FRC Appoints Islamophobic Ex-General as Executive VP
The Family Research Council (FRC), an anti-gay hate group that claims LGBT rights advocates want to 鈥渞ecognize pedophiles as the 鈥榩rophets鈥� of a new sexual order,鈥� announced on Friday the appointment of retired Lt. Gen. William 鈥淛erry鈥� Boykin as its new executive vice president.
The press release accurately describes Boykin as a veteran who spent 36 years in the Army, serving in the elite Delta Force and, later, as deputy undersecretary of defense and intelligence in Donald Rumsfeld鈥檚 Pentagon.
What it does not mention, however, is Boykin鈥檚 troubled history of making聽 damaging, controversial statements; his work as a radical anti-Muslim propagandist; or his close involvement with the New Apostolic Reformation, a theocratic evangelical movement that believes demons control LGBT people, Catholics, Muslims and freemasons.
Boykin, who in 2011 said Muslims do not have First Amendment rights because Islam 鈥渋s not just a religion, it is a totalitarian way of life,鈥� became the subject of international criticism in 2003 when it came out that he had given a series of speeches at religious events, wearing full military dress, in which he said the United States was fighting 鈥淪atan鈥� in the Middle East and insisted his God was stronger than that of his enemies. At some events, he presented a slideshow featuring a photo he had taken depicting black patches in the sky over Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. 鈥淲hether you understand it or not, it is a demonic spirit over the city of Mogadishu,鈥� he reportedly . 鈥淟adies and gentlemen, that's not a fake, that's not a farce.鈥�
A Defense Department investigation later found he had violated several regulations in these speeches, and President George W. Bush went out of his way to say they didn鈥檛 鈥渞eflect my point of view.鈥�
Around the same time, Boykin was leading a secret operation to 鈥淕itmoize鈥� an Iraqi prison called Abu Ghraib, whose harsh and humiliating interrogation techniques would later become one of the worst of the Iraq war.
Boykin, 65, is deeply involved with the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), an evangelical movement that seeks to unite Protestants, vanquish demons and evangelize the planet. He helped NAR 鈥淎postle鈥� organize last鈥檚 year鈥檚 anti-Muslim and is board member of the , NAR鈥檚 most explicitly sociopolitical arm.
He also devotes much of his time to spreading anti-Muslim and anti-gay hate at both religious and secular venues. He鈥檚 been a featured guest on various radio and TV talk shows hosted by the paranoid hysteric Glenn Beck, the American Family Association鈥檚 , and gay-basher James Dobson, formerly of Focus on the Family. In 2010, he co-authored with and others an anti-Muslim screed claiming that Muslim Brotherhood agents were poised to overthrow the Constitution and establish a caliphate under Islamic Shariah law.
Boykin has also worked closely with FRC, which has vigorously defended his anti-Muslim bigotry. According to FRC鈥檚 press release, "Boykin鈥檚 extensive military experience will provide [FRC] with greater expertise to address social issues in the military.鈥�
Since the repeal of Don鈥檛 Ask, Don鈥檛 Tell, FRC has been with the issue of LGBT people in the military, which it describes as a threat to national security and an assault on religious freedom. 鈥淭he American military exists for only one purpose 鈥� to fight and win wars. Yet it has now been hijacked and turned into a tool for imposing on the country a radical social agenda,鈥� FRC President Tony Perkins said when the law was repealed. 鈥淭his may advance the cause of reshaping social attitudes regarding human sexuality, but it will only do harm to the military鈥檚 ability to fulfill its mission.鈥�
