Rabidly Anti-Gay Dobson "Resigns" as Chairman of Focus on the Family

Ding dong the witch is dead. Rabidly anti-gay conservative evangelical leader James Dobson announces he is "resigning" as chairman of Focus On The Family. Apparently after spending a million dollars on Proposition 8 and laying off hundreds of employees over the holidays, the organization is "right on track" and the "resignation" is just part of the "succession plan." Dobson will continue to play a prominent role at the Colorado Springs-based ministry and media empire he founded thirty years ago.

Dobson, 72, will continue to host Focus on the Family's flagship radio program, write a monthly newsletter and speak out on moral issues. Dobson's resignation as board chairman "lessens his administrative burden" and is the latest step in a succession plan, the group said. Dobson began relinquishing control six years ago by stepping down as president and CEO

Dobson has a devoted following. His radio broadcast reaches an estimated 1.5 million U.S. listeners daily. Yet critics say his influence is waning, pointing to evangelicals pushing to broaden the movement's agenda beyond abortion, gay marriage and other issues Dobson views as most vital. ...

At the same time, Focus officials have acknowledged difficulties in raising money from younger families critical to its future. The economy also has hurt. Last fall Focus on the Family eliminated more than 200 staff positions, its largest employee cutbacks ever. [A spoksperson] said the group is now "right on track" with a revised annual budget of $138 million.

Dobson's wife Shirley is also stepping down from the board.

Focus on the Family is one of the main social conservative groups that has mobilized opposition to gay rights in the past two decades, and, promoted the dangerous "ex-gay" myth. It has been conservatively estimated their annual budget alone is more than double that of all LGBT rights organizations. But revenues are declining, hundreds of staff have been dismissed, and, conservative evangelicals are declining in influence. Sounds to me like the board wants to re-brand their organization with younger, more appealing faces to attract a new generation to their intolerance.

Dobson Resigning as Chairman of FoF [Chron]

Comments

[Samuel I]

music to my ears

[Taylor S.]

Tough out there for an ol' homophobe Jesus pimp ....

[Nathan James]

Hate is not a family value, and perhaps younger Americans are starting to realize that!

[Seahawk]

Mugabe and Dobson on the same page:
Both are hateful old men; Dobson would hate Mugabe because he's black; Mugabe would hate Dobson for likely being a closet case.
Both have spread fear and hatred, and if you believe in the devil, they are his reps on earth.

[albert]

"Hate is not a family value..."

Unfortunately it is for these people. And Seahawk is 100% right. Two hateful old men who have destroyed many, many lives.

[ToddyEnglish]

The lord moves in mysterious ways...
mmmmhmmmmm.
::waves his little church fan::

[KB]

can't wait until he and all of the other racist, hateful, homophobic bastards fall off the face of the earth! this is damn good news to my ears!

[M. Mark]

The only thing bad about his leaving is that they will probably substitute someone more competent for him. I suppose it’s a sign of maturity among younger families that he has been having difficulty raising money from them; perhaps his organization will just dry up and blow away.

[GQ]

glad he stepped down but he's still spreading the hate. be glad if he's muted. Still lookin' for that skeleton/ scandal to surface.