David and Jason Benham Respond to HGTV After Anti-Gay Controversy

There are several articles that cover this issue with differing perspective, but my take is that is simply sad that people no longer can speak in support of their faith without being vilified. I am not a Christian, but I am a fan of free speech. At no time did the brothers say anything negative about anyone. They simply espoused the position of their faith that the act of homosexuality is wrong and is a sin.

It is disturbing that you can no longer express your opposition to anything that is protected by liberal PC police. Several months ago we saw a teenage girl that was attacked by a professor and denied her right to speak out against abortion as murder (which seems pretty logical to me) at a California campus (HERE).

Personally I don't care what people do in the privacy of their own home. I don't care if you want to marry five women (good luck with that) or sleep with a gorilla (as long as it is consensual). My problem is that people have a right to speak honestly about their faith and belief that something is WRONG or a SIN without being harassed, cancelled, etc. Remember no was is attacking people just aberrant (diverging from the norm) sexual practices.

It is NOT the job of media to censor opinions that are in opposition and has nothing to do with the show or what it was about. The media should be supporting diversity of opinion not condemning differing viewpoints. These brothers are pointing out what they believe to be sinful behavior and not attacking individuals, other religions or races.

I am fearful for the future of free speech in America and around the world.

"The first and last thought on our minds as we begin and end each day is; have we shined Christ's light today?" the brothers wrote in a statement on their website. "Our faith is the fundamental calling in our lives, and the centerpiece of who we are. As Christians we are called to love our fellow man. Anyone who suggests that we hate homosexuals or people of other faiths is either misinformed or lying."

They continued, "Over the last decade, we've sold thousands of homes with the guiding principle of producing value and breathing life into each family that has crossed our path, and we do not, nor will we ever discriminate against people who do not share our views."

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Our society tried to censure gays for years and to zero effect ultimately. But now look at this meet the new boss same as the old boss. "The men who spurred us on now sit in judgment of all wrong. They decide and the shotgun sings the song".

What baffles me is why these channels don't just tell the people that complain to simply change the channel or not watch their program if they don't like it. I highly doubt this was going to be some blockbuster show anyways, but seriously...there are PLENTY of other channels devoted to sexual/race/whatever scene someone is in to.

Tired of these hardliners...someone needs to stand up to them and say GET THE F&*K OVER IT ALREADY!!!!!

originally posted by: Vasa Croe
What baffles me is why these channels don't just tell the people that complain to simply change the channel or not watch their program if they don't like it. I highly doubt this was going to be some blockbuster show anyways, but seriously...there are PLENTY of other channels devoted to sexual/race/whatever scene someone is in to.

Tired of these hardliners...someone needs to stand up to them and say GET THE F&*K OVER IT ALREADY!!!!!

We did have the Robinsons of Duck Dynasty stand up to them and the network folded, but apparently when the show isn't making money (yet) the networks roll over and cave to small vocal minorities.

a reply to: Metallicus

Yes its not about the painter after all its about the canvas.

a reply to: Metallicus

My problem is that people have a right to speak honestly about their faith and belief that something is WRONG or a SIN without being harassed, cancelled, etc. Remember no was is attacking people just aberrant (diverging from the norm) sexual practices. - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

And a private enterprise has the right to work with people who share their values, or more like share the advertisers values in this case.

We live in a world where what you say in public, you end up responsible for. For much longer than just the current news cycle.

It's funny because if you take for example, interracial marriage, and let's pretend they were against that.

Would you feel differently? Or would you be in agreement that racists may not share the save values as the people they are working for?

The same can be said about homosexuality. If you make remarks that are deemed hateful and bigoted to some, than you are going to need to own those comments.

If less people relied on social media to get their idiotic comments out, as opposed to thinking long and hard before opening their mouths, this would not have happened.

Sure it may be PC, but it's the reality of the situation. Know your audience, because the next speech you give, could be your last.

~Tenth

I completely disagree with HGTV on this issue. They made a decision out of fear of lawsuits and political correctness and a complete misunderstanding of what the Christian (true Jesus Christ-brand of Christianity) view of homosexuality really is. I'm proud of these brothers for standing firm in their faith.

Having said that, HGTV has the right to not hire these guys for the show. Hosts of HGTV shows represent the brand of HGTV, and if they feel these guys do not represent what their brand stands for... that is their choice. I have no idea why they didn't figure this out earlier in the process, though. The Benhams clearly are very open about their faith and HGTV should have known well before it got the point of shooting a pilot what the brothers feelings were on issues that are (evidently) so central to the HGTV brand.

