I’d say bring out the tiny violin in most cases of a homophobe being publicly called out, but the family, particularly the children, of an anti-gay media-seeking blowhard like Ken Hutcherson of Antioch Bible Church (near Seattle) do not deserve to be ostracized or called names.
Rev. Hutch’s wife Pat went to a school board meeting to express her dismay at the public reaction to her husband’s reputation after his appearance on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at Mount Si High School. Video and much more are below the fold.
KOMO-TV:
I have no idea what Pat Hutcherson or her children believe; we can make some assumptions of course, but it’s irrelevant — they aren’t public figures and should only answer for their views and actions. I will say, however, that Ken’s wife should not be surprised that the appearance of her husband generated negative publicity, given Ken’s outspokenness about the evils of homosexuality. And they are activities that are far beyond anything coming from the pulpit.It was standing room only at the school board meeting as Pat discussed the harassment that has followed the couple and their four children since her husband spoke at an assembly at Mount Si High School on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
“My family is boldly called names like ‘bigot’, ‘homophobe’ and we’ve been permanently branded in the valley,” she said.
The pastor, who is known for his anti-gay stance, was booed and publicly questioned by two teachers during the assembly. The incident has raised numerous concerns and issues, including bad manners and the acceptance of gays and lesbians. Some students are even concerned that teachers are imposing their personal beliefs on the students.
“I have six classes a day. I know the personal beliefs of all six of my teachers and I don’t want to,” one student said at the meeting.
“I also think that to invite an anti-gay person was sending wrong message to students at Mount Si,” another said.
Here are some of the public activities of Hutcherson:
* For years he’s tried to prevent pro-LGBT legislation from passing in Washington state without any success.
* Hutcherson showed up at Microsoft’s shareholder meeting last year to announce his plan to “take over” the Redmond-based software giant to punish it for not discriminating against its LGBT employees. His master plan to bring Bill Gates to his knees is for evangelicals buy up enough shares of Microsoft to have a majority vote and run the software giant in the bible-based tradition they believe in - while passing Ken one share of stock for every three they purchase. He has backing by Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention and fundie and failed presidential candidate Gary Bauer on this project, and, as Hutch puts it, “a whole host of powerful white people behind me.”
* Back in March 2007, Pastor Hutch made headlines because of his claim that the Bush White House’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives named him “Special Envoy for Adoptions, Family Values, Religious Freedom, and Medical Relief,” and he represented himself as such in Latvia. The White House denied this, and Hutch threatened to prove his status by producing video of him being given the “power.” (He has yet to produce his evidence.)
* He has consorted over there and stateside with Latvian-based fundamentalist extremists that are fomenting anti-gay thuggery on the West Coast, specifically among Russian and Ukrainian immigrants in the Sacramento Valley. The group calls itself the Watchmen on the Walls, which believes, among other things:
We are against cohabitation, divorce, abortion, adultery and other behaviors that weaken the marriage-based society on which civilization depends. But we are especially focused against homosexuality, because those who practice this self-destructive vice, and have organized themselves into a political movement, are the chief enemies of the natural family.With a high-profile rep like that, it’s no wonder the Mount Si High School teachers were well-aware of the dilemma posed by a school inviting this particular pastor to talk about tolerance and inclusion in celebration of the ideals of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.We view homosexuals like we view alcoholics: unfortunate people trapped in a bad lifestyle. Like alcoholics, they should have the right, if they reject therapy, to enjoy privacy in their own homes. But they should not be allowed to publicly recruit others to their lifestyle. Pubic advocacy of homosexuality should be, like public drunkenness, culturally discouraged to minimize its impact on society.
That the matter has devolved into such incivility shows how raw the emotions are - but his family didn’t go on these anti-gay rampages.
Other Hutch Blend posts:
* Hate group Watchmen On the Walls conference with Ken Hutcherson a bust
* When Fundies Fail Fundies
* Pastor Hutch and his ‘ex-lesbian’ fan
* Anti-gay pastor Hutch in hot water - FBI complaint filed over claim he’s a ’special envoy’
Hat tip. Auntie Neo Kawn.
32 Responses to “Hutcherson’s wife: we’re being harassed because of Ken’s views”
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So, in summary:
“People are calling my husband on his hateful bs! Waaaa!”
Considering how few children actually believe the same things that their parents do, it’s doubly unfair to be ostracizing them for stupid things their father says. What are they supposed to do about it? I’m a full-grown adult living on my own for almost 20 years and I can’t get my dad to STFU with his stupid, hateful rants (which fortunately happen only occasionally and within the family and are not his career).
