Aug. 11, Sen. Marco Rubio will address listeners at an event in Orlando that is backed in part by the virulently anti-gay Liberty Counsel. The event, “Rediscovering God in America Renewal Project” is being held at a hotel that is less than 10 miles from the site where Omar Mateen slaughtered 49 people at a popular gay club.
In a statement activist group Faith in America called on Rubio to back out of the conference saying, “It’s incredulous a Senator of [the] United States is willing to collude with individuals who are dedicated to oppressing LGBT people. The beliefs shared by this group actively harm LGBT people. This is not the America we want. God will not be found anywhere near that event.”
However, Rubio defended his appearance in a statement to the Tampa Bay Times, saying that characterization is false.
“The event I will be speaking at in Orlando is a gathering of local pastors and faith leaders. Leave it to the media and liberal activists to label a gathering of faith leaders as an anti-LGBT event. It is nothing of the sort. It is a celebration of faith,” he said.
The Southern Poverty Law Center classifies the Liberty Counsel as an extremist hate group.
