He said gays stole the rainbow from God. Big mistake.
Cultural appropriation is still a genuinely difficult and hurtful part of society, and one that we’re in the process of challenging.
And that includes people who use it incorrectly to support hateful statements.
Take, for instance, Christian radio host Bryan Fischer, who yesterday tweeted that “LGBTs stole the rainbow from god,” adding that it was the “worst example of cultural appropriation ever”.
He then quoted a Bible verse in which God – after wiping out almost all humans in a global flood – shines a rainbow down as a promise not to end the world again.
“Give it back,” he ends, plaintively and pointlessly.
Worst example of cultural appropriation ever: LGBTs stole the rainbow from God. It’s his. He invented it. Gen. 9:11-17. Give it back.
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanJFischer) April 2, 2017
Fischer, who regularly calls respected media outlets “Talking Snake Media,” has form for making deeply homophobic comments.
In the opening two days of April, he has tweeted that “when the Supreme Court said sodomy is normal and not deviant behaviour, it opened the door to bestiality.”
He then followed that up with another tweet, saying: “Not only is homosexuality a sin, approving of it is too.”
In the past, Fischer has said gay people are “literally” Nazi stormtroopers, compared homosexuality to necrophilia, and blamed gay people for the Holocaust and floods in Texas.
But it was his tweet about rainbows, which broke the mould of generic homophobic comments, that attracted the wrath – and laughter – of other Twitter users.
Perhaps it was because the creator of the rainbow flag, Gilbert Baker, died just a few days ago, that people tore him apart.
Some pointed out the scientific dubiousness of his comment.
@BryanJFischer oh no, the loathsome gays, they’re hoarding all the light refracted through water vapor in the entire world!!!
— Nate Bethea (@inthesedeserts) April 2, 2017
@BryanJFischer Also: Phoenix Suns stole god’s sun!
Tampa Bay Lightning stole lightning!
Oklahoma City Thunder stole Thunder!omg when will the horror stop
— Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) April 2, 2017
@FairyInaBox @BryanJFischer The LGBTQ community stole light refraction and dispersion omg ??
— Catherine Cavender (@cat_apult) April 3, 2017
@inthesedeserts @BryanJFischer How do we know that they’re not just stealing all of the water?
— Brandon ?? (@HiimBrandonK) April 2, 2017
Others thought that he *might* be forgetting his history.
@BryanJFischer The OT rainbow was a promise of love for all. The community’s use of it is not only in perfect context, it shows your confounded ignorance.
— Brian Wayne Foster (@BrianWFoster) April 2, 2017
@BryanJFischer Christians stole God from the Jews. He’s theirs. Torah. Give him back.
— Michael Mussman (@faircopy) April 2, 2017
And some just made fun of him.
On behalf of the late Gilbert Baker, let’s give @BryanJFischer back some of the stolen rainbows he so desperately wants returned. pic.twitter.com/2FxI2gttyt
— Zelda Williams (@zeldawilliams) April 2, 2017
Here ya go. @BryanJFischer pic.twitter.com/LT6asfSM2Y
— Laura Leigh Abby (@lauraleighabby) April 3, 2017
You caught me @BryanJFischer pic.twitter.com/R5cEYU69lz
— Gaypril Fools’ Dad (@ChrisDStedman) April 2, 2017
@BryanJFischer Nope, sorry. No rainbows for straight people any more. You just get drizzle from now on. Sorry, not sorry. Xx
— Tom Coates (@tomcoates) April 2, 2017