Locals fight back at ‘not born this way’ billboard

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a pink background.

US hate groups have banded together to fund a billboard calling for ‘restraining orders’ against judges and politicians.

The electronic billboard has appeared in Detroit, Michigan, and declares “Homosexuality is a behaviour. Not a civil right.”

It also cycles between pictures of people of a variety of ethnicities, and says there were “born black” and “born Asian” but that gay people are “not born this way”.

It advertises the website “Restrain The Judges”, which urges people to send letters to judges and politicians – for a price, of course. For around $10 (£6.40) customers will have personalised letters sent to the Supreme Court judges, as well as the Senate leader and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Users can also choose to send the same letter, which suggests that any judge who rules on marriage issues should be restrained, to every single member of Congress and all the Supreme Court judges – for nearly $50 (£32).

The billboard is funded by hate groups such as Faith 2 Action and The American Family Association.

Local resident Ferman Smith, who is gay, told Click On Detroit he was “dumbfounded” when he saw the billboard. He said:  “That’s extremely upsetting to me, that somebody would go that far out of their way even though they know they’re going to offend a specific demographic or group.”

Mr Smith has set up a fundraiser to display a pro-gay billboard.

Last December, it emerged a billboard advocating “gay cure” therapy that purported to show a set of twins, was actually of one man – who is gay.

A church in the state of Georgia made the news this month for its sign declaring homosexuality a “death worthy offence”.