Right-wing fundamentalist church leaders aren’t shy about using the Baby Jesus in their efforts to stir up support for the gay marriage ban amendment in Florida.  One religious leader, Dr. Hayes Wicker of the First Baptist Church of Naples, is even claiming that gay marriage is a greater social crisis than the issue of slavery!

The group behind the Florida “Marriage Amendment” has launched a new website and media blitz.  Not surprising, all of the press conferences announcing the effort took place at churches around the state.  It seems they aren’t even trying to hide the purely religious basis for the amendment that would not only ban gay marriage and enshrine discrimination in the state constitution, but also take away domestic partnerships and other important rights and benefits.

At a press conference in Naples, Florida, the pastor in charge, Hayes Wicker, let loose with this screed about gay marriage: “This is a tremendous social crisis, greater even than the issue of slavery,” the good reverend declared. 

Isn't slavery all about stripping people of their dignities and human rights and forcing them to live as a lesser human being?

I think I'm beginning to see a common theme.

Maybe he should have called it the “holocaust of hetero proportions” to help stress the importance of the social crisis of two committed people forming a relationship…

The religious fervor doesn’t end there, however.  The new website for Florida4Marriage has the new catchy title “Yes2Marriage” and is a guide on how to get the amendment passed using churches.  With links to “sample sermons for preachers”, “church action plans”, and “God’s design”, it reads like a church bulletin instead of a substantive effort to pass legislation.

It continues to amaze me how people forcing their personal religious views on everyone can be seen as a legitimate political campaign or movement.  This is religious-based bigotry, pure and simple.

To help fight against this amendment, go to www.SayNo2.com and contribute what you can.

Waymon Hudson is founder and President of Fight OUT Loud, a national non-profit organization dedicated to empowering the GLBT community to fight discrimination and hate.  www.fightOUTloud.org