From the June 28 edition of CNN’s New Day:
Watch The Catholic League’s Bill Donohue Demand “An Apology From Gays”
Written by Media Matters Staff
Published
CHRIS CUOMO (HOST): Do you feel like apologizing to the LGBT community?
BILL DONOHUE: No. As a matter of fact, I want an apology from gays. I've been assaulted by gays. I've never assaulted a gay person in my entire life.
CUOMO: You blame all gays?
DONOHUE: No. I blame the people who are at a parade, a protest parade, who watched me be assaulted by lesbians. See, see, the other thing is this. I want to correct something because CNN is factually wrong.
CUOMO: How so?
DONOHUE: And so is today's New York Times.
CUOMO: How so?
DONOHUE: Because they said that the Pope said that the Church said that we have to apologize. He said Christians. He said, this is a direct quote on the plane with Cindy Wooden, he said “the Church is holy and we are sinners. Christians are sinners.” Now, if a Catholic or Protestant or Jew or Muslim has offended a gay person or anybody, of course they should apologize. But the idea of a blanket apology because you're a member of some demographic group, I mean I don’t know, what Church teaching is it that you have a problem with, that maybe the Church should apologize for?
CUOMO: Well, one, it's refreshing to hear you refer to LGBT people as a demographic group. Often you only see gays as the behavior, as if it wasn’t who they are, it's what they do. But just to be accurate, “I believe that the Church not only should apologize like that Marxist Cardinal said,” and then he laughs, “and not only should apologize to this person who is gay whom it has offended but has to apologize to the poor, to exploited women, to children exploited for labor, it has to ask forgiveness for having blessed many weapons.” That's what the Pope said. Let's discuss why you are resistant to it. You're not going to win on the language. But it's your resistance to the idea --
DONOHUE: He said the Church is holy and we are sinners. He -- that's in there. He made it very clear. He’s isn’t talking about the Church’s teachings
CUOMO: He said the Church should apologize. It's not about the teachings. That's why I brought you here today. And I'm happy you took the opportunity. Love, mercy. That's what Pope Francis says. He doesn't say that the rules have changed. He says that your intentions should change. That Bill Donahue, as the head of the Catholic League, should be out there fighting for the poor, should be fighting for things that are good and not spending so much time fighting to keep gays from getting married.
Related:
Reuters: Pope Says Church Should Ask Forgiveness From Gays For Past Treatment
Previously:
Watch Bill Donohue's Anti-Gay Demagoguery Fall Apart Under Scrutiny
Watch As CNN's Cuomo Calls Out Bill Donohue's Homophobic, Anti-Semitic Smears
Catholic League Fine With Rush Limbaugh's Attack On Pope Francis