Pretty disturbing news out of Arkansas today, especially considering the recent surge in LGBT teen suicides. The Advocate is reporting that a school board member – yes, a school board member – posted on Facebook that “fags” and “queers” should kill themselves. Clint McCance, who sits on the school board in Midland, Arkansas (and is also the President of a company called Ty-De Services Inc.), wrote the status update in response to Spirit Day, on which students and others nationwide wore purple in support of LGBT youth.
The message read as follows:
Seriously they want me to wear purple because five queers killed themselves. The only way im wearin it for them is if they all commit suicide. I cant believe the people of this world have gotten this stupid. We are honoring the fact that they sinned and killed thereselves because of their sin. REALLY PEOPLE.
McCance received several “likes” and comments of support, but a few people spoke up and challenged him. After one commenter posted, “Because hatred is always right,” McCance replied: “No because being a fag doesn't give you the right to ruin the rest of our lives. If you get easily offended by being called a fag then dont tell anyone you are a fag. Keep that shit to yourself. I dont care how people decide to live their lives. They dont bother me if they keep it to thereselves. It pisses me off though that we make a special purple fag day for them. I like that fags cant procreate. I also enjoy the fact that they often give each other aids and die. If you arent against it, you might as well be for it.” There are pigs – and then there’s Clint McCance. Here’s a guy that, in the days after a long string of gay kids kill themselves because people like Clint McCance make them feel like shit, posts a message on Facebook essentially encouraging more LGBT kids to commit suicide. Then he revels in the deaths that HIV/AIDS has caused in the gay community. Oh, and by the way, did I mention that he’s a fucking school board member?
One commenter was more forceful in challenging McCance (and his professed Christianity, because by the way, he’s a Christian too):
YOU NEED TO STOP AND THINK FOR A SEC GREAT YOU BIG CHRISTIAN MAN ! SO KEEP ALL OF YOUR THOUGHTS TO YOUR SELF YOU DONT WANT PPL TALKIN ABOUT YOUR FAMILY SO DONT TALK BOUT OTHERS.
McCance responded:
I would disown my kids if they were gay. They will not be welcome at my home or in my vicinity. I will absolutely run them off. Of course my kids will know better. My kids will have solid christian beliefs. See it infects everyone.
Here's a screenshot showing the status message and part of the exchange:
Pretty astonishing stuff. Not that there’s anything surprising about a homophobic bigot living in Midland, Arkansas – these people are everywhere, and I’ve met people who would share this same basic mentality toward gay people. What is most shocking and unsettling to me is the fact that this man is sitting on a school board. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about this – Clint McCance must lose his school board seat. Nobody who sits on a school board (nobody period, but especially nobody who sits on a school board) should post something like this – something encouraging the suicides of LGBT youth – and still hold his seat on the school board. If this doesn’t outrage you, nothing will.
Since McCance’s Facebook profile is set on private, it is unclear whether he deleted the status message and comments. But a Facebook campaign has already been started calling for his removal from the school board.
Anybody wanna take bets on how long it will take this piece of shit to issue a poorly-worded public apology for calling for the deaths of gay kids?
Take a good look at the guy holding the fish. This is the face of what has been killing our LGBT youth.
UPDATE: As you know already if you've tried clicking on the above link to Clint McCance's company's Facebook page, the page has been removed. It also appears that his own Facebook profile has been removed (either by himself or by Facebook). I guess he couldn't handle the massive response that his hateful comments caused.
UPDATE #2: Feel free to sign the change.org petition demanding Clint McCance's resignation from his school board seat.