The band, You Can Run But You Cannot Hide, is a "Christian" punk/rock band that has been stirring up some inadvertent controversy recently for its stance on Gay and Lesbian people and issues. This controversy has been brought on by the large political donation Target Corp made to Tom Emmer a Republican candidate for Governor of Minnesota. Tom Emmer has a relationship with the band and the allegations of the band asking for the death of Gay and Lesbian people has been splashed across the internet and mainstream headlines. In more favorable publications the "call to death" has been replaced with "strongly oppose", but the message of hate the band spreads is the same regardless of how it is phrased.

What's the big idea anyway? Is all of this information acccurate? I went to the site for the band and found the following link on the homepage, Affirming Our Stance on Homosexuality, written by Bradlee Dean - President and CEO - You Can Run International, Inc. The message they give is somewhat ambiguous but I have selected the following section to share with you so you can make your own judgement:

"Let me make this perfectly clear -- again.  We are opposed to the state, in any country, no matter what its religious tradition, in executing homosexuals.  We are against anyone, anywhere, at any time, who executes homosexuals for being homosexual.  We would hide them in our homes before we would allow that to happen.  But we would preach at them while they were there."

I do not want to make light of what is obviously a really serious issue - but I am not sure what is worse - hanging out with Bradlee Dean at his house (being preached to) or death. I am sure I would have a great time looking through his closet and seeing how many colored bandanas and cheap pairs of sunglasses he has but the preaching itself would likely drive me insane.

On that note - why is "preaching" to people who likely would not want your message acceptable but the "gay lifestyle" so inherently wrong? Conservative Christians repeat the same message of "love and understanding" quite often but it is almost always seen as a mask for conversion and conformity - oh yeah, because, um - it is!

Bradlee Dean, thank you for clearing up your position on "the gays" but you have to understand that the comments you made about executing gays can not be spun into anything other than that - executing gays. Write all the letters you want but you cant make up for such a hateful comment - instead of PR maybe you should issue an apology to the GLBT(QIA) community - but before doing that you really need to do something about that hair.