Homosexual Activists Target Army Secretary Nominee Mark Green. Because He’s Christian.
In an apparent effort to prove just how tolerant they are, homosexual activists have redoubled their efforts to “#stopMarkGreen,” the Tennessee legislator nominated by President Trump to be the next Secretary of the Army.
The reason for their objection? Mark Green is a Christian.
In one invective-filled write-up (republished at Stars and Stripes), self-described man-turned-woman Sheri Swokowski, a retired Army Colonel currently with the ACLU, claimed that because of his beliefs Mark Green would be unable to “appreciat[e] every individual” — while simultaneously oblivious to the fact that Swokowski was displaying the very bigotry he claimed to find in Green.
Chad Griffin of the Human Rights Campaign complained that Green was the wrong person for Army Secretary because he was following Eric Fanning — the first openly homosexual Secretary of the Army. The HRC also claimed having an Army Secretary who didn’t affirm homosexuality was “a danger” to troops and would hurt morale:
The concern is that even if LGBT members continue to be allowed to serve openly, having an anti-LGBT service secretary could create a negative command climate.
That ignores, of course, the fact a homosexual Secretary of the Army served over troops who were morally opposed to such behavior — which, if what the HRC says is true, would have created a “negative command climate” for them.
The American Military Partner Association — currently headed by Ashley Broadway-Mack, the former snubbed military “spouse” who just wanted a little respect — similarly claimed
Green said he opposes transgender equality because he must “crush evil.”
But that isn’t what he said at all. For one thing, the issue to which AMPA was referring was Tennessee’s version of the NC “bathroom bill,” which has nothing to do with transgender “equality.”
Further, Green actually said his issues with the ridiculous “choose your own bathroom” push were (1) state’s rights and (2) protection of women. Green characterized the bathroom issue as a “war on women,” and took particular issue with women who might have been the victim of sexual assault having to subsequently deal with a man in their bathroom.
Asked about religion and segueing from his statement on protecting women from assault and humiliation, Green framed it like this:
The government exists to honor those people who live honorably, who do good things – to reward people who behave well and to crush evil. So that means as a state senator, my responsibility very clearly in Romans 13 is to create an environment where people who do right are rewarded and the people who do wrong are crushed. Evil is crushed.
So I’m going to protect women in their bathrooms…
As anyone with an 8th grade public school education could tell you, that is not Mark Green saying transgenderism is evil that needs to be crushed — yet that is how homosexual activists like Ashley Broadway are portraying it. Broadway’s AMPA went so far as to call Green’s words “dangerous.”
Why would people feel the need to lie about what someone said to achieve their political ends? (And why does that question sound vaguely familiar?)
Mark Green is a Christian who — shockingly — holds Christian beliefs. (Ashley Broadway is a self-described “devout Christian” who — apparently — doesn’t.) The US Constitution prevents the establishment of a “religious test” for public office, yet that seems to be what Broadway, her AMPA, and their allies would like to create. If they could just keep the Christians out of office, they wouldn’t have to fear their homosexual agenda might be stymied by people with different opinions.
How does the “tolerant” homosexual movement fail to see their denigration of a man because of his beliefs is bigoted?
The AMPA’s hypocrisy and hatred is on full display on their Facebook page, with supporters lodging their derogatory and bigoted comments about Green there — ranging from “he’s unqualified,” to insane, to references to Nazi Germany.
Let’s take a quick comparison. Say you have two potential nominees:
One nominee for the Secretary of the Army is a career politician who has spent the past 10 years bouncing among different positions as an appointee in different government offices — but he’s never served in the military nor had any other job besides “political appointee” in decades.
The second proposed Secretary of the Army is a graduate of West Point, worked with special operations, interrogated Saddam Hussein, and has served in elected office.
Which of those two sounds more qualified?
Let’s say number one is homosexual; number two is Christian.
Now, which of those two sounds more qualified?
The first is former Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning, whom Broadway and her AMPA celebrated with giddiness — and even invited to speak at their annual gay-gala.
The latter is Tennessee State Senator Mark Green. Chances are he won’t be invited to speak at a gay party anytime soon.
Ashley Broadway-Mack led off the attacks on Green, including saying
We can not have Mark Green leading our soldiers and their families!
Actually, yes, we can have Mark Green as Secretary of the Army — and by any objective standard, it certainly looks as though we should.