If the wife has been making public appearances at his side, she can maybe catch a little criticism. If not, leave her alone. Again, he’s a full-grown adult and she’s not responsible for the shit that comes out of his mouth or his keyboard.
Some of this is unacceptable, most of it sounds like standard issue “we’re being persecuted for being faithful Christians” bullcrap.
As for why they picked this guy to talk on MLK day? Well, maybe the other two black parents in the school district were busy.
The only person other than Hutcherson himself who should have his feet held to the fire is the principal of Mount Si. According to comments left by students at some of the linked sites, the school administration was informed about what Hutcherson is most well-known for, and even told the student body that the matter would be put forth for them to decide, or something like that. But then they invited him and had him speak anyway, which sends a pretty clear signal if you ask me. Would you invite David Duke to speak at a high school on an “unrelated” subject like sexism?
I remain skeptical.
On the one hand, actual attacks, whether verbal or physical, are definitely out of bounds, particularly aimed at the kids.
On the other hand, her husband is a sterling example of the kind of person who feels that simply being an out gay person constitutes an attack, and that asking to be left alone to make our own choices on an equal footing constitutes recruitment.
I don’t give them the benefit of the doubt on what they consider to be attacks, especially being branded in the community.
Whatever came before it, by speaking at the school board meeting, she chose to become a public figure, and if she didn’t repudiate her husband’s beliefs or in any way distance herself from them, then she gets to be treated like an adult who shares them.
The kids should no more be bullied for their parents’ beliefs than gay kids should be bullied, but somehow, I doubt their parents feel that gay kids or kids of gay parents should get the consideration they are asking for their own kids.
She’s lying.
Exactly. Do they understand the epithets thrown at gay families are no less hateful than what they hear, and that their behaviors and actions foment that very hate?
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” If the Rev. Hutch could stop belittling and burning LGBT’s on the stake (for maybe just a minute), he’d have time to read the big book that comes along w/ his so called religion. He’s being hunted and chastized as he hunts and chastizes others. It’s quite spectacular.
certainly not! such understanding causes spontaneous implosion of the hateful fundie head. everyone knows Teh Gay has no real feeling except Gayness.
“My family is boldly called names like ‘bigot’, ‘homophobe’
I wonder what could lead people to say things like that.
I share the anger and disgust of the commenters (and Pam) for the preacher. I agree that he probably doesn’t think gay kids deserve the same consideration as his, and that that’s reprehensible.
Nonetheless, Pam is absolutely right that nobody’s kids deserve to be harassed for what their parents say or do. If the kids are spouting it, call them on it and argue with them. But I can’t take pleasure in the badgering of anybody’s children, no matter what pleasure the father might take in the badgering of others’.
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
I actually had someone in all seriousness explain to me that if he were engaging in a sin of such immorality, since the consequence is an eternity in hell, he would definitely want someone to shame and harass him until he repented, so he was fully justified in his anti-gay beliefs and behaviors.
Circular logic can be handy at times.
They’ve been branded in the community?
Well who did the branding? That would be some self-branding going on.
If homobigotry were an acceptable mainstream view, they would be praised from the rooftops for stating their views. As it is, thankfully people are recognizing hate for what it is, and calling them on it.
They are known for their views. They think they should be praised and just don’t get why they are excoriated instead. They want to be respected for spewing bile.
It’s not like they are apologizing or repudiating their views. It’s not censorship when others react to your words. It’s free speech in action.
If only it would spur them to ask why they’ve inspired such revulsion instead of writing everyone off as hellbound.
Why on Earth was this guy invited to speak to high school students in the first place? He’s a preacher who doesn’t like gay people. How could that possibly qualify what he has to say as educational, valuable or even interesting?
Do Hutch’s kids deserve to be taunted for their father’s beliefs and actions? No. Is it gonna happen anyway? Yes. It is, unfortunately, the way the world, and especially high school, work.
If they disagree with their father’s views, they can say so at school, and maybe it will help a little, but probably not much, and if that gets back to Papa Hutch, they’ll probably be in for it at home, too.
It sucks, and I feel for them (although not for Pat, for reasons already covered upstream), as long as they’re not following in Papa’s footsteps.
“I remain skeptical.”
Moi aussi. I do wonder if “I’m not going to deal with the pair of you because you’re bigots” is getting run through the FundieFilter and coming back out as “They’re persecuting our family!”
