Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has defended Phil Robertson from "Duck Dynasty" after he was slammed by Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation for his comments on homosexuality in GQ Magazine's January issue, NBC.com reported.
Robertson, who was removed indefinitely from the hit A&E television show on Wednesday, was praised by Jindal, among others, for him and his family being "great citizens," and criticized a "politically correct crowd" of trampling his First Amendment rights, according to NBC.
"I don't agree with quite a bit of stuff I read in magazine interviews or see on TV. In fact, come to think of it, I find a good bit of it offensive," Jindal said, according to NBC, "but I also acknowledge that this is a free country and everyone is entitled to express their views. In fact, I remember when TV networks believed in the First Amendment. It is a messed up situation when Miley Cyrus gets a laugh, and Phil Robertson gets suspended."
Other conservative Christians claim he is being punished for expressing his religious beliefs about homoesexuality, NBC reported.
After GLAAD, one of the top LGBT advocacy groups, released a statement calling Robertson's comments "vile and extreme," and stated they are "littered with outdated stereotypes and blatant misinformation," A&E Networks said in a statement that Robertson's views "in no way reflect those of A&E Networks, who have always been strong supporters and champions of the LGBT community," according to NBC.
Sarah Palin also showed support for Robertson when she wrote in a Facebook post: "Free speech is an endangered species. Those "intolerants" hatin' and taking on the Duck Dynasty patriarch for voicing his personal opinion are taking on all of us."
Another Robertson ally, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who earlier this year acted out a 21-hour filibuster, also took to Facebook saying Americans should be "deeply dismayed" about the patriarch's treatment for voicing his opinion.
"Phil expressed his personal views and his own religious faith; for that, he was suspended from his job," he said. "In a free society, anyone is free to disagree with him--but the mainstream media should not behave as the thought police censoring the views with which they disagree."
He continued: "And, as PC [politically correct] enforcers often forget, tolerance is a two-way street. Here's what Phil himself had to say about accepting and loving."