“But you ask about how we fix it ― how we get the toothpaste back in the tube — I gotta tell you, it’s going to start with me being the salt and the light to the people around me,” Green continued. “I mean, if you really want to bring this back to who’s at fault, we got to look a little bit inwardly. We’ve tolerated immorality. And we’re reflecting light.”
Sounds like a man of honor.
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I hope Mark Green gets the position as Army Secretary!
If a Homosexual can lead an army of a nation – a Heterosexual can lead an army of a nation. This outcry has nothing to do with sexual orientation – it has to do with the man being a conservative Christian. There are bigots on both sides of any position. There is intolerance on both sides of any position.
” it has to do with the man being a conservative Christian.”
Well, it has to do with him demonstrating a fundamental misunderstanding of LGBT issues, which, when you’re supervising LGBT people, can be a major problem. Especially since there is a significant difference, which this article elides, between a person at the *top* of the chain disapproving of people underneath them, over whom they have power, and someone at the *bottom* of the chain having issues with someone above them.
And given that he’s clearly dishonest — since “protecting women in bathrooms” is a nonsensical justification, as there have been *no* assaults in bathrooms linked to a person pretending to be female in order to gain access — I certainly wouldn’t want him in charge of anything; a person who lies in order to promote their religious views should be disdained, not elevated.
@Steven Schwartz
Based on your logic, you disapproved of Secretary Fanning, since “at the top” he disapproved of his subordinates who were morally opposed to his lifestyle choice.
That’s a strawman. Mainstream advocates of “protective” bathroom bills have explicitly said they are trying to prevent those who would take advantage of the “choose your own adventure” bathroom to gain (legal) access to the other bathroom. Green said the same thing when he referred to a woman being forced to have a man legally walk into her bathroom — he said nothing about sexuality.
If you read his entire statement, he specifically stated that transgender people need to be crushed. There are many Christian officials that are not opposed by the Left. There are also Christians in the Left. In this instance, one has been opposed because he is a bigot – not for being Christian. I know the Right has difficulty knowing the difference between bigotry and false martyrdom.
@Eric
No, he didn’t. Repeating an untruth does not make it true. You’re doing the same thing as GLAAD — you’re attributing something to him he did not say and then claiming it’s a quote or “his own words.”
The quote included above is the only time he said “crushed.” He wasn’t talking about transgenders. You claim he “specifically” stated something, so provide a “specific” quote to prove he said otherwise. If you won’t, it seems you’re either believing what others say without looking it up for yourself, or you’re just making it up.
The Good Lord put you in this position for a reason, Mark Green! We love you in Mississippi!
No we (Mississippians) do not love you, Mark. There’s nothing wrong with homosexuality. Anybody that believes that sexuality is a disease is not fit for that position.
I’ve known Mark Green for 35 years. There is no better man of courage, conviction, character – or faith. This is prejudice, pure and simple. Would they be protesting if he was a Muslim? When you go after a man of unimpeachable character, you’d better bring more than just your small-minded hatred of those who don’t think like you. This stance of hatred literally represents everything these protestors have been decrying for generations. Now we see their true colors, and they aren’t a rainbow, they are as black as any racist’s heart.
Mark, deshi basara. Your lifetime of service to your God, your family, and your country says it all. Rise above these vile, soulless, disgusting, morally bankrupt purveyors of hatred, who have never, and will never, serve anything bigger than themselves. The men and women of character in this country are behind you. God bless and Get Some!
A big AMEN, Brother
We definitely need Mark Green in this imoral world we live in today.
I went to High School with Mark,yes he is a Christian ,but knowing him and his family….he would not attack or target homosexuals…..he would follow Christ’s example and show empathy for the person even in not agreeing with the lifestyle…..Hold your head up high Mark Green…what doors God has opened….no man will close.
Putting people in jeopardy of their lives — by, say, forcing female-presenting transgender individuals to use a men’s bathroom — is not “showing empathy” for a person. It’s targeting people.
I have no problems with Christians serving in high positions — I have problems with *bigots* serving in high positions who base their bigotry on religious viewpoints.
@Steven Schwartz
That’s nonsensical. It does not put anyone “in jeopardy of their lives” to say men should use the men’s room and women the women’s. Hyperbole does not befit you.
You’re free to disapprove of his government service based on your intolerance of his beliefs. Just realize that such intolerance is often called…bigotry.
Mark Green is a fine man and what we need serving our country during these trying times. We need Christian morals and concepts.
