SBC Has Long, Sordid History of Hate and Discrimination
Delray Beach, FL — The LGBTQ advocacy group Truth Wins Out vehemently denounces today’s vote by the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) to actively seek the overturning of Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized same‑sex marriage nationwide. In reaffirming its wholehearted opposition to marriage equality, the SBC is formalizing what Truth Wins Out calls a “blatant assault on the dignity and families of LGBTQ Americans.”
“Today’s vote sends a destructive message—that the religious leadership of the SBC prefers denying equal rights to LGBTQ couples over recognizing their love and commitment,” said Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out. “Rather than accepting the progress recognized by the Supreme Court in Obergefell, they’re doubling down on bigotry under the guise of theology.”
This resolution — titled “On Restoring Moral Clarity through God’s Design for Gender, Marriage, and the Family” — not only targets same‑sex marriage but further seeks “the dismantling of any federal or state law that defies God’s design” for marriage, including the Respect for Marriage Act.
“If a member of the SBC opposes gay marriage, the obvious answer in a free, pluralistic society is don’t get one,” added TWO’s Besen. “Once again, the SBC is ramming its backward and bigoted beliefs down the throats of all Americans. Today, we endorse having the SBC’s tax-exempt status pulled for being a hate-house disguised as a religion.”
A Troubling Pattern of Subordination and Exclusion
In fact, the Southern Baptist Convention was founded in 1845 to defend slavery, breaking away from northern Baptists who opposed appointing slaveholders as missionaries. The denomination’s birth was rooted in the belief that the Bible sanctioned human bondage—a morally bankrupt position that laid the foundation for a legacy of using religion to justify systemic oppression.
While the SBC formally apologized for its racist origins in 1995, its continued targeting of women, LGBTQ people, and other marginalized communities shows how deeply embedded this authoritarian ideology remains. In the years since, the denomination has:
- Voted to have women “graciously submit.” The SBC formally affirmed that women are to “graciously submit” to male leadership—a phrase that veils a deeply patriarchal doctrine limiting women’s autonomy within the church.
- Backed “ex‑gay” ministries. The SBC has a long, troubling record of endorsing harmful “ex‑gay” therapy, promoting discredited and dangerous practices aimed at changing individuals’ sexual orientation.
- Driven out Jimmy Carter. Former President Jimmy Carter resigned his Tennessee Baptist church membership—and later left the SBC—because he felt they had become too extreme and discriminatory.
A convention of extremist and archaic ideas
Held in Dallas from June 8–11, the SBC’s annual meeting addressed a series of conservative resolutions, including efforts to ban pornography, sports betting, and now—crucially—to criminalize or restrict same‑sex marriage. That the resolution invoking God’s so‑called “design” for family life was introduced by Andrew T. Walker is no accident—the move echoes the 1985 conservative takeover of the SBC, a shift that reaffirmed the denomination’s suppressive doctrines
What makes this threat unprecedented is that delegates voted to call on lawmakers—not just state judges—to pursue legal reversals to marriage equality. In effect, the SBC has declared political war on gay and lesbian families.
Truth Wins Out is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that works to advance liberty and democracy, protect the rights of LGBTQ people and other minorities, combat religious extremism, and fight against the spread of disinformation.
Contact: Wayne Besen, Executive Director
Email: wbesen@truthwinsout.org