A minor scheduling snafu surrounding the Chicago Gay Pride parade in 2012 prompted Catholic Cardinal Francis Eugene George Of Chicago to compare the LGBT community to the most notorious murderers in American history, the Ku Klux Klan.
Concerns surfaced that a newly-implemented parade route for this year's march might interfere with a local Catholic Mass. Alerted to the possible conflict, parade organizers began negotiations with community leaders to find a compromise.
As negotiations were underway the cardinal made an appearance on the local Fox affiliate. He was asked about the parish pastor's concerns and said:
"Well, I go with the pastor. I mean, he's telling us that they won't be able to have church services on Sunday, if that's the case. 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."
The cardinal is pushing the imaginary "war on religion" and painting the LGBT community as the leading generals. In the cardinal's delusions, the gay community's day of Pride celebration is, in fact, a demonstration against the Church.
This is rather embarrassing show of narcissism and paranoia. In big urban environments, clearly people will be inconvenienced by parades. Puerto Ricans are not demonstrating against anyone when they take to the streets to celebrate their heritage, nor are the Irish on St. Patrick's Day. These problems crop up, we deal with them as grown-ups, working together as one community. There is no need to invent imaginary existential culture war conflicts over what is a simple and minor urban congestion issue.
The interviewer even seemed a little taken aback by the cardinal's words, saying, "That's a little strong analogy isn't it? Ku Klux Klan?" (Even Fox newsmen can be surprised, apparently.) The cardinal doesn't back down, saying:
"It is. But you take a look at the rhetoric... The rhetoric of the Ku Klux Klan, the rhetoric of some in the Gay Liberation. Who is the enemy? The Catholic Church."
The LGBT community surely had no designs nor desire to interrupt the Catholic Mass, and demonstrated it within hours. The Chicago Sun-Times reported shortly after the cardinal's verbal diarrhea a mutually agreeable compromise had been met. Parade organizers agreed to move the start time of the march from 10AM to noon, allowing the mass to be uninterrupted. As the LGBT community negotiated in good faith toward a mutually agreeable solution, the cardinal exploited the opportunity to demonize good men and women of Chicago, and compare them to the most despicable people imaginable.
State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz (D-Chicago) is quoted at Chicago Pride saying:
"The Cardinals unfortunate choice of words in comparing the LGBT community to the Klu Klux Klan is offensive. I would hope an apology be forthcoming."
Local activist Andy Thayer is quoted as saying:
"In comparing LGBT rights advocates to the KKK, the Cardinal shows he is not honest man of faith trying to better the world, but rather, a mendacious one trying to deflect criticism of church policies that promote discrimination. It is ironic that George chooses to mention the KKK, as they are but one of the most extreme examples of organizations which have used religion to shield themselves from criticism of their hateful policies."
Equality Illinois CEO Bernard Cherkasov told ChicagoPride.com:
"To compare LGBT equality movement to the KKK is beyond irresponsible. The Cardinal not only mocks LGBT people who are struggling for equal protection under the law, but he also trivializes the real suffering experienced by KKK's victims - African Americans, Jews, and others - in the darkest days of our country's history."
The group encouraged its members to call the cardinal's office (312-534-8230) and request an apology.
Rev. Eric Lee, the
Southern Christian Leadership Conference executive director,
agrees with the insensitivity to KKK's victims:
"I have spent most of my adult life engaged in the civil rights struggle for African American people who have been terrorized by racist Klan violence. I am insulted by the comparison of the Klan to the current LGBT movement. When we distort the history of terror for cheap political aims, we only inflict pain on those whose lives have been scarred by the Klan."
The cardinal
clarified what he meant on Christmas in remarks that were described by some as "backtracking."
"Obviously, it's absurd to say the gay and lesbian community are the Ku Klux Klan," Cardinal George said Sunday. "But if you organize a parade that looks like parades that we've had in our past because it stops us from worshiping God, well then that's the comparison. But it's not with people and people – it's parade-parade."
Well, that clears it up. Apparently
everyone who has parades are just like the Ku Klux Klan. Or anyone who creates a moment's inconvenience for a Catholic attempting to go to church is a Klansman.
Undoubtably, this is a low point for the cardinal's long, storied career. The cardinal is obliged to offer his resignation next month on his 75th birthday as a perfunctory ceremonial gesture that the pope is expected to disregard. Some are calling to make that real. Truth Wins Out’s Executive Director Wayne Besen launched a petition calling on him to resign, saying:
“It is outrageous that Cardinal George would place law-abiding, peaceful citizens in the same category as a notoriously violent hate group. George’s resignation is his only road to redemption and if he has a shred of dignity and a sliver of class he will immediately step down. We hope our petition helps lead him to the wise and proper decision to retire before he further tarnishes his reputation.”
4,000 people have signed the petition.
Inflammatory, incendiary, insulting rhetoric like this does not befit any person who professes to be of faith and reflects very poorly on his Church. Such talk one might expect from a right-wing talk radio host. Is the cardinal looking to get the Catholic Church added to the Southern Poverty Law Center's list of anti-gay hate groups?
What an embarrassment to the Roman Catholic Church to have one of its highest-ranking spiritual leaders speaking in TV interviews in hyperbolic language more befitting a tea party rally or the Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh show than a respectable pulpit. I can only imagine this is most embarrassing for most lay Catholics, who polls show by large majorities are supportive of their LGBT family and friends.
What's next out of the cardinal's mouth? Gays are soshulists? All that's really left is the cardinal to "go Godwin." Are gays are just like Nazis?
Will Cardinal George Francis be greeting the Pride Parade holding a sign of Harvey Milk with a little Hitler mustache painted on?
Will he invite the Reverend Fred Phelps to be a guest speaker at Pride Sunday Mass?