Bill Donohue went on NBC’s “Today” show in mid-October to discuss the sexual-abuse scandal in the Los Angeles Archdiocese, and the next day he was attacked by the president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). Donohue then challenged the president, Neil Giuliano, to a debate on TV, but the gay leader declined. So here is what Donohue told the media on October 28:
“Two weeks ago today, GLAAD president Neil Giuliano issued an alert asking his members to contact NBC’s ‘Today’ show protesting its decision to invite me on the program on October 13. Giuliano accused me of defaming gays and using ‘malicious smear tactics.’ My ‘malicious smear tactics’ included saying that ’79 percent of the victims [of priestly sexual abuse] in Los Angeles are male,’ and that ’81 percent, according to the John Jay study a few years ago [of victims nationwide since 1950] were male.’ I also said that, according to the study, ‘almost 80 percent are post-pubescent.’ My conclusion? ‘It’s homosexuals.’ I added, ‘I’m not saying homosexuality causes someone to be a predator, that would be malicious. But I am saying this: We have a problem within the Catholic Church of some homosexual men who are putting their hands on the kids. They’ve got to be thrown out.’
“There is nothing defamatory or malicious about anything I said, but there is something malicious about Giuliano’s attempt to defame me. So when I was called by a CBS producer to appear on Viacom’s gay cable network, Logo, I told him on October 24 that I would go on providing he could arrange a debate between Giuliano and me. GLAAD has been called by CBS several times this week asking for Giuliano to debate me, but he refuses to do so.
“It’s time for gays to demand that Giuliano resign. The man is not a leader. He is a rip-off artist getting rich by exploiting gays: he wants them to think that he’s their hero, when in fact he runs away from a fight.”
You can contact Giuliano by e-mail: giuliano@glaad.org.
GLAAD not only went after Donohue, it criticized the “Today” show for inviting him to appear. Indeed, Katie Couric was condemned for being too deferential to Donohue. What GLAAD wants is to censor Donohue. All the more reason Giuliano’s refusal to debate him is irresponsible.
But this is what we’ve come to: the leader of an advocacy group attacks the leader of another advocacy group and then runs when challenged.
