Questioning Homosexual Marriage is “Hate speech”

Questioning Homosexual Marriage is “Hate speech” — Again

Some issues may not be discussed publicly at all in Massachusetts:

“A speech by a “parental rights” activist in Gloucester has been canceled after a gay marriage advocacy group threatened to protest what it deemed “hate speech.”

Cape Ann Marriage and Family, which characterizes itself as “pro-family” and has been active in advocating for a popular vote on gay marriage, had planned a meeting at a Main Street pizza parlor featuring a lecture by David Parker of Lexington.

Parker is suing the state for the right to be notified when issues of sexuality, including gay marriage, are discussed in his young son’s school. The case was initially dismissed but is on appeal. Parker first raised the issue in 2005, when his 5-year-old son came home with a children’s book promoting diversity that included illustrations of families headed by same-sex couples….

“This is a very common ploy of the pro-homosexual movement to stifle free speech,” said Parker. “When they find out that there is going to be some kind of public event where they do not approve of the speech, they label it as hate speech before they’ve heard it and they threaten a protest.”

Parker called Know Thy Neighbor’s tactics “intimidation and harassment” and a violation of his free speech rights. He said he planned to pursue a complaint of a civil rights violation with the district attorney. “I think what Tom Lang is doing is hate speech,” Parker said. “He’s making accusations of hate speech before he’s even heard it. He’s the one who hates free speech.”