Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns responded Tuesday night to Clint McCance, the Arkansas school board member who went on an anti-gay tirade last week in which he basically encouraged LGBT people to kill themselves. The openly gay Burns, whose “It Gets Better” video message to LGBT youth has more than 2 million views, posted the following note on his Facebook page:
“Hate and violence born of ignorance must not be allowed to harm the youth of Midland, Arkansas or anywhere in America. Two weeks ago I shared at our Fort Worth City Council meeting that the words and attitudes expressed by those like Midland School Trustee Clint McCance result in misery and even death for America’s youth. At that council meeting and in the days since, I have asked people in communities across the nation to take responsibility and stand up to these hateful bullies. I encourage adults to tell our children they are whole, perfect, and complete. And I try to remind those bullied youth that things will get better and that they will make a lifetime of happy memories. I can assure you that changing the course of just one potentially lost life is worth our standing up to the bullies like Clint McCance. Trustee McCance is a failure as a responsible adult, an embarrassment to the good citizens of Midland, and he has betrayed his community’s trust.”
McCance made his comments on his own Facebook page (screen grab above) in response to last week’s Spirit Day, when people were asked to wear purple to support LGBT youth: “Seriously they want me to wear purple because five queers killed themselves. The only way im wearin it for them is if they all commit suicide. I cant believe the people of this world have gotten this stupid. We are honoring the fact that they sinned and killed thereselves because of their sin. REALLY PEOPLE.”
McCance wasn’t done, either. From The Advocate:
Initially, six people “liked” McCance’s message. He also received supportive comments, though some challenged his statement. A commenter wrote, “Because hatred is always right.” That led McCance to write, “No because being a fag doesn’t give you the right to ruin the rest of our lives. If you get easily offended by being called a fag then dont tell anyone you are a fag. Keep that shit to yourself. I dont care how people decide to live their lives. They dont bother me if they keep it to thereselves. It pisses me off though that we make a special purple fag day for them. I like that fags cant procreate. I also enjoy the fact that they often give each other aids and die. If you arent against it, you might as well be for it.”
McCance was again challenged on his statements — and his Christianity. Wrote one commenter: “YOU NEED TO STOP AND THINK FOR A SEC GREAT YOU BIG CHRISTIAN MAN ! SO KEEP ALL OF YOUR THOUGHTS TO YOUR SELF YOU DONT WANT PPL TALKIN ABOUT YOUR FAMILY SO DONT TALK BOUT OTHERS.”
McCance responded with, “I would disown my kids they were gay. They will not be welcome at my home or in my vicinity. I will absolutely run them off. Of course my kids will know better. My kids will have solid christian beliefs. See it infects everyone.“
Go here to join a Facebook page calling for McCance’s removal.
This type of thing is *exactly* why I don’t identify myself as a Christian anymore, nor am I able to condone organized religion on any level.
People come in enormous varieties. Children come in those same varieties. If you can’t support tolerance — no, it’s beyond tolerance at this point — acceptance of those varieties, then you have no business serving in a capacity that serves other people. Plain and simple, cut and dry. McCance, get out of the education business.
Why demand his removal? I prefer to see my bigots in the open, where they can be shunned and mocked for their ignorance. If you shut him up, you won’t see him until he explodes.
This man and all others with his level of ignorance and hate should be publicly executed.
how christlike of him.
It’s not about removing this dumbass from Facebook, but I think removing him from his position on the school board is the only correct response that can be made. You can’t expect to keep that sort of office when you’re crowing about the deaths of the peers of the people you’re serving.
Since when is HATE a ‘solid christian belief’? This is a case of using religion as an excuse for bigotry.
Jesus was gay, and hung around with 12 other gay men.
There are no “good citizens of Midland” because Midland is not a town. If the genius Burns had done a little research he would have known that. Some councilman there. Or maybe his PR guy is the one that did the crappy job
I think he should be allowed to keep his Facebook page as well as his job. His punishment, however, is to be framed as a deeply disturbed, closet homosexual with profoundly perverted tendencies and over a hundred witnesses that claim to have had sex with him. Justice should be poetic, not principle.
