derick dillard, Duggar husband, and former reality star has stepped in it again. He's weighing in again on LGBT rights -- beginning with the very right to exist. Dillard has had input on this topic before, but this time, he actually shared a tweet defining simply being gay as separate or different from what he calls "other sins."
LGBT rights
Dillard has tweeted before about his views on LGBT acceptance. These views have included an assertion that acceptance of transgender boys into the Boy Scouts is a sad thing and invited them to go to his church.
Mixed messages
There are a lot of different views of LGBT rights within Christianity, and the Duggar husband has expressed a few different ones. Though he promised to accept LGBTQ visitors to his church and not try to change them, his church also invited a pray-the-gay-away group the same week.
Sometimes Christians who consider simply being LGBTQ a sin, but want to appear accepting, will say something like, "Don't judge others just because they sin differently from you." They might otherwise express that they believe being gay is a sin, but that they believe everyone is a sinner, and that being gay isn't different or worse.
This time, though, Derick didn't take a position even as moderate as that one.
Instead, he shared an offensive anti-gay post from the website Desiring God, which called mere existence as a gay person "different" from other sins.
"Homosexual practice is different from other sins — not because it’s worse, but because it’s celebrated."
Jazz Jennings
Derick tweeted extensively about Jazz Jennings, a transgender girl who also has a reality show on TLC, repeatedly misgendering her, but saying he felt sorry for her.
Derick called transgender people a myth and said Jazz was being exploited.
Claims of acceptance
Derick Dillard has tweeted to assert that if one of his children ever came out as gay, bisexual, or transgender, he would love them just the same. However, he went on to add that he would take the opportunity to teach the kid about Jesus Christ.
While Derick Dillard may consider this acceptance and love, many LGBTQ people would consider it an invasive attempt to change them.
Loving and accepting LGBTQ people
The CDC reports that LGBTQ suicide rates decrease and mental health improves when individuals are accepted and supported. Rejection, particularly by parents, is associated with depression, drug and alcohol abuse, and sexual health risks.
Derick Dillard may tweet about accepting and loving people for who they are, but data shows that telling people their mere existence is a sin isn't healthy or helpful.
