Prominent Congressman refers to Justice Scalia as ‘that homophobe’

Washington D.C., Mar 23, 2009 / 16:13 pm

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) in a Friday interview called U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia a “homophobe,” criticizing his likely support for the Defense of Marriage Act.

In an interview with a gay news site, Rep. Frank, himself a homosexual, discussed the Defense of Marriage Act which protected other states from being forced to recognize same-sex “marriages” contracted in states where the practice is recognized.

Rep. Frank said in the Friday interview that at some point the Defense of Marriage Act “is going to have to go to the United States Supreme Court.”

“I wouldn’t want it to go to the United States Supreme Court now because that homophobe Antonin Scalia has too many votes on this current court,” Rep. Frank said.

Opponents of homosexual politics are sometimes accused of “homophobia,” a supposed hatred or fear of homosexuals.

Justice Scalia opposed the majority decision in the 2003 Supreme Court case Lawrence v. Texas, which overturned state anti-sodomy laws.

He said the decision represented “a massive disruption of the current social order.”

A spokesman with the court told Fox News that it is very unlikely Justice Scalia would offer a response to Rep. Frank's remark. 

The Congressman, who is chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, in his interview added that he “absolutely” thinks President Barack Obama will reverse the U.S. military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy which bars open homosexuals from the armed forces. He further predicted that Congress will pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) which bans workplace discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation.