With all these celebrities coming out, Anderson Cooper a few days ago, then Frank Ocean on Tuesday, it was truly Independence day in America. So you would think that the infamous and deranged Westboro Baptist Church would give up for having too much to do these days,… but no, they are still picketing and this time against whom? Ben Gibbard!
What? He is gay too? I asked myself when reading the news,… well, not exactly, he is just supporting his gay sister marrying a woman, and has recently recorded an ad for Music For Marriage Equality, a Washington-based group that advocates for the passage of Ref. 74, which would make gay marriage legal in the state. And this is how these good Christians explained their insanity:
‘WBC will picket the motley group Death Cab for Cutie and their pervert lead singer, Ben Gibbard – a major fag-enabler. He, too, is worthy of death like his dyke sister who is "married" to another woman. If he loved his sister, he'd tell her the truth, to wit: God hates her because she is a proud sinner.’ […]
Truth is, Ben hates his sister, his wife (who recently filed for divorce) and all his neighbors, to whom he lies every day. Worse that all this, he has wearied God's servants at WBC with his hateful words and hard speeches.
To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. (Ju. 1:15.).
God gave this group a dab of talent and a platform to influence this generation. They had a duty to teach obedience to God, not rebellion. God will hold them accountable on the Judgment Day.’
You’re gonna say that this is the action and discourse of a few mental patients, and it is, but the problem is that they have some influence, and even though this sort of moronic language is not endorsed by many people, homophobia is what kept Cooper or Ocean and so many others in the closet for so long.
Ben Gibbard responded to the picketing via the AV Club who was asking him about it:
‘I long ago blocked all the people who would tweet me terrible homophobic things. I don’t need that negativity in my “@” mentions. I don’t know, I suppose a number of people will be at our shows with signs. The Westboro Baptist Church as an organization is a perfect example to use when you’re talking about the strengths of free speech. I abhor everything they’re doing, but they have the right to be doing it. As painful as it is to say, I’d rather live in a country where people can voice that kind of outrageousness. As long as they keep it legal, they can do what they choose.’
Sure, they have free speech but this kind of idea is wide-spread, and if you think homophobia is reserved to extremist churches and batshit crazy politicians, it is not! Homophobia is rampant in hip hop, reggae, country and even Prince has expressed his anti-gay point of view in the past, and I am not talking about lyrics.
So Ben Gibbard should be proud to be the target of these demented inbreeders, but especially good luck to Frank Ocean.