The Catholic Church is constantly accused of being anti-gay, primarily because it condemns homosexual acts and gay “marriage.” This, of course, doesn’t make the Church anti-gay. The Catholic Church loves all people, in the truest sense of the word, and wants them to reign with God forever and ever.
Those who encourage licentious behavior and pass laws that make it easier for people to commit sin are the ones who are truly anti-gay. They show no concern for the eternal destination of a gay person’s soul.
“Anti-gay,” therefore, is nothing more than a specious political term invoked by lovers of the Kingdom of Satan to win followers and persecute the Church. It is used so frequently that it’s difficult to detect when something truly anti-gay has happened. Fortunately, the internet and social media can help us discern when something truly despicable has occurred.
Last Friday, something despicable did take place. After reading a British reporter’s gossip column that criticized his 28-year-old wife, A-list celebrity Alec Baldwin, 55, took to twitter to respond. And it was not pretty.
Other than tweeting that he was going to kick the crap out of the guy, Baldwin called the reporter a “queen” – a derogatory term used to describe a gay person. Some of the other tweets are too vulgar to share on CatholicVote, but let’s just say that for a man who considers himself a liberal, Baldwin was not practicing what he preaches.
As if instantly recalling how Paula Deen’s career was destroyed when it was discovered she had used a hateful slur a couple decades ago, Baldwin immediately deleted his twitter account and did the best he could to walk back his homophobic comments. He issued an apology to GLAAD, which they puzzlingly accepted, and posted a video online explaining that he had simply been taken out of context. Hilary Rosen, a gay political commentator, defended Baldwin in a tweet, saying “I know his heart, he’s not a homophobe. But he sure has created a mess with his big bad mouth.” On ABC News, one commentator went so far as to say “Alec Baldwin is kind of a loveable rogue.”
A loveable rogue? Give me a break. In 2007, Baldwin left a voicemail on his 11-year-old daughter’s phone wherein he referred to her as a “rude, thoughtless little pig.” In 2010, he punched a member of the paparazzi. In February of this year, he allegedly hurled a racial epithet at a black photographer. The man has a history of lashing out in the most offensive way possible. There’s nothing “lovable” about it.
Had this been someone known to be a defender of the traditional understanding of marriage, the media, as well as every celebrity under the sun, would have made their voice heard. T-shirts would have been made, rallies would have been held and twitter would be trending with hashtags like #loveisequal and #noh8. Baldwin’s elite Hollywood status, however, grants him special privileges.
CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, himself a gay man, noted the double standard:
Why does #AlecBaldwin get a pass when he uses gay slurs? If a conservative talked of beating up a “queen” they would be vilified.
— Anderson Cooper (@andersoncooper) June 28, 2013
Although there are a few outlets covering the story, Baldwin is likely going to get a pass on this. That’s unfortunate. The silence of his Hollywood buddies and media allies speaks volumes about their integrity. Then again, this is what liberal on liberal crime looks like. And the awkwardness you are seeing play out is simply what happens when people are judged based on their political worth as opposed to being understood as creatures made in the image of God who are held to the same moral standards as everyone else.