AFA: Will Phillips as Pride Marshal Is Child Abuse

The antigay American Family Association is slamming Fayetteville, Ark., mayor Lioneld Jordan for the decision to honor 10-year-old gay rights activist Will Phillips as a gay pride parade grand marshal this Saturday. AFA president Tim Wildmon called the move a "form of child abuse."

According to the Fayetteville Flyer, Mayor Jordan has said the Northwest Arkansas Gay Pride Parade will proceed as planned, despite more than 300 e-mails received Wednesday afternoon by opponents, most of them from outside town, prodded into action by AFA.

"Most of the messages included identical body copy which came pre-loaded in an online action form set up by the American Family Association," reported the Flyer. "Nearly all of them began with the statement, 'I am shocked to learn that the city of Fayetteville is issuing a proclamation in support of the homosexual activist group, Northwest Arkansas Pride.'"

The AFA issued a press release Wednesday criticizing the mayor for hosting Phillips, who rose to prominence last year when he refused to recite the Pledge of Allegiance until LGBT people have full equality.

"It's shameful that adults would abuse a brain-washed child in this way," said AFA president Wildmon. "He's obviously just parroting the nonsense he's been told by manipulative adults.For gay activists to trot out this child and make him the poster child for promoting unnatural sexual expression is a form of child abuse."