Politics

Tony Perkins Says SPLC- "is a very dangerous group"

Tony Perkins

By Brody Levesque | WASHINGTON -- Anti-gay Family Research Council president Tony Perkins fired back Tuesday at critics after news of Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal's appointing him to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice broke.

Despite kept quiet by the Jindal administration, which had not publicized the appointment by issuing a standard press release or making other public announcements, news of the April appointment and subsequent approval by the state's senate was picked up by media and spread nationally last week..

Perkins and the governor's office both came under fire over the appointment by LGBT activists and equality rights groups, including the the Southern Poverty Law Center, with some charging that Perkins' appointment was political payback for Perkins by Jindal.

The FRC has had a long history of issuing anti-gay statements and anti-gay propaganda including statements by its leadership including Perkins' which claims that all male child predators are homosexual and that homosexuality should be criminalised.  FRC's statements and positions on LGBTQ equality rights led to its inclusion on a Hate Watch list published by the SPLC. 

Perkins defended the organisation telling a local Baton Rouge paper;

“We are not advocating that homosexuality be illegal. What we have advocated is that marriage should be preserved in our laws as the union between man and woman, the same as the voters have in Louisiana,” he said. “Is that vicious? I don’t think so.”

The governor stayed out of the dispute only issuing a prepared statement Tuesday;

 “I am confident that Tony will work diligently to fulfill the mission of the board and serve the people of Louisiana well.”

Perkins took specific aim at the Southern Poverty Law Center, charging that "the SPLC has a cozy relationship with the U.S. Department of Justice and leverages that connection to intimidate local school boards into adopting pro-homosexuality policies." Perkins added that he felt that the SPLC uses similar tactics with local law enforcement.

“I know a lot about the Southern Poverty Law Center, and I’m sure it’s not comforting for them to know that I can share that information with the law enforcement community,” Perkins said. “This is a very dangerous group.”

Perkins said he will expose the center although he refused to detail how he plans to do so.

Responding to Perkins' statements Tuesday, Josh Glasstetter, the Campaign Director for the Southern Poverty Law Center told LGBTQ Nation;

"Tony Perkins has made it clear that he knows nothing about the Southern Poverty Law Center. We work with law enforcement agencies to protect officers and the public at large from violent extremists. We also work with schools to help prevent bullying and provide equal protection for students. 

Perkins thinks it’s hateful for us to point out his own group’s hatred of gays and lesbians. He’s shamelessly exploited a tragedy to help advance this false equivalence. 

For a number of reasons, Perkins has no business being on the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement. His veiled threat about somehow exposing us to law enforcement is laughable."

The SPLC also noted that Perkins skipped meetings when he served on the Louisiana Commission on Marriage and Family and got his latest appointment because he offers a politically ambitious governor access to religious-right voters.

Perkins said he did not attend Louisiana Commission on Marriage and Family meetings because the schedule was not published far enough in advance to accommodate his calendar, which he said is planned six months ahead of time.

Perkins said he already attended one law enforcement commission meeting and will work future meetings into his schedule.

As for a future political run, Perkins said he is not ruling out anything. He said the commission appointment came about because Louisiana is his home and Washington is his workplace.

“Is there anything wrong with helping the governor? Is there something wrong with the governor helping me?” he said. “Bobby has been my friend since I was in the Legislature.”

Perkins said he already attended one law enforcement commission meeting and will work future meetings into his schedule.

Bruce Parker, a spokesperson for Equality Louisiana told LGBTQ Nation:

“The man is not an expert on law enforcement, he’s not in Louisiana regularly and he’s the leader of a recognized hate group.”