Kirk Cameron Defends Anti-Gay Remarks

The actor says he spoke honestly

Breakout teen star turned devoted evangelical Christian Kirk Cameron defended his anti-gay comments Tuesday, accusing his attackers of trying to suppress his opinion.

The former Growing Pains star caused an uproar Friday after saying same-sex marriage was “destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization” during an interview with CNN’s Piers Morgan.

Cameron stands firmly behind his remarks despite criticism from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, who said in a statement, “Kirk Cameron sounds even more dated than his 1980s TV character.”

GLAAD senior director of programs, Herndon Graddick, wrote “Cameron is out of step with a growing majority of Americans, particularly people of faith who believe that their gay and lesbian brothers and sisters should be loved and accepted based on their character and not condemned because of their sexual orientation.”

[ALSO READ: GLAAD'S Outrageously Selective Outrage]

Cameron responded to those accusations Tuesday saying, “I should be able to express moral views on social issues.” He continued, “especially those that have been the underpinning of Western civilization for 2,000 years — without being slandered, accused of hate speech, and told from those who preach ‘tolerance’ that I need to either bend my beliefs to their moral standards or be silent when I’m in the public square.”

Cameron also denied having hatred for the gay community saying, "I can assuredly say that it's my life's mission to love all people" and adding, "I spoke as honestly as I could" during the Morgan interview.