Blood on their hands.
A prominent gay rights activist has said conservative Christian leaders such as the Rev. Jerry Falwell and James Dobson have "blood" on their hands after a new report showed increased violence against homosexuals.
"The literal blood of the thousands of gay people physically wounded by hate during 2004 is on the hands of Jerry Falwell, James Dobson, Tony Perkins and so many others who spew hate for partisan gain and personal enrichment," said Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
He issued the statement Tuesday (April 26) in response to a report by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs that showed a 4 percent increase in crimes against gays and lesbians from 2003 to 2004.
Falwell, the chancellor of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., joined Family Research Council President Tony Perkins and Focus on the Family chairman James Dobson in a "Mayday for Marriage" rally on the National Mall last October that opposed same-sex marriage.
Ron Godwin, president of Jerry Falwell Ministries, called Foreman's words a "false representation" of the biblical convictions held by Falwell and other leaders.
"This is another example of hate speech about so-called hate speech," he said. "Dr. Falwell and Dr. Dobson and these other men of faith who express clear convictions about their faith are doing this and have been doing this, probably since before this young man was born, with no intent whatsoever to personally offend any particular individual."
Perkins and Dobson could not be reached immediately for comment.
On Tuesday, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs released its annual report on violence against lesbians, gay men, bisexual people and transgender individuals. It found that reported violence against these groups of people increased by 4 percent, from 1,720 incidents in 2003 to 1,792 in 2004. It found that the number of murders increased 11 percent from 2003 to 2004, from 18 to 20.
The report is based on data compiled in 11 cities, states and regions across the country and drawn from victim service organizations that work with gays and lesbians.
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on Thursday, April 28, 2005 at 4:19 AM.
