Right-Wing Activist: Gays Provoke Bashings

Victims of gay-bashing are complicit in their attacks because the natural reaction to homosexuality "is a certain amount of revulsion," says right-wing activist Brian Camenker.

Camenker, who leads the antigay group MassResistance, made the statement when discussing the situation in Russia with fellow homophobe Linda Harvey of Mission America on her radio show over the weekend. She asked if reports of antigay violence in the nation, which has increased since the enactment of oppressive laws, are fact-based or "just hype."

"I would say that a lot of it is probably true," Camenker responded. "The natural way people react to homosexuality -- outside of all the diversity training -- is a certain amount of revulsion. So if two men start kissing in the public street, you can expect a certain reaction from people."

He allowed that such violence is "unfortunate" but added, "If you're going to do something that most of the population considers bad or immoral or disgusting in public, you're going to get a certain reaction. I think that they push that as far as they can and sometimes you just can't do it."

Harvey replied, "There's some provocation going on," and offered this disclaimer: "Not justifying violence in any way, for all of these people listening and wanting to spin this the way they will want to do."

Camenker also predicted that Russian authorities will prevent LGBT rights demonstrations during the Winter Olympics in Sochi next year and claimed that gay activists won't get a lot of sympathy from athletes. He asserted that there are few elite gay athletes because of "the psychological issues that are going through you in the homosexual lifestyle."

"Because you just need this very high degree of stability, alertness, everything else, so you see almost no athletes, you know, homosexuals in the professional sports or the high level, football leagues or baseball or anything like that, almost none," he said.

Find audio of the conversation at Right Wing Watch.