Gay Rights Advocates & Environmentalists Are Called Terrorist Threats

Posted by Guest Blogger at 4:51 AM on May 29, 2007.

This post originally appeared on Majikthise

The Alabama Department of Homeland Security classified gay rights groups and environmentalists as potential terrorist threats:

The Alabama Department of Homeland Security has taken down a webpage that listed environmental, anti-war, and gay rights groups as possible terrorists, according to a report from the Associated Press.

"The director of the department, Jim Walker, said his agency received a number of calls and e-mails from people who said they felt the site unfairly targeted certain people just because of their beliefs," the AP reported. "He said he plans to put the Web site back on the Internet, but will no longer identify specific types of groups."

The site described the various groups as "single-issue terrorists" who include "people who feel they are trying to create a better world." [Raw Story]

The DHS took down the page, but the content lives on in Google's cache:

Single issue extremists are generally:

*Focused on fixing the "wrongs"

*Fastest growing, most significant threat to at least certain segments of our communities *Willing to do anything for their cause including breaking the law (not excluding murder)

Single issue extremists are not trying to fight a cheap war or overthrow our government. In fact, they feel that what they are doing is necessary for a better world.

Single issue extremists often focus on issues that are important to all of us. However, they have no problem crossing the line between legal protest and change and illegal acts, to include even murder, to succeed in their goals. In many communities, law enforcement officials feel that these groups offer the greatest organized threat to the community.

These radical elements are found in many of the following movements:

Environmentalists

Anti-genetic Activists (opposed to genetically altered crops)

Animal Rights

Pro-life

Anti-Nuclear

Anti-War

And Gay Rights Activists

Well, at least the violent pro-life fringe groups also made the list... Frankly, I'm glad the DHS is monitoring groups that espouse violence, regardless of their ideological agenda.

But what possible justification could DHS have for listing any known gay rights groups in the same company as Earth First tree spikers and clinic bombers?

Tagged as: environmentalists, gay rights, homeland security, alabama

Lindsay Beyerstein is a New York-based photojournalist and national correspondent for Raw Story. Her work has appeared in TIME, Salon, AlterNet, and other publications. She blogs at Majikthise.