The Chicago Gay Pride Parade drew over 800,000 people last year. Because of that, parade organizers are expecting record numbers and have thus changed the route of the parade and it just so happens that the parade passes Our Lady of St. Carmel Catholic church.
During an appearance on the local Fox Chicago news program, Cardinal Francis George expressed concern about the time of the parade which had been scheduled for 10am on Sunday. Sounds innocent enough, right? After all, if the church had to cancel Sunday Mass, it would have been the first time in 100 years that the Mass had been called off. But the good Cardinal didn’t stop there. George decided that it would be a good idea to compare Gay Pride Parades to the Ku Klux Klan, the white hooded racists that set fire to crosses in an attempt to strike fear into people of color.
Here’s the dialogue between Cardinal George and Fox Chicago anchor Dane Placko.
CARDINAL GEORGE: “You don’t want the gay liberation movement to morph into something like the Ku Klux Klan, demonstrating in the streets against Catholicism.”
PLACKO: “That’s a little strong analogy, Ku Klux Klan.”
CARDINAL GEORGE: “It is. But you take a look at the rhetoric — the rhetoric of the Ku Klux Klan, the rhetoric of some of the gay liberation people. Who is the enemy? The Catholic Church.”
Here’s the video.
The parade organizers respectfully changed the parade time to noon instead but has condemned Cardinal George for his hateful comparison. The Cardinal has drawn fire from area Democrats and the Gay Liberation Network. In a statement, the GLA brought up the fact that the KKK used religion as a shield.
“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,” the statement said. “While an overwhelming majority of lay Catholics support equality for women and LGBTs, the Catholic leadership has a history and present practice of discrimination which they apparently will go to quite extreme lengths to defend.”
Cardinal George made an egregious comparison and should apologize to the LGBT community and ask his God for forgiveness. In fact, the entire Catholic Church owes the LGBT community a giant apology for their constant hatred and persecution of homosexuals. If anyone should be compared to the KKK, it’s the Catholic Church. Their view of homosexuality are just as backward as the KKK view of African-Americans. They are just another prejudiced hate group that hides behind Bibles and religion.
Cameron, aside from any rights or wrongs about the subjects in this article, you really need to edumucate yourself on the history of the Catholic Church. (“.. there is a very few number of instances is which the Church has performed some acts that can come close to the monstrosities of the KKK.”)