December 5, 2017
Hate Group Leader Turns SCOTUS Baker Case Into the 'War on Christmas'
READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Proving that no circus is complete without a clown, Tony Perkins, president of the anti-LGBTQ hate group Family Research Council, was on hand Wednesday to address a rally outside of the United States Supreme Court building in Washington D.C.
And while the purpose of the rally was to kick off the oral arguments for the anti-gay marriage Colorado baker in the case of Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, Perkins chose to make the event about the "War on Christmas."
"Merry Christmas! You know, it's OK to say 'Merry Christmas' and I say that not only as a greeting as we celebrate this festive time of year, but for what it represents here today," Perkins said, according to a statement released by FRC. "A lot of people, including a lot of reporters, missed or mocked the significance of having the freedom to openly, without fear of backlash, say 'Merry Christmas.' The reason is that our freedom of speech has been limited."
With a slam to President Obama, Perkins continued: "But the freedom to express that belief, and celebrate that event, has been suppressed in recent years by radical secularists and misguided governments officials -- including the previous occupant of the White House."
Speaking in support of Colorado baker Jack Phillips, whose refusal to bake a cake for a gay couple's wedding, Perkins went on to say, "We are here today supporting Jack Phillips and all of the Christians, and other Americans, who he represents."
Warning that a decision against the baker was a decision against America, Perkins warned: "If the court agrees that we can be forced to engage in a behavior and speech that counters our deeply held beliefs, folks I cannot think of something that is more un-American than that."
"All we want for Christmas is the freedom to speak and live according to our beliefs," Perkins concluded.
While religious right anti-LGBTQ hate groups like Family Research Council and Liberty Counsel yearly publish "Naughty or Nice" shopping guides to further the idea of the non-existent "War on Christmas" that President Trump claims to be winning this year, data suggests that there has been a cease fire of non-interest in the "war" for some time now. According to Google Trends, concern about attacks on the institution of Christmas have been on a sharp decline since hitting peak in 2006.
