While some media figures have compared gay NBA player Jason Collins to Jackie Robinson, ESPN the Magazine senior writer Chris Broussard refused to support the lifestyle.
“I’m a Christian. I don’t agree with homosexuality,” Broussard said. “I think it’s a sin, as I think all sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman is. If you’re openly living in unrepentant sin … that’s walking in open rebellion to God and to Jesus Christ.”
Now one liberal political activist organization is calling for ESPN to suspend Broussard for turning “Christian faith into a weapon of anti-gay hatred.”
Michael Sherrard, from the liberal group Faithful America, urged supporters in a MoveOn.org email to sign a petition that calls on ESPN to discipline Broussard.
From the message:
When Jason Collins became the first openly gay player in the NBA, he emphasized the importance of his Christian faith in accepting himself and deciding to come out.
But within hours, ESPN sportscaster Chris Broussard characterized coming out as “openly living in unrepentant sin” and attacked Collins, saying “I would not characterize that person as a Christian because I don’t think the Bible would characterize them as a Christian.”
Shockingly, so far ESPN is standing by Broussard, describing his tirade as “a respectful discussion of personal viewpoints.” ESPN needs to hear immediately that it is unacceptable to turn Christian faith into a weapon of anti-gay hatred.
The language in Sherrard’s petition calls Broussard’s comments “a hateful attack” on Collins and said that action must be taken against the ESPN the Magazine senior writer.
Chris Broussard’s hateful attack on Jason Collins for being gay was an unacceptable misrepresentation of the Christian faith. ESPN must immediately suspend Chris Broussard and guarantee that their network will never again be used for gay bashing.