Both the South Carolina state House Minority Leader and the national gay rights group GLAAD have called on Clemson coach Dabo Swinney to back out of a scheduled appearance at a fundraiser for the Palmetto Family Council, a conservative advocacy group that opposes gay marriage.
Clemson spokeswoman Robin Denny confirmed to The State that Swinney is scheduled to receive an award from the Council at its June 2 fundraiser in Columbia, in honor of what Denny called "personal factors" and Council president Oran Smith called Swinney's Christian testimony. The appearance, however, "is not a speaking engagement," per Denny.
That's not good enough for state representative Todd Rutherford, D-Richland.
“I find it highly inappropriate that Coach Swinney would appear at a fundraiser for an organization that is so openly discriminatory and politically motivated,” the House Minority Leader said in a statement published by The State. “I cannot fathom why Coach Swinney or anyone else would knowingly assist a group whose mission is to fight against equal rights and equal treatment of others.”
GLAAD issued a statement on its website Tuesday calling the Council event an "anti-LGBT fundraiser" and issuing its support for a student-led petition asking Swinney to "bow out" of the appearance.
"Coach Swinney has an obligation to the players he leads and all students that attend Clemson to use his considerable profile to promote causes that bring us together, not tear us apart," said Zeke Stokes, GLAAD Vice President of Programs and a South Carolina native. "The Palmetto Family Council's values are out of line with the values of love and acceptance for all people, and I hope the Coach will reconsider the message that his aligment with them sends."
The Council's website describes the group's vision as "transform[ing] the culture in South Carolina by promoting the values and virtues of marriage, the traditional family model, and sexual purity." GLAAD quoted the site as calling homosexuality "physically, spiritually or emotionally damaging."
Not surprisingly, Smith said none of his group's beliefs meant Swinney should be dissuaded from appearing at the June 2 event.
“Like any other South Carolina citizen, he should be free to speak where he would like to,” Smith told The State.
Swinney's off-field beliefs were also a source of minor controversy in spring 2014, when the Freedom From Religion Foundation asked if Swinney had violated players' constitutional rights at the public university by imposing Christian-based practices within the program. Swinney said "players of any faith or no faith at all are welcome in our program" and was wholeheartedly supported by the university.
Swinney also made news in 2013 when he said in a radio interview he played alongside gay players at Alabama, saying it was "never an issue."
"Those are personal decisions that people have to make," he said. "I mean everyone will be judged one day, but it's not up to me to judge somebody."
