LaBarbera: Sam is 'Deluded,' Must 'Repent' & Become an 'Ex-Gay'

Adding to the media circus surrounding NFL draft prospect Michael Sam's coming out story this week, Right Wing Watch reports that Americans For Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH) president Peter LaBarbera has called upon the All-American defensive lineman to accept Jesus Christ and become an ex-gay, an ex-homosexual.

In an interview on Voice of Christian Youth America Radio with host Vic Eliason Tuesday, LaBarbera called on Sam to "change" his sexual orientation. He then said, "you could not script a better person for the homosexual side than Michael Sam," before adding Sam is "deluded" and he must "repent and walk away from that lifestyle with the help of believers."

We all need to pray for this man, Michael Sam. I watched the interview, he seems like a neat guy, you could not script a better person for the homosexual side than Michael Sam. He's just a very well-spoken, he said he just wants to help the team, but he's deluded because God does not give homosexuality as part of who you are. He used that phrase, 'who you are,' in the ESPN interview and I think that's the saddest thing of all to think that sexual sin is part of who you are. We need to pray that the Lord will touch him, he will be sought out by Christians in the NFL or wherever he is playing and that he will accept Jesus Christ and become an ex-gay, an ex-homosexual.

He later added:

Michael Sam's worst enemies are the media and everybody who is praising him. He needs Christians to come in, lovingly tell him that homosexuality is not acceptable before God, he needs to repent and walk away from that lifestyle with the help of believers. That's what I'm going to be praying for Michael Sam. The NFL and all these pro-homosexual people are not his friends."

LaBarbera, whose history of outrageous, vicious and bogus statements about the LGBT community at large, earned his organization a place on the Southern Poverty Law Center's list of anti-gay hate groups. Last week, he condemned the Disney Channel on American Family Association Radio for airing an episode of their family sitcom "Good Luck Charlie," which featured a subplot with same-sex parents. In the same broadcast, LaBarbera suggested that the U.S. pass a bill into law that mirror's Russia's highly controversial "homosexual propaganda" law to prevent LGBT-friendly programming.

"Look at the Disney show, they are promoting lesbianism to kids who don't even know what sex is yet. How are kids going to process that information of two moms? This is not horrific legislation." LaBarbera said, praising the Russian law further calling it "acceptable and a good idea" to which Rios agreed, calling the law "common sense."