When Anti-Gay Groups Target Killer Whales

Chances are you've heard about the fatal accident that happened at SeaWorld last week, where a trainer was pulled underwater by a killer whale named Tilly. It's a pretty sad incident all around, renewing the debate over whether it's wise to put killer whales in captivity.

Of course, when it comes to that debate, don't expect any rational answers from the American Family Association (AFA). The AFA has a really long history of fighting against gay rights, calling homosexuality repulsive and suggesting that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans should be criminally prosecuted simply on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. That's right, the AFA wants to send queer folks to jail, just for existing.

But if you think that's harsh, wait until you see what the AFA wants to do to Tilly the killer whale. The AFA's Bryan Fischer went on record yesterday quoting the book of Exodus in prescribing what SeaWorld authorities should do with the whale.

"So, your animal kills somebody, your moral responsibility is to put that animal to death," says Fischer, who notes that if you take the Bible at its word, you should stone the whale. Of course, you better be bringing a world record amount of stones with you, since Tilly weighs six tons AND lives underwater.

But beyond that, since this was the second incident involving Tilly where a person died, Fischer says that if you take the Bible literally, that not only means putting the whale to death, but all of Sea World's staff, too.

"The Scripture soberly warns, if one of your animals kills a second time because you didn't kill it after it claimed its first human victim, this time you die right along with your animal," says Fischer.

So Fischer not only wants to kill the whale in Jesus's name, but he wants to execute the entire staff of Sea World, too? My goodness, just when you think it's not possible to find folks more religiously crazy than, say, the Westboro Baptist Church, along comes the AFA.

Here's a novel idea: how about just setting the whale free? Isn't that what they did with the whale from Free Willy? And isn't that what groups like PETA are calling for now?

That would pretty much guarantee that no trainer is ever harmed again by this whale, and it would also give the whale a chance to adapt to life in the ocean, where it was probably supposed to live in the first place. Not to wade into the political debate over SeaWorld, but seriously, it just doesn't seem like killer whales were meant to be domesticated.

Perhaps the same can be said for Bryan Fischer and the rather Neanderthal folks at the AFA, too.

Photo credit: Stig Nygaard