Posted on 03/10/2007 12:48:25 PM PST by Ellesu
INDIANAPOLIS - Local and national gay-rights groups are questioning Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy's decision to appear at a fundraising banquet this month for a group backing a proposed state ban on same-sex marriage.
The Indiana Family Institute, a conservative Christian group affiliated with Focus on the Family, plans to honor Dungy on March 20 with its "Friend of the Family" award at a banquet in suburban Carmel.
The Indiana Family Institute has been a leading supporter of a proposed state constitutional amendment defining marriage as only between one man and one woman.
"I am a little disappointed in that I would think he would want to stay out of the political arena, and the family institute is a political organization," Kathy Sarris, president of the gay-rights advocacy group Indiana Equality Education Fund, told The Indianapolis Star for a story published Saturday.
Cyd Zeigler, co-founder of Outsports.com, an online sports publication geared toward gays, said the coach's willingness to appear at the banquet struck him as tantamount to endorsing its opposition to gay marriage.
"When you start helping groups like this raise money, it becomes problematic to me," Zeigler said. "Be very clear about this: Tony Dungy is raising money for this organization. He is the face of the event."
The $75-per-person event is expected to draw nearly 700 people and raise more than $50,000, The Indianapolis Star reported Saturday.
The Colts, who won the Super Bowl on Feb. 4, issued a statement saying it was unaware of any specific goals of the institute.
"Coach Dungy's feelings on the importance of marriage and family are well known," the statement said. "He, of course, is free to speak to any group he wishes. The club does not take positions in political issues in which it is not directly involved. The Colts do not endorse any political or religious position taken by any group that any Colts employee decides to speak or lend his or her name to."
Dungy's picture, in a Colts hat, has been prominently displayed on the institute's Web site touting the event. Dungy is expected to speak for 15 minutes or more upon receiving the award.
Institute President Curt Smith said he hasn't discussed public policy with Dungy and is unaware of the coach's views on the marriage amendment. He said it would be wrong to assume anything about Dungy's views on that issue.
"The goal of this award is to celebrate people who live out the family ethic that we think is essential to healthy families. You don't have to agree with us on all of our public policy issues," he said.
Previous institute award winners include Focus on the Family co-founder Shirley Dobson; U.S. Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind.; and former federal independent counsel Kenneth Starr.
Yes, that's the deal, and before long it will as illegal in America to utterly publicly any thoughts or opinions about homosexuality that are deemed less than wholly positive as it now is in Canada.
He won't bail. If it came down to a decision between the coaching position and his beliefs, he'd give up coaching...that's just my opinion, but I'm pretty sure that's what would happen. (and the Colts organization knows it too, so that won't make a case of it.)
I admire Tony Dungy, and after the Bengals, I always root for the Colts. The man has free speech in this country, and the GM of the team appears to also have solid family values. Tony Dungy doesn't have to support homosexual marriage if he doesn't wish. It doesn't seem right that one can barely speak freely anymore without the Gaystapo coming after you.
Your "WELL", thanks had a taint of sarcasm I thought. If it didn't, than please accept MY apology. And now, let's stop apologizing, ok? :)
I apologized and you accepted it. After that anything that transpired is based on you, not me. Okay?
Wow...you really are a bitch. I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt, and even tried to patch it up with humor, but you just HAD to show me and everyone else just who you are. Thank you. Now I know.
God be with him, that he can contend with his enemies in the "courts" (Psalm 127 v.5).
So Tony is a self claimed born again Christian, what's the big surprise?
Mr. Dungy, from a history of one stand up moment after another, routinely proves himself to be a good ol' boy. "Good guy" can be proved many ways. One way to argue Mr. Dungy must have it goin' on is to point to groups such as this that hate him.
It's a law of the universe, one can judge a man by the people he upsets most:
Tony Dungy makes the godless progressive left nuts.
Nice.
God bless him (and clone him;)
Please.
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