Oh this is sad on so many levels. One one level is the blatant lie that gays oppse Green because he is a Christian.Green has made comments and proposed legislation which would discriminate against gays.
@a.McEwen
“Making comments” does not discriminate. Legislation that prohibits the government from discriminating against businesses based on that business’s policies does not discriminate.
Might want to look up that word you’re using.
@a.McEwen,
Because Green opposes policies that are not palatable for homosexuals, do you believe that he is not fit to serve as the next Secretary of the Army?
The Bible condemns the practice of homosexual perversion. This does not mean that God is not love. God is love, so His word must warn His elect to not be deceived (1 Cor. 6:9-10), and His word must warn the wicked about His coming judgment (Is 66:24). I pray that you will not be deceived either. Flee from sexual immorality, and repent. This is your only hope.
Why does JD always have to use the same argument… Oh right, you have a closed mind to the world and the people who are living in it. The, “bathroom bills” are only one thing, discrimination against trans people. To attempt to keep them invisible and to not be able to participate in life. Bigly sad if this is what a true leader feels.
@Nancy Della Pia
The “same argument” that religious liberty is a human right protected by the US Constitution is timeless, and regrettably bears repeating.
It is sane, normal, and reasonable to expect that a man use the men’s facilities, and a woman the women’s. The day that legally becomes “closed minded” will mark the death of common sense.
Dr. Green has personally cared for homosexuals as a physician. He does so without judgement or prejudice, the same as he does with any other patient.
As a politician, he represented us here in Tennessee and presented legislation and voted for us, not as he personally viewed the issue, admittedly it was probably most of the time.
Dr. Green is also pro-gun. Should those who are anti-gun protest a Secretary of the Army because he believes in the 2nd Amendment?
As Secretary of the Army, there are few politicians out there who are Veterans, and influential enough to stand up for the military and Veterans.
Personally, I’d rather see Mark Green as Governor of our fine State. But as Secretary of the Army, I am certain he will continue to serve his Country well
@JD I see you trying to play the “you’re just as bad because you don’t tolerate my intolerance!” card. :) Here’s a clue for you: there are reasons it is considered, by and large, acceptable to discriminate between people, and reasons it is not.
For example, a SecDef who was as blatantly racist as Green is homophobic would never even be considered.
Similarly, a PoC SecDef who did not express tolerance and support for racism in the ranks would not be chastised.
I know you’re going to argue that racism isn’t like homophobia. Of course, given that, say, the reason the Southern Baptists split off was because of their religious support of slavery, it’s nowhere near as clear as you’d like to make it; it’s not as if there aren’t people citing religious backing for their racism — which is unacceptable, I *hope* you’d agree.
” Mainstream advocates of “protective” bathroom bills have explicitly said they are trying to prevent those who would take advantage of the “choose your own adventure” bathroom to gain (legal) access to the other bathroom.”
And *there* is the strawman. My point is that such cases are so rare that most people can’t cite even one — while there is *obvious* risk and harm in sending someone who is male-genitaled but female-dressed into a men’s restroom, and demonstrated danger when someone who is merely butch in *appearance* can get harassed as being a “man” in a women’s restroom, to the point of police being called on them.
(Here are some figures: https://mic.com/articles/114066/statistics-show-exactly-how-many-times-trans-people-have-attacked-you-in-bathrooms#.T78gVaSFB. If you don’t like the source, do feel free to provide your own citations.)
” Green said the same thing when he referred to a woman being forced to have a man legally walk into her bathroom — he said nothing about sexuality.”
Green, by phrasing it that way, simply denied the existence of transgender individuals entirely — which is hardly an improvement.
“That’s nonsensical. It does not put anyone “in jeopardy of their lives” to say men should use the men’s room and women the women’s. Hyperbole does not befit you.”
I wish it were hyperbole. Many states allow a “trans panic” defense in cases of murder — it’s been used more than once — and given the fearmongering of public officials around bathroom bills, it’s no joke to say that people are at risk — the trans people.
I don’t know how many actual trans folk you know — my guess is few, based upon your misunderstandings, but you never know — but if you know any, *ask them* about the difficulties of going out in public because of these bathroom issues, just as an example.
To quote: “…and the people who do wrong are crushed. Evil is crushed.”
Given that he doesn’t acknowledge trans people at all, as far as I can tell, he’s saying that going into a bathroom that isn’t designated for your genitals is evil. And the people who do wrong by doing so?
