Recently-suspended Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson defended the anti-gay remarks that got him suspended last week while leading his local church’s bible study group Sunday, saying “I am a lover of humanity, not a hater.”
Robertson incited a media hailstorm after likening “sins” of homosexuality with that of bestiality, swindling, excessive drinking, prostitution, and terrorism. On Sunday, Robertson noted that he has been making speeches on this subject matter for years, and isn’t going to stop, the Daily Mail reports.
“I will not give or back off from my path,” Robertson told his congregation at White’s Ferry Roach Church of Christ in West Monroe, Louisiana. “I am just reading what was written over 2000 years ago.”
While he was reprimanded by gay rights groups like GLAAD and by A&E, Robertson has also found support. Former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin tweeted that “free speech is an endangered species,” and West Monroe locals are also rallying behind Robertson.
“A&E reacted entirely too quickly,” Richard Laban, owner of Redneck Roots, told AP. “They really treated Phil as if he was a terrorist.”