Hell, with heavily patriarchal families/families where the income and standing of the family rest entirely on one of the parents’ income and standing, I can even see a pretty clear logic behind interpreting an attack on the one parent as an attack on the whole family.
Its important to remember that when people like Hutcherson “stand up for g-d’s word” they think they are going to get social power for doing so. And their wives and kids think so, too–or they’d tell dad to STFU and they’d tell their friends they don’t agree with dad. they are always shocked and hurt and surprised when they find out that having spit in the faces of neighbors and friends their former neighbors and friends say “no thanks! we don’t want this kind of friendship.” This is the passive, whiny part of the passive agressive grandstanding that Hutcherson does. He works his power base by peddling hate. For some reason he isn’t smart enough to realize that when you peddle hate to a community that isn’t receptive to it you can get rejected. And his wife didn’t realize it either. That is because for all their talk about their fears of powerful pro-homosexual forces they actually only do what they do because they recognize that homosexuals and especially young, teenage gay kids are vulnerable and easy victims. They aren’t sorry they did what they did–they are just shocked that gay and straight families aren’t letting them get away with this shit anymore.
aimai
g-d I hate this capcha system and the moderator.
ts important to remember that when people like Hutcherson “stand up for g-d’s word” they think they are going to get social power for doing so. And their wives and kids think so, too–or they’d tell dad to STFU and they’d tell their friends they don’t agree with dad. they are always shocked and hurt and surprised when they find out that having spit in the faces of neighbors and friends their former neighbors and friends say “no thanks! we don’t want this kind of friendship.” This is the passive, whiny part of the passive agressive grandstanding that Hutcherson does. He works his power base by peddling hate. For some reason he isn’t smart enough to realize that when you peddle hate to a community that isn’t receptive to it you can get rejected. And his wife didn’t realize it either. That is because for all their talk about their fears of powerful pro-homosexual forces they actually only do what they do because they recognize that homosexuals and especially young, teenage gay kids are vulnerable and easy victims. They aren’t sorry they did what they did–they are just shocked that gay and straight families aren’t letting them get away with this shit anymore.
aimai
Based on what I see in the TV report (huge grain of salt, of course), I believe it is safe to take out the tiny violin and play it ’til it breaks.
You’ve been ‘harassed,’ Mrs. Hutcherson? Specifics, please. Was your house called in the middle of the night with insults and death threats? Have your children been attacked (even verbally) on account of your husband’s views? Was that a police report in your hand, perchance?
Sorry, but I’m not convinced that this isn’t typical winger bullshit. If ol’ Hutch is branded is publicly known as a bigot and a homophobe, it is because he is proud of being those things. It looks less like the Hutchersons are suddenly pariahs in their community than ol’ Hutch is hiding behind his wife and kids because he can’t take public criticism for what he so gleefully dishes out.
Oh, and to the pea-brain wearing the camo (and the baseball cap indoors), your teachers are human beings, not fucking robots. If they have political views that differ from yours, it might be a sign that there are some things you can learn from them.
Tell me again how we’ve allowed right-wingers to run this country for so long? What a bunch of whining, spineless tools.
/rant
Personally, It strains my credulity to think that there exists an American high school where it’s the “homophobes” who get ostracized rather then the “fags”, so I’m thinking this is probably all bullshit. OTOH, if it’s true, then it’s certainly wrong for the other kids to be mean to them, but it _is_ kinda funny. Yes, I know, I’m evil.
If the kids are spouting it, call them on it and argue with them. But I can’t take pleasure in the badgering of anybody’s children, no matter what pleasure the father might take in the badgering of others’.
You never know if those same kids may be gay. If they get bad ideas about gay people from home and from nasty spill down, will they ever have the courage to own it? Any word on Amy Contrada? (assresistance/article(h)8 lunatic’s gay teen daughter).
I’m happy that my kids do call out their friends on homophobic comments, but have developed standard ways to tactfully challenge the bullshit. Most of the time, their friends have no answer to “what, exactly, is wrong about being gay”, and give it a hard think.
If the kids are spouting it, call them on it and argue with them. But I can’t take pleasure in the badgering of anybody’s children, no matter what pleasure the father might take in the badgering of others’.
You never know if those same kids may be gay. If they get bad ideas about gay people from home and from nasty spill down, will they ever have the courage to own it? Any word on Amy Contrada? (assresistance/article(h)8 lunatic’s gay teen daughter).
