RALEIGH, N.C. — An anti-LGBT pastor known for his advocacy against LGBT equality and marriage went on the attack against an openly gay judicial candidate at a press conference Thursday hosted by North Carolina Republican House Majority Leader Paul Stam.
The candidate, who could become the first openly LGBT person elected statewide, said he is outraged by the comments.
Pastor Johnny Hunter of Cliffdale Community Church in Fayetteville, N.C., said Judge John Arrowood should drop out of his race for the North Carolina Court of Appeals, saying openly LGBT people should not serve on state courts.
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“I understand there’s a judge out there that’s a flaming homosexual who’s going to be running,” Hunter said, with Stam and another anti-LGBT pastor, Patrick Wooden of Upper Room Church of God in Christ of Raleigh, standing at his side in the General Assembly’s press conference room.
“I hope he just steps out of the race, because he is already stepping in with bias, and we know why he is running,” Hunter added. “I’m saying he worked with [Equality North Carolina], fought against the marriage thing, bravely let everybody know, yes, he’s a homosexual, and now he is running for one of the judgeships. I say he should step down because he’s already biased.”
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Hunter added: “Why would I put a Klansman in charge of civil rights? Why would I put a person who fought with an organization against the marriage amendment as a judge who will be deciding cases that has an affect on it?”
Arrowood, who served from 2007-2008 on the Court of Appeals and is seeking a return to the bench, told qnotes he didn’t feel it was necessary to respond directly to Hunter’s anti-gay slur.
“I don’t want to dignify their accusations with anymore comments,” he said.
