WATCH: Civil Rights Legend Julian Bond: Long a "Raving Homophobe"

Veteran civil rights leader Julian Bond is speaking out for the first time on the four lawsuits filed against anti-gay mega-church pastor Bishop Eddie Long, whom he describes as a "raving homophobe." If the allegations are true, Bond says, it will it will be a "sad victory for gay rights."

Bond is the former chairman of the NAACP and a strong supporter of gay rights. In June 2006, Bond famously refused to attend the funeral of Coretta Scott King that was held at New Birth MB Church. At the time he said, "I knew her attitude toward gay and lesbian rights. And I just couldn't imagine that she'd want to be in that church with a minister who was a raving homophobe. And I couldn't see myself in my church either."

Bond, who was an early leader in the civil rights movement alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., amplified his remarks on the embattled anti-gay pastor. "He said that homosexuality is worthy of death. He is a raving homophobe," said the civil rights legend former longtime Georgia legislator. "If [the allegations] are true, it's just sort of typical of people who are raving homphobes who are secretly homosexual. And who are homophobes because they are filled with so much self-loathing and self-hate that they've got to let it come out in some way, and it comes out in homophobia."

Hear, hear. In recent years Bond as been very active on LGBT rights, speaking at the National Equality March and testifying to the New Jersey Senate on behalf of marriage equality. Watch AFTER THE JUMP ...

Comments

[Fred]

Speak the truth, Julian. I am so happy that he has come forward against Eddie Long. I wish more public figures would speak out. I do believe these allegations will be proven in a matter of time.

[Dwjazzlover]

So well said..

[FREELEO]

We love Julian Bond!!

[chris-leo]

my favorite julian bond quote of all time was, "if you don't believe in gay marriage, don't get gay married."

[MW09]

Mr. Juilan Bond is a great, GREAT man. Just amazing and brilliant...

[alicia banks]

i love julian!!!

[Cocoa Rican]

Although I'm pleased that Bond is a gay rights supporter - an equality supporter really - I'm even more happy to read his common sense and matter-of-fact approach to the Bishop Long sex scandal. Where there is smoke, there is fire. The damning evidence (pictures, email messages, gifts, trips, rent-free dwellings, etc.) begs us to step back and wait until the smoke clears, instead of jumping on the defense that because he is a "man of God" he couldn't possibly have had moments of bad judgment and weakness. Bishop Long's biggest mistake may very well be his inability to admit he exercised poor judgment, maybe even acted hypocritically to condemn a segment of the population that he now finds himself a part of.

[Gary]

Bonds is right of course, but more importantly he's also frank in way that seems lost to many opponents social conservatives in general and Long in particular. He's a man of principle and a class act.

[Donald Sowell]

Thank you Mr.Bonds.