Speak Compassion

The Southern Poverty Law Center has released its annual list of hate groups. In the Category of “anti-gay” nine (9) groups have been listed. “anti-gay groups” are organizations that go beyond mere disagreement with homosexuality by subjecting gays and lesbians to campaigns of personal vilification. They are:

California
Anaheim		· Traditional Values Coalition		Anti-Gay
Temecula		· Abiding Truth Ministries		Anti-Gay
Vallecito		· Chalcedon Foundation		Anti-Gay
Colorado
Colorado Springs		· Family Research Institute		Anti-Gay
District of Columbia
Washington		· Traditional Values Coalition		Anti-Gay
Georgia
Powder Springs		· American Vision		Anti-Gay
Kansas
Topeka		· Westboro Baptist Church		Anti-Gay
Massachusetts
Waltham		· Mass Resistance		Anti-Gay
Washington
Seattle		· Watchmen on the Walls		Anti-Gay

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The annual report also gives new credibility to the argument that hate speech leads to violence, noting that hate crimes against Latinos have risen 35% from 2003 to 2006. It is believed the assailants think they are attacking immigrants who have been made the enemy by anti-immigration groups.  Any group that is painted as the enemy is bound to be victims of further and heightened violence. I cannot tell you how important this message is to stopping hate violence. Perhaps this year, people like Peter LaBarbera, Matt Barber, and Stephen Bennett will see that calling on people to defend themselves from the gay agenda is a call to violence. When you paint folks as a threat to children, diseased, etc, the reaction is heightened violence.

I would also hope that these groups will stop supporting this David Parker guy from Mass Resistance who has now officially been deemed a hate group.