Today Ken Hutcherson testified against Washington’s marriage equality bill before the Washington state House Judiciary Committee. Hutcherson is a pastor at Antioch Bible Church outside Seattle, Washington.

We can all be grateful for Pastor Hutcherson coming forward to testify because, as the official spokesperson for the coalition opposing Washington’s marriage equality bill, he helps the public understand what sort of people are working so strenuously to oppose legal protections for all of Washington’s families.

Here’s an excerpt of his testimony. Update: Video of his full testimony is below the fold.

I was born and raised in Alabama where blacks and whites didn’t get along very well, and I tried being one of the main reasons they didn’t. I was extremely discriminatory towards whites. The only reason I played football so I could hurt white people legally.

If Pastor Hutcherson only played football so he could hurt whites legally, I wonder who he wanted to have a free shot at hurting when he switched profession to radical-right fundamentalist clergy?

A few hours after Pastor Hutcherson’s testimony, the House Judiciary Committee gave the bill a “do pass” recommendation on a 7-5 vote. The bill has already been passed by the full Senate so heads next to the House floor for debate and final passage as early as Wednesday. Governor Chris Gregoire is eager to sign it.

Related:
* Not even Rush Limbaugh understands Ken Hutcherson’s complaint about Republican legislators voting for the Washington marriage equality bill
* Pastor Ken Hutcherson: “The only way to make your enemy a friend is to defeat them or kill them”
* Ken Hutcherson likens Gov. Gregoire to President Lincoln’s Assassin


Transcript of Ken Hutcherson’s testimony in opposition to Washington’s marriage equality bill before the Washington state House Judiciary Committee on February 6, 2012.

I’m Pastor Ken Hutcherson of Antioch Bible Church. I’ve been a pastor for quite some time. I’ve been black for a lot longer than that.

I was born and raised in Alabama where blacks and whites didn’t get along very well, and I tried to be one the main reasons they didn’t. I was extremely discriminatory towards whites. The only reason I played football so I could hurt white people legally.

The problem is that you guys are keep throwing up to us that this is a civil rights issue. There’s nothing civil rights about this. Nothing. It is not protected by the Constitution.

And you’re thrown up in front of us over and over again that you should not allow the people to vote for this because it’s just not right for a civil rights issue.

Well you’re trying to make it a civil rights issue, but it isn’t. It’s not protected by the Constitution. And the reason why it’s civil rights for me was taken to Congress and not the people is because it was protected by the Constitution. So the people did not have the right to go against the Constitution unless the people voted to change the Constitution. And it hasn’t been changed yet.

It is so important for you to understand that what you’re asking me to do as an African-American is accept what you are going through because you are uncomfortable.

Not because you’re persecuted. Not because you’re hung in great numbers simply because of your color. I was born black. I am black. Gonna to die black. And even Michael Jackson couldn’t get out of being black.

So you got to understand, when you try to throw those things at me, it does not hit. Does not hit at all.

As a matter of fact it’s kind of disturbing and very upsetting because you know you talk about love. You talk about wanting that family and everything else. And you talk about the children.

You know what? I’ve got half-back kids. They’re worse than all-black kids because they’re discriminated against just as much. And you have passed laws to make sure that’s any black in any kid, they’re considered African-American even thought I married the whitest white woman in the world.

So let’s do what’s right for kids. I would never bring my kids in the situation. If I loved my kids, how you have paraded your kids in front for emotional response.

And Representative Pedersen, you are the worst. You brought four kids in here, and they was devastated. Hopefully they’re devastated because they was in here, and not because they act that way all the time.

But yet and still it isn’t about the children. It isn’t about marriage. It is about you wanting your way, and you’ll use whatever and whoever you can to get it.

So I think this board should be absolutely ashamed of how you allowing kids to be used for an adult reason.

Thank you very much.