“Snipers Take Note”…Lesbian Pam Spaulding’s Website Posts Violent Threat against LaBarbera

The following news release was issued this morning by Concerned Women for America. Needless to say, neither I nor Americans For Truth will be intimidated by such hateful threats, but we ask you: imagine if the situation were reversed and a Christian leader allowed a web post threatening violence against a homosexual activist spokesman to remain live and active on a “pro-family” for weeks on end. In addition to facing potential “hate crimes” prosecution, he’d surely be ostracized in the pro-family and faith communities. And rightly so.

At the time of this writing, the link advocating and justifying violence against me remained live on lesbian Pam Spaulding’s site [Spaulding has removed the posts from her blog, and said in a letter to me that she was unaware that the thread of posts advocating violence were there]. Please pray for Spaulding, “Barry Wick,” and all those whose embrace of homosexuality has led them to be consumed by hatred toward Christians and others who defend natural sexuality and marriage. — Peter LaBarbera

CWA: Pro-Family Leader’s Life Threatened on “Gay” Web Site

Lesbian activist Pam Spaulding’s popular weblog Pam’s House Blend is known for its outrageous and controversial content. In addition to promoting anti-Christian bigotry, the North Carolina-based Web activist’s favorite pastime appears to be smearing pro-family leader and Americans for Truth president Peter LaBarbera with bizarre and hateful accusations and insults. However, House Blend’s typically intolerant and obscene content may have recently shifted from the absurd to the criminally violent.

In what was, at the very least, an apparent attempt to intimidate and frighten LaBarbera, who is married with children, “House Blend” published his home address in a January 13, 2007, thread titled, “Saturday this and that.” Shortly thereafter, someone identified as “Barry G. Wick” posted the following comments: “It’s across from a park in an area with cul de sacs. I’d bet it’s a residence … and across from a park. Snipers take note.” (emphasis ours)

“Wick” later seemed to suggest that shooting LaBarbera would amount to an act of self-defense: “Self-defense for gay folks isn’t PC, is it? No, we have to be sure that we’re victims all the time. … When we start standing up for ourselves, we lose all the status of an under class. I refuse to be part of an underclass. I’m equal. And I’m gonna use any language, even outrageous language, to get my point across. … I’m a citizen … equal, proud, and willing to defend my way of life with my life. …”

Later in the same thread “Wick” made his true intent clear: “If I were Azerbaijani and living in Russia right now, I’d want to advocate violence against skinheads … [LaBarbera] and others like him ought to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what future awaits them from a cadre of selected defenders willing to give up everything in order to protect the lives of gay and lesbian citizens. The greatest thing ever to happen to the [Martin Luther King] movement was the Black Panthers. Americans were shocked by an open display of firearms and Black Pride … Pushing back verbally … or with selected action isn’t dishonorable, it’s necessary.”

LaBarbera indicated that he has been in touch with both the FBI and the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office. He’s anticipating a full criminal investigation. “I’m a big boy. It’s not so much that I’m worried about myself,” said LaBarbera, “but the effect this could have on my wife and children … that has me extremely upset.”

Concerned Women for America is deeply disturbed by this apparent threat to Peter LaBarbera’s life. Matt Barber, CWA’s Policy Director for Cultural Issues said, “This is nothing short of cyber-terrorism. There should be a thorough criminal investigation, and if it’s determined that a crime has occurred, the perpetrators should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.” As of the time of this press release [Tuesday morning, Feb. 7], the thread in question was still posted on Spaulding’s website.