If someone stated that fundamentalist Christianity* was evil, and needed to be crushed, I’d argue they shouldn’t be SecDef. The same holds true for someone who doesn’t believe that transgender folk exist.
*I make the distinction because people here appear to be intent on playing “We’re the only real Christians”
He was not in the Special Forces. He served in Special Operations Forces (SOAR) as an enabler. Words matter.
@DOL
You are correct. On both counts. Edited for clarity.
These people who argue in favor of these so-called “bathroom protection” statutes, regardless of their religious orientation, clearly have no knowledge of the transgender community and its issues. The advocates of such measures have clearly not even thought about, in a logical manner, what the consequences of said legislation would mean. Think for a minute. I’d love to see a dad explain to his young son why this mtf individual with breasts, long hair and wearing women’s attire is using the men’s room. Likewise, I’d love to see a mom explain to her daughter why this ftm individual with facial hair, burly frame and wearing men’s attire is in the ladies’ room. The logic that these advocates for such anti-LGBTQ measures is completely nonsensical.
The persons who truly are at risk in these situations are the trans men and women being forced to use the public facilties that correspond to their DNA but not their gender identity.
Frankly these bills really have nothing to do with the underlying issue. They are the outcome of a backlash from the bigoted religious right in the wake of the SCOTUS affirmation of marriage equality in 2015. Transgender men and women have been using their appropriate public bathrooms without incident for decades.
All life experiences in our present day should reflect what the Bible says. The Bible was wrote by man, but the words were given to them by His Holy Spirit. We’ve all been alive less than 100 years, it’s very sad to see our world turning our backs on the Bible which was wrote 2,000 years ago for our own good to live and set boundaries by. People want an instructional manual for life, well I’m here to tell you we have one, the Bible! Dr. Green is only living his life according to God’s instructions. Of course most people are going to defy it; you have to ask, “Lord please have your Holy Spirit reveal to me what Your word means, for my earthly mind does not understand.” When you ask you shall receive and also ask for patience and time to understand. Read devotions and go to a small group of Christians for any answers. People who call themselves Christians are no different than people who call themselves gay, lesbian, transgender, etc. We’re all human, God doesn’t love the Christians any different then the LGBT humans, as we are all born into the same world as his children. He loves us, the only thing that seperates us from him is our sin. Hate the sin, not the sinner. Christians know when they sin, they repent all the time, but if you’re unaware that your ways are sinful just ask a bible based organization or individual and they can more than likely give you the direction you’re seeking. My coworkers are gay, I know where they stand and they know where I stand on my values. I love them like Jesus does and would if he were here in person. Dr. Green is only here to shed the light, and when you’ve been in a dark room for the night and someone opens the curtains in the bright early morning your bound to get upset, maybe yell, throw things, have a temper tantrum. When we as sinners are gradually introduced to the light in a loving compassionate way, we gravitate to the adjustment better. Dr. Green being a true Christian will have empathy towards all sinners, but will not stand by it because he is doing the Lord’s will on Earth, which is pretty much every Christian’s job while we have this small amount of time borrowed to us. It’s worth the fight good vs evil, because the eternal heavens that lay ahead of us soon are far more important than are finite minds could ever fathom. Peace be with us, love your neighbor as yourself, if you see a need fill a need. The Bible is where I began, and I pray daily for all who are misled including myself. This is not a fairy tale, but only a test. What will you do with your time…
@ JD:
‘It is sane, normal, and reasonable to expect that a man use the men’s facilities, and a woman the women’s.’
Sounds like you’re scared by anything beyond black vs white or right vs wrong, JD.
Could it be that you are scared by part of what you intimately are?
It is noteworthy that your hero Green talks about about protecting women from transgenders entering their bathroom but doesn’t extend the same concern to men.
@christina
Ah, the familiar tripe that to disagree with something, or to believe something to be wrong, is, ipso facto, to fear it.
Never gets old.
“‘It is sane, normal, and reasonable to expect that a man use the men’s facilities, and a woman the women’s.’”
Indeed, this statement is true; it’s just that JD has a very narrow, specific, and incomplete definition of “man” and “woman”.
I am reminded of the many pictures of bearded trans men asking if the GOP really wants them in women’s bathrooms. :)
Of course, what the real goal of the “bathroom bills” is is to make being transgender in public space as hard as possible, in an effort to suppress it altogether. But no one wants to admit that, because it’s bigoted.