune this Sunday, calling for the Cardinal to resign:It’s not going to make [...]
Pingback by Cardinal Francis George Compares Gay Pride Parade Participants to KKK Members | Friendly Atheist — December 29, 2011 @ 11:03 pm
[...] petition calling on the Cardinal to hand in an early resignation to Pope Benedict XVI and the full-page ad with the same message that we’re placing in this Sunday’s Chicago [...]
Pingback by Truth Wins Out - That’s My Mom! John’s Mom Speaks Out About Cardinal George’s Homophobic Remarks — December 29, 2011 @ 11:09 pm
Cardinal George is the one who resembles the KKK.
He wears a hood and robes to walk around in, like the KKK. He hates people for characteristics they were born with and can’t change, like the KKK. He is intolerant and wants to change the way others live their lives, like the KKK. He spews venom and hate, but you will find him in church, like the KKK, every Sunday, living the big lie.
Comment by Pat Donoghue — December 30, 2011 @ 1:16 am
[...] demeaned and demonized LGBT people in a manner unworthy of his office.” Truth Wins Out is also taking out a full page ad in this Sunday’s Chicago Tribune calling on George to step [...]
Pingback by WeMustChange » Blog Archive » Chicago Cardinal Doubles Down, Says Gay Pride Parade ‘Invited An Obvious Comparison’ To KKK — December 31, 2011 @ 4:52 am
Where’s the ad?
I bought today’s Chicago Tribune. Where’s the ad?
Comment by North Shore Guy — January 1, 2012 @ 11:00 am
“One such organization is the Ku Klux Klan which… paraded through American cities… to demonstrate that Catholics stand outside of the American consensus. It is not a precedent anyone should want to emulate.”
Buh? Let’s try that one again, with more thinking.
Comment by Pat — January 3, 2012 @ 2:16 pm
Cardinal Francis George issues apology.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-cardinal-george-apologizes-for-linking-pride-parade-to-kkk-20120106,0,4307777.story
Comment by PJB863 — January 6, 2012 @ 7:13 pm
Regarding the Cardinal’s so-called “apology” … no fucking way. “I have family members myself who are gay and lesbian…” and he could still say those words that he, apparently, now regrets because they were hurtful? This is the same hateful religious bullshite we’ve been hearing for millenia. RESIGN!!!
Comment by bob — January 7, 2012 @ 5:19 pm
I wonder whether the cardinal’s gay and lesbian relatives had something to say to him over the holidays, and whether that was at least part of the reason he apologized.
Comment by John Patrick — January 7, 2012 @ 5:50 pm
[...] Cardinal George’s resignation are still unhappy with his original statement and have placed a full page ad in the Chicago [...]
Pingback by Cardinal Francis George Apologizes to the LGBT Community « thegayav — January 9, 2012 @ 10:45 pm