A video of preacher Phil Snider giving a speech on gay rights to a city council meeting in Springfield, Mo. has gone viral thanks to Snider’s surprisingly subversive take on the issue.
Speaking at an August hearing on a proposed ordinance that would amend Springfield’s discrimination laws to include sexual and gender identity, Snider, the senior minister of Springfield’s Brentwood Christian Church, began with nearly two minutes of arguments warning gay equality “goes against the plain truth of the word of god” and “is but another stepping stone toward the immorality and lawlessness that will be characteristic of the last days.”
Snider then reveals that the quotes come directly from white preachers of the ’50s and ’60s defending segregation, and that he has simply replaced the phrase “racial integration” with “gay rights.” He then implores his city and audience to “stand on the right side of history.”
After ending up on Reddit and Gawker—unfortunately uncomfortable bedfellows right now—the video received more than 2 million views in three days. Though Snider’s website offers appreciation for the sudden burst of attention, the Springfield ordinance he was lobbying for remains tabled for further discussion.
