GLAAD Slams Kirk Cameron for Anti-Gay Comments; Supporters Cry Freedom of Speech

Kirk Cameron made headlines over the weekend after he appeared on CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight and called homosexuality unnatural and destructive. Cameron's comments were slammed by GLAAD and many celebrities, but the Evangelical Christian has also received an outpouring of support, particularly from those defending his freedom of speech.

The discussion began when Piers Morgan asked Kirk Cameron his opinion on heated social topics like abortion and gay marriage, and what he would tell his six children about the issues.

Cameron said that he would only instruct his children based on what is written in the Bible. Marriage is almost as old as dirt, and it was defined in the garden between Adam and Eve, Cameron told to Morgan. One man, one woman for life till death do you part. So I would never attempt to try to redefine marriage. And I don't think anyone else should either. So do I support the idea of gay marriage? No, I don't.

[Homosexuality is] unnatural... I think that it's detrimental, and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization, the 41-year-old said.

Cameron, former star of Growing Pains and active Evangelical Christian, received a swift rush of criticism for his comments. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) immediately called out the 41-year-old for his flagrantly bigoted statements.

Act now & retweet! Tell Kirk Cameron It's Time to Finally Grow Up glaad.org/wherearetheynow #WhereAreTheyNow #LGBT tweeted GLAAD. GLAAD went one step further and blasted Cameron on its official Web site.

In this interview, Kirk Cameron sounds even more dated than his 1980s TV character, said Herndon Graddick, Senior Director of Programs at GLAAD. Cameron is out of step with a growing majority of Americans, particularly people of faith who believe that their gay and lesbian brothers and sisters should be loved and accepted based on their character and not condemned because of their sexual orientation.

GLAAD also included information on the greater population's views on homosexuality and gay marriage. According to a new Field Poll released last week, 59 percent of California voters favored marriage for same-sex couples and only 34 percent opposed it. Five national polls conducted in 2011 also revealed that a majority of American citizens support marriage equality.

Statistics via GLAAD:

• A Quinnipiac University poll found that 59% of respondents oppose federal legislation that denies eligibility for federal benefits to gay and lesbian spouses.
• A Gallup poll showed 53% of respondents believed that marriages between lesbian and gay couples should be recognized by the law as valid.
• Public Religion Research Institute found that 51% support legal marriage for lesbian and gay couples.
• ABC News and the Washington Post found that 51% of respondents said they thought marriage equality should be legal, a 17 percentage-point increase from the 2006 polling results.
• CNN and the Opinion Research Corporation showed 51% of respondents were in favor of legal recognition for marriages for gay and lesbian couples.

Many celebrities spoke out in turn against Kirk Cameron's anti-gay statements.

Comedian Craig Ferguson tweeted: Rush makes me ashamed to be a middleaged [sic]white man and Kirk Cameron makes me ashamed to be a failed actor. We don't all think like that NoH8. Actress Debra Messing tweeted: I want to thank Piers Morgan for his response to what he wud say to HIS child if (s)he came out: 'Great, as long as you're happy.' Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson joked, The only unnatural thing about me being gay is that I had a crush on Kirk Cameron until about 24 hours ago.

However, despite the backlash, Kirk Cameron has also reportedly received a significant amount of support. The father of six has gotten thousands of emails and comments backing him, Cameron's representative told ABC News. Cameron is thankful for the thousands of emails and comments that he's received from those who value the freedom to express one's beliefs, the actor's rep said in an e-mail statement.

IBTimes wrote a piece on Kirk Cameron's controversial CNN interview when the news first went viral. That particular article has since garnered over 100 comments. A significant amount of those comments were in support of Kirk Cameron and his right to free speech.

If someone believes that homosexuality is wrong and UN-natural, what's wrong with that? If someone speaks their belief, does it mean they are speaking hatred[?] commented user KZinger.

Cameron, I really respect you for being honest and courageous... not many people under spotlight would be ready to give up their celebrity status for their religious beliefs.. and when knowing those beliefes [sic] come from the great creator... bless you! responded commenter Meemo113.

I don't understand why people assume that because someone doesn't agree with homosexuality, they hate homosexuals. Kirk was asked for his opinion and he gave it. As adults we should all be able to except the opinions of others without hating them, because our opinions may be different. The world is on a major attack of the Christian faith and that is the reason why this same question is asked to various Christians in the public eye. There are other faiths that agree that homosexuality is a sin, but they are not being asked this question on television, commented user reader Lesley.

What do you think about Kirk Cameron's comments? Leave your feedback below.