While HGTV has the right, as a private company, to cancel shows and only employ those who represent their "brand"... this was handled poorly and they completely missed the boat on reality here. I've lost a lot of respect for them over this. (I'm sure they aren't losing any sleep over this fact, though.)

originally posted by: tothetenthpower
a reply to: Metallicus

My problem is that people have a right to speak honestly about their faith and belief that something is WRONG or a SIN without being harassed, cancelled, etc. Remember no was is attacking people just aberrant (diverging from the norm) sexual practices. - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

And a private enterprise has the right to work with people who share their values, or more like share the advertisers values in this case.

We live in a world where what you say in public, you end up responsible for. For much longer than just the current news cycle.

It's funny because if you take for example, interracial marriage, and let's pretend they were against that.

Would you feel differently? Or would you be in agreement that racists may not share the save values as the people they are working for?

The same can be said about homosexuality. If you make remarks that are deemed hateful and bigoted to some, than you are going to need to own those comments.

If less people relied on social media to get their idiotic comments out, as opposed to thinking long and hard before opening their mouths, this would not have happened.

Sure it may be PC, but it's the reality of the situation. Know your audience, because the next speech you give, could be your last.

~Tenth

Well, Tenth, that is a straw man argument (effectively used) and in the case of racism I would be opposed to the viewpoint, however, this is about a sexual behavior not race so they are apples and oranges.

Lets apply this to companies that don't want to do business with someone because they are opposed to their lifestyle. If you say that corporations can do what they want with people that support their beliefs then you must be FOR companies that discriminate against pro-homosexual or birth control people.

You must pick a position. Either corporations can discriminate based on beliefs of people they do business with or they can't. You may not have it both ways, my friend.

a reply to: VegHead

Their brand? Whats that? Is that anything like refusing to serve blacks in white restaurant?

a reply to: Metallicus

Lets apply this to companies that don't want to do business with someone because they are opposed to their lifestyle. If you say that corporations can do what they want with people that support their beliefs then you must be FOR companies that discriminate against pro-homosexual or birth control people.

It's more similar than you think.

Regardless of whether it's racism or sexual orientation, the end result is a form discrimination. In this case HGTV is discriminating against ideology, not any particular person or party.

This is an EMPLOYER refusing to hire somebody who doesn't share their values. The same way a church store would not hire a biker gang to run the front desk, see what I mean?

The law says you can't discriminate in hiring and while providing services as a business. But a private contract, signed between two parties, in this case HGTV and the Benham's have specific clauses for these types of things.

They represent HGTV in public, they know this, because they contract states they can be terminated for that kind of behavior.

So it should not be a surprise to anybody that HGTV would protect their brand and their profits, over the ideology of two guys.

~Tenth

a reply to: tothetenthpower

There is a clear difference to me and many others between discriminating against race which a person is born with and someones behavior and life choices.

Just my opinion. Your mileage may vary.

originally posted by: Metallicus
a reply to: tothetenthpower

There is a clear difference to me and many others between discriminating against race which a person is born with and someones behavior and life choices.

Just my opinion. Your mileage may vary.

That would be under the assumption that sexual orientation is indeed a choice. I'm on the fence on that one personally, I believe it's a combination of environmental factors vs biological markers, but that's another thread.

And the issue primarily is that you think it's different.

It's like a hate crime, one of the dumbest laws created. If I go out and hit you in the face, because I don't like your face, that's a hate crime. A violent hate crime. Doesn't matter if I did it because you're gay, or black, or jewish or anything.

I physically, hatefully assaulted you. The end result under the law should be same.

So should it be socially when we discuss it. So with discrimination in mind, it's all the same thing at the end of the day, just a different color.

Some say "I don't agree with gays cause my religion tells me to."

Some say " I don't like Muslims because my culture tells me to"

Some say " I don't like blacks because the Klan told me to"

At the end of the day, it's all the same, just misplaced, ignorant discrimination.

I agree they have every right to voice their opinions in private amongst the people they frequent. They gave up that right to speak about it in public, when they signed a contract with HGTV to be spokes persons for them.

Any other network, would have probably done exactly the same thing under similar circumstances. Let's not forget that HGTV does hire quite a bit of LGBT folk and internal pressure from more important employees could also have led to this decision.

~Tenth

a reply to: Metallicus

OH that pesky 1st Amendment thing again.

As well as selectively choosing things out of the Bible to support and happily ignoring the rest.

I believe that you're entitled to your brand of crazy as long as that brand of crazy doesn't interfere with someone elses brand of crazy.

People just need to be nice to others.

a reply to: tothetenthpower

OK, so we live in a world where you can lose your life for anything you say anywhere at anytime if someone takes exception to it and gins up enough outrage to scare your boss? How is that right?

