Bob Newhart To Headline For Hate Group

GLAAD's Jeremy Hooper reports that Bob Newhart will headline the convention of Legatus, a Catholic group which backs the "ex-gay" crackpots at NARTH and which declares that it is "non-negotiable" for any Catholic to vote for a candidate who backs same-sex marriage.

Yes, that's right: Beloved comedian Bob Newhart, who most recently won an Emmy for playing opposite openly gay Jim Parsons on The Big Bang Theory, is going to *headline* this organization's summit. The man so famous for his dry wit is lending his name and talents to an organization whose anti-LGBT agenda is anything but funny. And get this: Newhart is scheduled to appear alongside such noted anti-LGBT figures as the Catholic League's Bill Donohue and Rick "man on dog" Santorum. Yeah, it's going to be that kind of a night. Why in Larry, Darryl, and my other brother Darryl's name would Mr. Newhart, legendary TV star and one of the most genuinely well-liked people to ever appear before a film camera, sign up for such a gig?!

Here's what Legatus says about homosexuality:

There are many reasons why people suffer from SSA disorder. Some “discover” this tendency within them. Others grow into it through pursuits of pleasure or experimentation. Some use it to punish themselves or others. Whether the disorder has some deep, unknown roots over which one has virtually no control, or whether it’s a developed disorder resulting from bad choices, it leaves an individual disposed toward activities and a lifestyle that are dangerous — physically, emotionally and spiritually. Fortunately there is hope for those who suffer from the disorder. The National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality reports that significant numbers of homosexual persons have undergone treatment and had their sexual drives properly ordered.

Hooper hopes that Newhart is simply unaware of the nature of Legatus and that "this booking is the result of bad advice."