Just one day after Phil Robertson's comments on homosexuality earned him an indefinite suspension from "Duck Dynasty," the reality show star has received a strong show of support from the governor of his state and others.
The A&E channel says "Duck Dynasty" patriarch Phil Robertson is off the show indefinitely after condemning gays as sinners in a magazine interview. (AP/The News-Star/Margaret Croft)
Louisiana Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal called it a "messed-up situation when Miley Cyrus gets a laugh, and Phil Robertson gets suspended."
“Phil Robertson and his family are great citizens of the state of Louisiana. The politically correct crowd is tolerant of all viewpoints, except those they disagree with." Jindal said in a statement. "I don’t agree with quite a bit of stuff I read in magazine interviews or see on TV. In fact, come to think of it, I find a good bit of it offensive. But I also acknowledge that this is a free country and everyone is entitled to express their views. In fact, I remember when TV networks believed in the First Amendment. It is a messed up situation when Miley Cyrus gets a laugh, and Phil Robertson gets suspended."
Robertson told GQ Magazine in an interview that he didn't understand why someone would choose to have sex with a man instead of a woman.
“It seems like, to me, a vagina—as a man—would be more desirable than a man’s anus. That’s just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey, sin: It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical,” Robertson said.
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin also jumped in to defend the Robertson family patriarch, saying on Twitter that "free speech is (an) endangered species."
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Other Robertson supporters have taken to social media to call for a boycott of network A&E, using the Twitter hashtag #ISupportPhil.
[blackbirdpie url="https://twitter.com/casadezach/status/413674629438656512"]
[blackbirdpie url="https://twitter.com/jgoldies3/status/413674752947929090"]
[blackbirdpie url="https://twitter.com/traviscphillips/status/413674075639123968"]
[blackbirdpie url="https://twitter.com/AshleyCossin/status/413661842892800000"]
A new "Stand With Phil" Twitter account had more than 700 followers as of Thursday morning.
You can see more tweets below [Note: This is an auto-populated list -- any tweets sent out wit the #IStandWithPhil hashtag will show up and TheBlaze has no control over content. Discretion is advised]:
Tweets about "#IStandWithPhil"
Despite the support, many others also speaking out against Robertson.
MSNBC's Twitter account referred to his comments as "homophobic."
[blackbirdpie url="https://twitter.com/msnbc/status/413486353893322752"]
Others called Robertson a "racist," with one Twitter user writing, "I don't know why anyone's even surprised Phil Robertson turned out to be racist. Of course he's racist. Look at him."
[blackbirdpie url="https://twitter.com/butdiontho/status/413670490712969216"]
Gay rights group GLAAD said Robertson's comments were unacceptable.
[blackbirdpie url="https://twitter.com/glaad/status/413482198268780544"]
"Phil and his family claim to be Christian, but Phil's lies about an entire community fly in the face of what true Christians believe. He clearly knows nothing about gay people or the majority of Louisianans — and Americans — who support legal recognition for loving and committed gay and lesbian couples," GLAAD spokesman Wilson Cruz said in a statement.
But that didn't stop Glenn Beck on his radio program from offering to host "Duck Dynasty" on TheBlaze TV if A&E doesn't keep the show. That offer even led to its own hashtag:
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