Duck Dynasty patriarch gives Roy Moore thumbs-up

Montgomery, Ala. (AP) — Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore has a famous ally in his fight against same-sex marriages becoming accepted law.

Phil Robertson, patriarch of cable television's "Duck Dynasty" series, said the chief justice is "spot on" in his opposition to a federal court ruling striking down Alabama's constitutional amendment that limits marriage to heterosexual couples.

"Roy, if you hear this, do not back up because you are right on this one," Robertson said during an appearance at Frazer United Methodist Church in Montgomery.

The Montgomery Advertiser reported Robertson's remarks.

Moore disputes that the U.S. Constitution's equal protection clause grants marriage rights to same-sex couples, as U.S. District Court Judge Callie "Ginny" Granade ruled as she struck down Alabama's marriage amendment.

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to settle the question later this year.

Until then, Moore argues that Granade's ruling does not bind state courts. Moore cites the legal theory that only the U.S. Supreme Court and the Alabama Supreme Court can definitively settle the constitutionality of an Alabama law.

Robertson has previously condemned same-sex marriage and homosexual activity, along with adultery and sex outside marriage. Robertson describes all those actions as sins that violate God's law.

"All of our rights do come from God," he said at Frazer. "They're inalienable, meaning you can't move them or transfer them."

Robertson has also garnered national headlines for remarking that he knew many black Southerners who were happy under Jim Crow laws and for opining that the spread of sexually-transmitted diseases can be attributed to "hippies and beatniks."

The A&E network briefly suspended the elder Robertson from "Duck Dynasty" amid controversy over some of his statements.

Robertson visited Montgomery with his son Alan, a minister, after having received a freedom-of-speech award at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, an event that several Republican presidential hopefuls also attended.

"It's kind of ironic that these days, if you exercise your freedom of speech, someone considers it worthy of a reward," he said at Frazer.

His son, Alan, remains a steadfast supporter of his father.

"You realize that when you say things and you say them strongly that you're going to bring a reaction and, obviously, some people are not going to like that, but here's the difference: what we're speaking is biblical truth and that's never going to change," Alan Robertson said. "Since that doesn't change, we don't change as messengers of that."

The Robertson came to Frazer for a fundraiser benefiting Compassion21, an organization that provides mentoring and educational opportunities in urban Montgomery communities.

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Information from: Montgomery Advertiser, Montgomery, AL

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The Gayly – March 1, 2015 @ 12pm.