Let him spew what he wants on his personal facebook page…I’m sure there are some things on my facebook that certain people wouldn’t like. Should I be shut down as well? As far as employment, he was elected to a board and part of his commitment is to insure safety and an equal education for ALL students. It seems like to me he is unable to fulfill this obligation so he should be fired. Honestly, if he had gone on a racist rant, there would be no debate. His ass would be out the door.
60 years ago a school board member told my mother to take all her kids out of school and get them to work; of course she didn’t and all 8 got high school diplomas and 4 got college degrees. A person like this should not be on the school board; he should be asked to resign or the mayor or someone in charge should fire him.
(Massachusetts , age 72)
My friend significant other, the school official told him he would never make college; he has a doctoral degree today. Don’t listen to these people as authorities; you must question authorities and remove them from office when they say reprehensible things.
I LOVE Joel Burns! Dallas Pride Grand Marshal 2011!!! Please?!?!?!
Sickening!! An elected official is elected to serve the people, ALL people, so he is in breech of contract with his comments. Like it or not, gay people are people too and should be granted all the liberties of any other person in this country. I am sick of the debate. This is America and we are all granted the same freedoms and yet gays are STILL being treated like second class citizens.Nobody has to approve but you must be able to accept and tolerate, even if yoy have to fake it til you make it. All people should have equal rights and freedoms, no matter, race, religion, gender OR SEXUAL PREFERENCE!!!!
I am offended by Clint’s obvious hatard and yet I am glad to have the oppurtunity to be exposed to it, sometimes as people we are lulled into thinking (because we surround ourselves by like minded people) that every one is moving forward in same direction…we can’t make a change if we don’t know where the hatard is, let Clint keep his facebook I want to know he is out there and capable of spewing his hatard. It gives me the drive to do something about it!
I’d like to write this off as the ravings of an ignorant man — which he may well be — but unfortunately many educated people hold the same views. These are vile words of hatred, and I’m guessing he probably feels the same way about anyone who doesn’t fit his image of acceptability — namely being white and protestant. What’s even more difficult to accept is that a lot of gay white people have the same discriminatory attitudes. There’s nothing more shocking to me than to hear a gay person use the N-word or to refer to other ethnic groups with slurs.
Considering the poor grammer and spelling, I wonder if it is possible that someone “hijacked’ his account. The rantings remind me of the ramblings of teens I have seen on television. In any event, he wants me dead. Regardless of the source, by now he should have addressed the public with his coward head down. As for his facebook page, it should be closed down for violating the terms of service. Hate speech is not allowed.
If anyone truly believes this man’s facebook page was hijacked, you’re not reading what I’m reading. Just because he’s a board member does not make him an English major!!! Short and sweet, he should be force to resigned because he is not serving all the students.
I have a message for Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns. I do not wish harm on anyone. I love homosexuals gays and wish them well. But, the Bible tells a story that I put into a song to the tune of “The yellow rose of Texas”. The youtube.com video is titled, “Messiah loves homosexuals”. I invite Joel Burns, or anyone else to a public debate in Texas. The purpose of the pulbilc debate is to debate gay rights and the accuracy of my youtube.com video. Be ye warned, Joel Burns. I will bring a KJV Bible to the debate.
In the Messiah, Kenny Merriken – Jude 1:7
mccance you are a low down ugly sewer rat, If you were drowning I’d throw you a cement block and say “float on this.” Quit taking up oxygen and go take a long walk off a short pier. To actually say you’d throw your kids out if they are gay is really crossing the line, you are not fit to be a member of the human race, let alone a parent.
merriken you do not love gays or wish us well, that is a lie, so that is sin #1 chalk one up for you. merriken if you do debate Joel Burns, you had better come to the debate wearing a potato sack because wearing clothing of different fabrics is a sin. Remember don’t eat any shellfish or do ANY kind of work on sundays, and I’m sure you obeyed your parents at everyone of their orders. Oh and by the way merriken if you look at women with lust in your mind, that is also a sin, that is if you’re really straight. Oh, and I have nothing against heterosexuals, some of my best friends are heterosexuals. You have a good day merriken.