The American Family Association spokesman Bryan Fischer, has spoken on the organisation’s radio program Focal Point, to say that the NFL should not allow openly gay football players, as they would cause a “grenade-like explosion”.
In the video posted by Right Wing Watch, Fischer draws a comparison between the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the ban on openly gay people serving in the US military, and says that the “sexual tension” in the locker room would be detrimental to the functionality of a team.
DADT was repealed on 20 September 2011, amidst warnings that the US military would be aversely affected by the change.
Mr Fischer’s claims go against a study released in September, which revealed that the repeal, one year on, had no negative impact on the US military.
“They’ve got to be concerned about the same thing the military does. They got to be concerned about morale,” he said. “They’ve got to be concerned about unit cohesion, they’ve got to be concerned about readiness. Are these guys ready to take the field, and they’ve got to be concerned about retention. They know that other players are going to stay away from that team in droves. They won’t be able to complete a roster.”
Fischer previously blamed a gay “lobby” for “destroying” the US military, and has said that peoples’ daughters will be drafted into the army “to die” because of gay people.
Fischer also recently said the Boy Scouts of America’s announcement that it might lift its ban on gay scouts could open its doors to paedophiles.
Bryan Fischer previously came to the defence of an anti-gay evangelist who is being sued for supporting a Ugandan bill to intensify punishments for homosexuality, and claimed that “the left” is trying to “destroy” him.
At the weekend, NFL player Scott Fujita has spoken out about the issue of a lack of gay players in professional sport, and has said that he thinks it would “not be an issue at all” to have a gay player in the locker room.
On Thursday, Brendon Ayanbadejo, of the Baltimore Ravens, the team which won this year’s Super Bowl, and Chris Kluwe of the Minnesota Vikings, wrote an amicus brief, and filed it late on Thursday. It urged the Supreme Court to act against legislation preventing equal marriage.
Ayanbadejo recently expressed regret at the fact that gay, prospective NFL players may need to lie about their sexuality, when asked, in order to get drafted as professional players.
Jim Miller, a former NFL footballer, and current radio analyst for Michigan State University games came under heavy criticism this week for saying in a radio interview that he thought some sections of society would never accept gay football players.