The people here talk about politically incorrect things every day in so many different ways it's not even funny. How many of us stand to lose everything if we are exposed by the wrong people in the wrong places?

Do you think that would be right? Heck, we could be destroyed just for playing devil's advocate and espousing an argument that one of us may not even really believe but we're trying it on just to try to provoke others to think about something from a new perspective. Would it be right for us to lose everything for having a frank conversation?

That is what this is leading to. People are being destroyed for having opinions that disagree with other people's opinions. You don't happen to see the danger yet because you happen to so far agree with the side doing the destroying.

a reply to: ketsuko

OK, so we live in a world where you can lose your life for anything you say anywhere at anytime if someone takes exception to it and gins up enough outrage to scare your boss? How is that right?9

That's only if you were dumb enough to sign a contract with a major company or something similar.

These men did this to themselves.

How many of us stand to lose everything if we are exposed by the wrong people in the wrong places?

Everybody is at risk of that. That's what freedom of speech is. It's always a risk that you're going to piss off more powerful people than yourself.

People are being destroyed for having opinions that disagree with other people's opinions. You don't happen to see the danger yet because you happen to so far agree with the side doing the destroying.

People forget their history.

Let's remember that until about 14 or 15 years ago, who I was, was considered socially unacceptable. What's happening to these men, would have happened to me if I'd come out as gay in public at the time or made any kind of waves towards gay rights etc..

I understand this, because I've lived it. No it's not fair, it's not even right. It's just the way it is.

~Tenth

originally posted by: tothetenthpower
a reply to: ketsuko

OK, so we live in a world where you can lose your life for anything you say anywhere at anytime if someone takes exception to it and gins up enough outrage to scare your boss? How is that right?9

That's only if you were dumb enough to sign a contract with a major company or something similar.

These men did this to themselves.

How many of us stand to lose everything if we are exposed by the wrong people in the wrong places?

Everybody is at risk of that. That's what freedom of speech is. It's always a risk that you're going to piss off more powerful people than yourself.

People are being destroyed for having opinions that disagree with other people's opinions. You don't happen to see the danger yet because you happen to so far agree with the side doing the destroying.

People forget their history.

Let's remember that until about 14 or 15 years ago, who I was, was considered socially unacceptable. What's happening to these men, would have happened to me if I'd come out as gay in public at the time or made any kind of waves towards gay rights etc..

I understand this, because I've lived it. No it's not fair, it's not even right. It's just the way it is.

~Tenth

Ah, I see. So now you enjoy your revenge.

a reply to: ketsuko

Ah, I see. So now you enjoy your revenge.

That was uncalled for.

You entirely missed the point if that's what you thought I said.

Perhaps I don't feel as bad as I would had I not been subjected to 20+ years of social put downs and discrimination.

But I'm certainly too old and far too busy to be 'revenge' happy about anybody getting fired for speaking their mind.

I don't agree with HGTV as my posts have shown, I'm just understanding of the situation, because I've lived it.

Sorry if that ruffles your feathers.

~Tenth

I, for one, am glad we are finally coming to a time when the public will not tolerate such nonsense. There was a time, not that long ago, when hate speech was perfectly acceptable. Thank goodness we are moving beyond that.

As with all of these types of topics, lets make one thing clear: This is not a free speech issue. If you think it is, please, do everyone a favor and take a basic constitutional class.

Be careful where this goes because it won't stay confined to issues concerning gays. Once society gets used to the notion of shutting people out for dissenting over things like this it will move on to other issues. Once we get confortable with the idea that it's perfectly normal to destroy a person over any notion we don't like or has been decided is unacceptable as a society, it will move on to those things, too.

Don't like what your government does? Tough. You just lost your job.

Don't like how this or that policy was made? Tough. You just lost your property.

Society has decided that you are to be a certain way and you don't like it? Tough. You are now forced to conform or be forcibly removed.

This is how Nazi Germany got it's start. We better wake up and stop this before we go much further and it starts biting all of us in the butt.

a reply to: Metallicus

I'm a SAG New Media producer, making docs, webisodes, pilots for TV and features.

I have the absolute right to kick you off of my projects if I don't like the way you comb your hair or if you have ugly tattoos. I'm paying the bills and that makes me the boss. If that's discriminatory.....tough ****! I'm looking out for my intrests just like HGTV is doing.

Entertainment is a business, I fail to see why that's so hard to understand.

If you are unhappy with that arrangement; then I suggest you make your own damn shows. Join us in one of the most competitive, hardass, dog eat dog industries imaginable.

Start here....

www.celtx.com...