No matter what the issue is, no matter what progress the rest of the nation is making, social conservatives are always moving in the opposite direction. Bob Vander Plaats, the extremist Republican who led the effort to remove the Iowa Supreme Court justices who ruled for marriage equality in that state, is now unveiling an anti-gay pledge that he and his wingnut group, The Family Leader, want all Republican candidates to sign:
According to Fox News, the pledge includes support for the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the 1996 law that bars federal agencies from recognizing the legal marriages of gay and lesbian couples, opposition to gay marriage laws, picking constitutionalists for federal judgeships and opposition to Sharia law. Candidates are also being asked to pledge fidelity to their spouses.
Gay, gay, gay…wait, Sharia law? What? Andrew Belonsky analyzes that with one simple question:
Isn’t it clever how social conservatives, aware that national opinion on LGBT rights has shifted left, are now trying to link gay panic to another irrational fear, Islamophobia?
There is no limit to the dumb crap wingnuts will believe, no mental contortion too great, no combination of dogwhistles too insane, when it comes to propping up the completely disproven, intellectually bereft worldview of the American fundamentalist bigot. Consider this video round-up of the most insane things said by wingnuts in the hearings on whether or not to rescind marriage equality in New Hampshire. I’ll let Igor Volsky set it up for you:
Below is a video compilation of some of the most outrageous claims levied by opponents of the measure, along with a musical surprise from a supporter of marriage equality:
- REP. ALFRED BALDASARO: “The same thing happened in Canada, where they passed gay marriage. Now they’re fighting in the courts to get 3 husbands, 3 wives.”
- SEN. FENTON GROEN: “[Homosexuality] will significantly increase their risk of serious diseases and can be expected to significantly shorten their lives.”
- HOWARD KAUFMAN: “A future redefinition of marriage that permits polygamy would facilitate the introduction an aspect of Sharia or Islamic law that permits a man to have up to four wives.”
Sharia law. Oh, dear god. Watch it:
It’s a wonder how they figure out how to put on pants in the morning.
No snarking necessary, as it would just be cruel. I can’t imagine what it’s like to attempt to fall asleep as Bradlee Dean of the You Can Run But You Can’t Hide [from the Muslim buttsex monsters under Bradlee Dean's bed] ministries. TPM:
Bradlee Dean of the religious ministry You Can Run But You Cannot Hide International said on his radio program that Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) is only supporting LGBT rights as part of a strategy to bring Sharia law to the United States, the Minnesota Independent reported.
“I said time and time again that there is a correlation between the Muslims and the homosexual agenda, and we have a couple of fools in the state of Minnesota that are putting a rope around their neck and they just don’t realize it,” Dean said on a radio. “Here, let me give it to you this way: Keith Ellison is a Muslim.”
Dear reasoned that Ellison’s support of protections for the LGBT community (like the Matthew Shepard Act) and for same-sex marriage is part of a plot to overthrow the Constitution and put Sharia law in its place.
“Why is he so adamant about overthrowing the Constitution as it is right now? Because if you pay attention to the plow he’s planting the seed,” Dean said. “He’s trying to come through with Sharee [sic] law.”
“Does somebody want to talk to the homosexual community in the state of Minnesota and tell them what he is doing?” Dean continued. “Go online, folks! You love the homosexuals so much then why don’t you tell them who they’ve appointed as their chairperson? He’s a Muslim!”
“Hello? Why is he after it? Because he wants to bring in Sharee [sic] law through the homosexual agenda!”
As I said, it would be unnecessarily cruel to make fun of Bradlee Dean. He is obviously a very fearful, disturbed individual, who has conflated all his boogeymen together into one monolithic imaginary beast capable of destroying his Power Ballad hair with one swishy swipe of its Allah-worshipping tail.
Fundamentalist Islam is entirely incompatible with American values. Nothing could be clearer. But so is fundamentalist Christianity, or any fundamentalism, no matter the faith. This is the lesson we should’ve learned on 9/11 but somehow, we continue to apologize for homegrown extremism.
Yes.
For a little context, that quote comes from ACG at the Submitted to a Candid World blog. He mentioned Newt Gingrich’s outrage over a (quickly reversed) court decision which exonerated a Muslim man for marital rape, citing Shari’a law. It was a mistake, obviously, but that will never stop an opportunistic, angry wingnut like Newtie from pouncing and scaring old, ignorant white people into thinking that the Mooselems are coming for them, and they’re bringin’ thar Shar-EYE-uh laws wit ‘em! But then, smartly, the writer compared that event to the matron of the Religious Right, Phyllis Schlafly, and her consistent, longstanding belief that marital rape simply does not exist.
I say it all the time. The extremist Muslim worldview is not all that different from the fundamentalist Christian worldview. The only reason the Christians don’t bomb things (yet) is that they’re moderated by modern society, which is largely absent in the places in the Islamic world where extremism flourishes. Shari’a already exists in the United States. The fundamentalist Christians just call it something different, like “Judeo-Christian valyews.”
No snarking necessary, as it would just be cruel. I can’t imagine what it’s like to attempt to fall asleep as 
