Prop 8 Legal Adviser Fears Ghosts, Goblins, and Gays -- And Don't Even Get Him Started on Halloween or Harry Potter!

October 25, 2008 @ 2:32 PM

The story you are about to read is not a trick, but I for one certainly consider it a treat. Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute, a conservative legal group that typically tasks itself with blurring the separation between church and state, has quite a vivid imagination. He is one of the authors of the "Joint Statement to California Religious Leaders Regarding Proposition 8" legal summary found on ProtectMarriage.com's Legal Resources for Churches section. It's a document that actually undermines Prop 8 backers' false claims that churches risk losing their tax exempt status for speaking out against marriage equality or are required to perform same-sex marriages, but that's not the story here.

Before Dacus offered his services to the Prop 8 campaign, he was busy advocating for some spooky school censorship:

"Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute, a conservative legal group that defends religious groups and parental rights, said many Christians are bothered by Halloween's significance to Wiccans, who celebrate the day as a religious holiday.

"Many parents are aware that Christianity and Judaism are not allowed to be proselytized in the classroom, and they really feel offended when they see another religion that is allowed to be proselytized without any challenge," he said."

You read that right. Dacus considers Halloween a religious celebration and wants it banned from schools, because when Little Suzie dresses like one of the Powerpuff Girls, she's promoting Wicca! Who knew the Wiccans had such sway in this country?

But wait, there's more.

Dacus seems to have an obsession with the ever-present influence of wizards and warlocks too. He successfully pushed a Utah school to ban a book published by Scholastic called "The Wizard's Handbook":

"This handbook is nothing new for Scholastic, the U.S. publishers of the Harry Potter series. The publisher is selling other occult-themed children’s literature such as Animorphs, T’Witches and Goosebumps, among other series. Other spin-offs from the Potter craze include Spellfall by Katherine Roberts.

"This is not a trend driven by a bunch of witches at Scholastic," Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) President Brad Dacus told C&F Report. "This is a profit-driven corporation. They have no idea of the seriousness of getting kids involved with the occult.""

Quick, burn those copies of Harry Potter before your child's soul is lost forever!

Seriously now, when the Prop 8 campaign gives loons like Dacus an important role in their campaign -- and he's by no means their only adviser with a colorful history -- it provides a useful reminder that the leadership of the Prop 8 campaign is dominated by religious extremists. Remember, ProtectMarriage.com on multiple occasions attempted to abolish domestic partnerships, an institution now widely embraced by Californians of all religious backgrounds. Many of their top figures genuinely see this as a battle between the forces of light and dark, God and Satan, and to those of you supportive of your gay and lesbian friends, family, and colleagues, guess which side they think you're on.

While many supporters of Prop 8 may be well meaning, they are nevertheless promoting an intolerant agenda in a state known for tolerance. Halloween and Harry Potter are no more deserving of banishment than marriage equality, and you can do your part by helping send Prop 8 to a graveyard smash this November 4.