Video: MSNBC bans advert criticising network for regularly featuring homophobic guest
MSNBC has rejected attempts by pro-LGBT rights activists to screen an advertisement criticising the homophobic views of the network’s frequent guest Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council (FRC).
The Southern Poverty Law Center has before claimed that FRC senior research fellows claimed in 2008 that homosexuality is linked to paedophilia that there should be “criminal sanctions on homosexual behaviour”. Since 2010, Southern Poverty Law Center designated the FRC as a hate group.
In a statement explaining the decision to make the advertisement, Faithfull America said: ”Amid a growing outcry from Christian leaders to take Family Research Council President Tony Perkins off the air, MSNBC yesterday rejected an ad exposing his and [Family Research Council’s] extensive record of hate speech against gay and lesbian Americans. Perkins has appeared on MSNBC 23 times since his organization was designated a hate group, most recently last week on Hardball with Chris Matthews.”
20,000 people including openly gay bishop Gene Robinson petitioned MSNBC to remove Mr Perkins from the airwaves.
Faithful America were told earlier this week that MSNBC is to refuse to air the advertisement that the group has offered to pay for. Faithful America head Michael Sherrard said “Clearly MSNBC doesn’t want its viewers to know the truth about one of their frequent guests. If network executives consider Tony Perkins’s false and hateful rhetoric about gays and lesbians inappropriate for an ad, then he shouldn’t have any place on their programming.”
MSNBC in a statement said: “We have many guests from a variety of viewpoints who all play roles in the political process. The views of our guests are not those of MSNBC.”
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