Tell Kirk Cameron It's Time to Finally Grow Up

Last night on CNN’s “Piers Morgan Tonight,” anti-gay actor and former teen idol Kirk Cameron spoke out against marriage equality as well as gay Americans.

Cameron described his personal bias against gay people by saying:

"I think that it's - it's - it's unnatural. I think that it's - it's detrimental, and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization."

Click here to tell Kirk Cameron that he’s no longer your idol.

“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.”

Piers Morgan disagreed with Cameron when asked what he would do if one of his kids came out. Morgan said: "If one of my sons [came out], I'd say 'that's great son, as long as you're happy.'"

Best known for his role as Mike Seaver on the 1980s television series "Growing Pains", Cameron also spoke out against marriage equality in the interview:

"Marriage is almost as old as dirt, and it was defined in the garden between Adam and Eve. 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," explains Cameron. "So do I support the idea of gay marriage? No, I don't."

Herndon Graddick of GLAAD responded:
“With an increasing number of states recognizing marriage equality, Americans are seeing that marriage is about committed couples who want to make a lifelong promise to take care of and be responsible for each other and that gay and lesbian couples need equal security and legal protections. That’s not ‘redefining’ anything,” said Graddick.

A new Field Poll released Wednesday found that 59% of California voters favored marriage for same-sex couples while only 34% opposed it. This comes after five 2011 national polls which found that a majority of Americans support marriage equality:

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.

GLAAD will be monitoring Cameron’s media bookings and roles with film and television studios to ensure the news and entertainment industry is aware of his outrageous anti-gay views.

Kirk Cameron joins former TV stars Victoria Jackson and Chuck Norris in desperately trying to remain in the public eye by using anti-LGBT rhetoric. Last year, Jackson described a kiss between ‘Glee’ characters Kurt and Blaine as ‘sickening’ and Norris wrote on anti-LGBT site WorldNet Daily that the public education system has devolved into "progressive indoctrination camps” that train students to “forcefully defend issues like abortion and homosexuality, as well as become cultural advocates for political correctness, relativism, globalization, green agendas and tolerance for all.”

Let’s remember that while these once relevant celebrities try to regain notoriety through advancing ignorance, Hollywood’s elite including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Kevin Bacon, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jane Lynch, and Martin Sheen are using their voices and popularity to move America closer to equality for everyone by participating in 8 the play this evening in Los Angeles. Watch the live stream here.

While Cameron is using his platform to speak out against gay people, his ‘Growing Pains’ co-stars including Leonardo Dicaprio, Brad Pitt and Hilary Swank have spoken out for LGBT equality and are enjoying critically successful careers. Joanna Kerns, who played Cameron’s mom on ‘Growing Pains’ also co-starred in the cult hit ‘All Over The Guy’ as the mother of a gay man.

Today’s teen idols are also standing up for equality in America. Aziz Ansari, Chris Colfer, Miley Cyrus, Hilary Duff, Dakota Fanning, Zac Efron, Josh Hutcherson, Kristen Stewart, and many more have all spoken out in support of LGBT people. Which teen idol who supports LGBT equality is your favorite? Post your thoughts below!

Additional Information

GLAAD's action concerning Kirk Cameron's anti-gay comments has sparked an important conversation about attitudes of people of faith, particularly Christians, about LGBT people. While some may believe that the only true attitude toward LGBT people is condemnation, it is patently not true. Christians have increasingly found scriptural and doctrinal support for LGBT people, including marriage equality.

"The need to take care of and be responsible for the person that you love is as true for biblical figures as it is for gay and lesbian couples seeking equal security and legal protections today," stated Ross Murray, GLAAD's Director of Religion, Faith & Values.

According to the Public Religion Research Institute, majorities of most religious groups, including Christian groups, favored granting gay and lesbian couples marriage equality. Clear support for marriage equality exists within a majority of Catholic and Protestant populations, with significant and growing support among other Christian groups. This demonstrates that comments like Cameron's are not within the mainstream of Christianity.

GLAAD is proud to work with several faith organizations that embrace and welcome LGBT people. Please visit any of the following organizations to learn more about their faithful support of LGBT people:
Gay Christian Network
Institute for Welcoming Resources
The Evangelical Network
Metropolitan Community Church
Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists
Dignity USA (Catholic)
Integrity (Episcopal)
Lutherans Concerned/North America
Reconciling Ministries Network (Methodist)
Room For All (Reformed Church in America)
Soulforce
The Fellowship
Unity Fellowship