PhoboQuotable - Jonathan I. Katz

"What of those cursed with unnatural sexual desires? Must they forever suppress these desires? Yes, but this is hardly a unique fate. Almost everyone has desires which must be suppressed. Most men and women think adulterous thoughts fairly often, and find themselves attracted to members of the opposite sex to whom they are not married. Morality requires them to suppress these desires, and most do not commit adultery, though they feel lust in their hearts. Almost everyone, at one time or another, covets another's property. They do not steal. Many people feel great anger or intense hatred at some time in their lives. They do not kill. I am a homophobe, and proud." - Washington University (St. Louis) physics professor Jonathan I. Katz, from a ten year old essay in which he claims gays "poisoned the blood supply" so that "sodomites could feel good about themselves."

Katz is back in the news today because President Obama has named him to the team of five "extraordinarily intelligent scientists" assigned to clean up the Gulf oil spill. AmericaBlog wants Katz fired.

While we all agree that our country should use all of our best minds to resolve this catastrophe, it is difficult to believe that the Obama administration could not find anyone other than a man who proudly authored an essay titled "In Defense of Homophobia." This homophobe is not, as Energy Secretary Chu recently said, one "of our best scientific minds." He is a bigot who should not be elevated by the President of the United States as a representative of the best minds in America. President Obama would never appoint a "proud racist" or a "proud anti-Semite" to a panel of experts, and showcase him as one of the best minds in our country, and he shouldn't appoint a proud homophobe either. Please use this form to add your name to a public letter asking President Obama to fire Jonathan I. Katz. We expected better. We expect change.