HRC & NAACP to A+E: Apology Needed for ‘Duck Dynasty’ Star’s Racist, Homophobic Rant

‘Duck Dynasty’ star Phil Robertson showing his "true colors" when using hurtful, divisive, racist and homophobic words towards blacks and gays.
Photo: Duck Dynasty
‘Duck Dynasty’ star Phil Robertson showing his "true colors" when using hurtful, divisive, racist and homophobic words towards blacks and gays.  Photo: Duck Dynasty

‘Duck Dynasty’ star Phil Robertson showing his “true colors” when using hurtful, divisive, racist and homophobic words towards African Americans and gays.
Photo: Duck Dynasty

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, and the NAACP, the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization, today sent a letter to A+E President and Chief Executive Officer Nancy Dubuc, calling on her to disavow the racist and homophobic comments made by ‘Duck Dynasty’ star Phil Robertson.

In a recent GQ interview, Robertson said that African Americans were happier during the era of Jim Crow laws: “Pre-entitlement, pre-welfare, you say: Were they happy? They were godly; they were happy; no one was singing the blues.”  He also equated being gay with bestiality and promiscuity, saying: “Start[s] with homosexual behavior and just morph[s] out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men.” [pullquote]Robertson said that African Americans were happier during the era of Jim Crow laws: “Pre-entitlement, pre-welfare, you say: Were they happy? They were godly; they were happy; no one was singing the blues.”[/pullquote]

In today’s letter, HRC president Chad Griffin and NAACP interim president Lorraine Miller called on A+E to take responsibility for Robertson’s words, and explained why they were so inaccurate and offensive:

“These remarks go beyond being outlandishly inaccurate and offensive. They are dangerous and revisionist, appealing to those in our society who wish to repeat patterns of discrimination. We urge A+E to immediately denounce and repudiate Robertson’s comments. Furthermore, we call on you to see that Phil Robertson apologizes for his vitriolic comments. Surely a brand like A+E does not want to be associated with such racist and homophobic remarks.

“We want to be clear why Phil Robertson’s remarks are not just dangerous but also inaccurate. Mr. Robertson claims that, from what he saw, African Americans were happier under Jim Crow. What he didn’t see were lynching and beatings of black men and women for attempting to vote or simply walking down the street.  And his offensive claims about gay people fly in the face of science. In fact, it’s important to note that every single leading medical organization in the country has said that there is absolutely nothing wrong with being LGBT – it’s not a choice, and to suggest otherwise is dangerous. [pullquote]What he didn’t see were lynching and beatings of black men and women for attempting to vote or simply walking down the street.  And his offensive claims about gay people fly in the face of science. [/pullquote]

“…When a figure from a popular show like ‘Duck Dynasty’ makes such disparaging remarks about entire communities of people, we cannot allow it to go unnoticed. No doubt there are both African Americans and LGBT people among the millions of viewers of both ‘Duck Dynasty’ and other programs across A+E’s media platform. Those viewers who have demonstrated loyalty to your network deserve to hear that there is absolutely nothing wrong with them, and that Americans won’t stand for Phil Robertson’s comments. That’s why we’re so hopeful you will move swiftly to condemn his remarks.”

The full letter is available here.

The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.

Founded in 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. The NAACP’s half-million adult and youth members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities and monitor equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.

[From a News Release]

banner ad

4 Comments on "HRC & NAACP to A+E: Apology Needed for ‘Duck Dynasty’ Star’s Racist, Homophobic Rant"

  1. Darrell E. Owens Jr | December 19, 2013 at 3:44 pm |

    Seriously ?, I believe it is Phil Robertsons right to Freedom of Speech and Religion! If You are gay or black and do not like what He has to say “DO NOT LISTEN” But trying to take away His rights to better suit Your own is Not Right !!! This country was founded upon Freedom!! yet a Man cannot say what is on His own mind without someone trying to Sue or Imprison !!! Where is the Free in that I ask ?? The title says stop the Hate !! From all I have read and heard this is NOT HATE , but a simple Opinion of a Person with Different beliefs, Is this wrong now ?? to Have Your own opinions based upon a religious belief ?? Think about it America !!

    • Mark Williams | December 20, 2013 at 2:22 am |

      Not all garbage used against other groups is freedom of speech. Why do you think Robertson lost his job because of it? He did because you can’t just go and spew hatred without consequences, especially if that hatred causes harm to those being targeted by the person’s speech. It only shows the ignorance of so many people that think everything they say is protected under “freedom of speech.” It’s like the interpretations to the bible.

      Read here: http://blog.constitutioncenter.org/2013/10/does-the-first-amendment-protect-hate-speech-on-facebook/
      QUOTE: “Finally, there is a form of speech known as “fighting words” that are words without social value directed to a specific individual, that would provoke a reasonable member of the group about whom the words are spoken. If you know that someone is likely to haul off and hit you if you call him a racial epithet, you’ve spoken fighting words and your speech is not protected by the First Amendment. This is different from a “hate crime,” a crime committed against a person because of that person’s membership in a particular group, be it based on the victim’s religion, ethnicity, race, or sexual orientation. The fact that the crime was based on hatred of a particular group can increase the sentence if the defendant is convicted, but the defendant is not being prosecuted because of what he said, but rather what he did. Hate speech, expressing your hatred toward someone or something, is not a crime except where it violates the other laws described (here).”

  2. Olive Joshua | December 20, 2013 at 1:30 am |

    Really?????
    This is bull shit. We added Americans and we have freedom of speech.do what if that’s how he feels. He just saying what most of you are to ducking scared to say. Afraid you might not get a vote our business.
    FREEDOMOFSPEECH4ALAMERICANS.IJS

  3. Joel Nathaniel | January 20, 2014 at 2:38 am |

    The NAACP is not a civil rights organization. Once upon a time it was, but not any more. The NAACP has turned its self into a hate groups that’s even worse then the KKK (The KKK will stab you in the front and the NAACP will stab you in the back). The NAACP is promoting a double standard agenda. Ignoring problems that they should be addressing, like the black on black violence that has plagued and economically crippled the black community. While calling the stand your ground law a war on black people, without ever acknowledging the reason for the law. Miami has a murder rate five times the national average, Tallahassee has no choice then to allow its citizens a chance to protect themselves. Paying attention to the aftermath of the Zimmerman case, the NAACP showed their true colors. The double standard being promoted at the expense of the Martin family and the Black community, is being done maliciously and on purpose. Any option expressed by the NAACP should be dismissed and disregarded. It’s a shame that NBC teamed up with Al Sharpton and his hate group. Hopefully the black community will over throw this tyrannical dictator before he really turns the clock back on all the hard work that MLK and many like him died for. Well it would seem Al Sharpton is selling out his own people because he is feeling irrelevant and useless. NOT AN EXCUSE!

Comments are closed.