I’m happy that my kids do call out their friends on homophobic comments, but have developed standard ways to tactfully challenge the bullshit. Most of the time, their friends have no answer to “what, exactly, is wrong about being gay”, and give it a hard think.
Being from the area -raised mostly in Seattle but a lot of my family is ~5-10 minutes from Snoqulamie- I can say that while some teasing of LGBT students does happen the area is much more accepting than many areas in America.
I definitely agree with Pam; harassing his kids and wife for his views are wrong. That being said Hutcherson is also known for playing the “persecuted” Christian card way to much so I take this with a grain of salt.
your teachers are human beings, not fucking robots. If they have political views that differ from yours, it might be a sign that there are some things you can learn from them
Or it might be a sign that I should STFU and not argue with them, because they might be the kind of paleocons who think that if you don’t accept Jesus as Lord, you deserve no better than a C.
You do see that your argument goes both ways?
Has anyone contacted Dr. Keyes on this issue? If there is one man in this country who knows what tough love is when it comes to teh gay family, it’s Alan “getthefuckouddamyhouselesbo” Keyes.
I’m not sure what you mean by “both ways.” The example you give is not one of a teacher simply having political views, but of a teacher attempting to force conformity to those views. I don’t care if a teacher is ’saved’ thrice over as long as I’m not expected to get ’saved’ myself as part of my grade (unless it’s a religious school, that is). In fact, I might like to learn something about such a teacher’s personal beliefs, even if I don’t agree with them.
I feel a little sorry for the kids, not so much for the wife, who should have kicked Hutcherson’s sorry ass to the curb years ago if she was really worried about being unfairly branded a bigot.
At this point the kids are in a no-win situation. If they don’t believe as their father does, they’re being unfairly castigated and face some horrible conflict when he finds out; if they do, and continue to, they’ll eventually burn in hell. Maybe some upright FSM-loving family should offer them sanctuary and deprogramming…
I used to be a high school teacher. I had a couple of students ask me during non-school hours, “You’re pretty liberal, aren’t you?” Not because I ever told them my views, but because I wouldn’t let anyone ever say anything racist, sexist, and especially not homophobic in my classroom without challenge. Not allowing anyone to call each other faggot in the classroom or say “that’s so gay” does not escape the notice of teenagers as most adults don’t bother calling attention to that behavior. The sign on my door (not school provided but obtained by a university queer organization) declaring the classroom a safe zone where all people would be respected regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sex, or sexual orientation (this was years ago before most LGB groups had added the T to their names and missions) probably shared my views as well, as did my car in the school parking lot with its rainbow and “hate is not a family value” stickers.
Oh, and I had some students smart enough to figure out what I meant when one asked, “Do you think you’ll ever get married?” and I answered, “Not until the law changes in this state.” So perhaps if Mr. Camo had been one of my students, he would consider that I had shared my political views with him. But I never once told my students how I got choked up watching Bill and Hillary and Chelsea at the Democratic Convention in 1992 when I was 18 and cast my first vote and really thought things would change, that gays were finally going to serve in the military and get married in Hawaii, or how I’ll never forget being sixteen and hearing Anita Hill crucified in the media and Clarence Thomas getting confirmed by two votes anyway.
I’m pro-teenage activism over apathy as a rule, and I like that they’re speaking out to the school board and not just their parents. And it’s true (though less likely based on the spin of that story) that he could know which of his teachers are anti-gay and he doesn’t feel the need to know that either.
“Bigot” and “homophobe” aren’t names. If it stings, maybe you should ask yourself why people would say such things instead of just assuming their only intention was to hurt you.
It’s not the same as calling someone a fag or a bitch.
I have no sympathy for the Hutchersons. They decided to wage war on Microsoft over the company’s pro-equality stance, and now they are gonna have to suffer the consequences.
Shorter Watchmen on the Walls; Gay men are destroying our natural families because we spent so much time watching them instead of /being/ with our families!
Holy crap, the miscegenation!!!
Like I care about that. But perhaps the Hutchersons would think on how that used to be illegal, and consider that they themselves wouldn’t enjoy the “I’m not so you can’t be either” attitude they so freely spout.
One Jewish Dyke is correct, more than likely, these kids mistake ‘not staying in the closet’ for ‘flaunting’ views.
Clearly Mrs. Hutcherson is in denial over her hubby’s megalomania. He probably whispers in her ear every night about how rich they’re gonna be.
Also, how much you wanna bet at least one of their kids turns out to be gay????