Former "Growing Pains" star Kirk Cameron's negative comments on homosexuality and gay marriage, made Friday on CNN's "Pier Morgan Tonight," have drawn a rapid response from GLAAD.
Cameron said he thought homosexuality was "unnatural."
"I think that it's detrimental and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization," the actor told Morgan.
Cameron, who is an evangelical Christian, also spoke out against gay marriage.
"Marriage is almost as old as dirt, and it was defined in the garden between Adam and Eve. One man, one woman for life till death do you part. So I would never attempt to try to redefine marriage. And I don't think anyone else should either," Cameron said. "So do I support the idea of gay marriage? No, I don't."
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation issued a statement Saturday in response to the actor's appearance on the CNN program.
"In this interview, Kirk Cameron sounds even more dated than his 1980s TV character," Herndon Graddick, senior director of programs at GLAAD, wrote "Cameron is out of step with a growing majority of Americans, particularly people of faith who believe that their gay and lesbian brothers and sisters should be loved and accepted based on their character and not condemned because of their sexual orientation."
Graddick also addressed Cameron's remarks regarding gay marriage.
"With an increasing number of states recognizing marriage equality, Americans are seeing that marriage is about committed couples who want to make a lifelong promise to take care of and be responsible for each other and that gay and lesbian couples need equal security and legal protections. That's not 'redefining' anything."
In brief remarks to TMZ Saturday night, Morgan called Cameron "brave" to voice his beliefs. Morgan said he feels Cameron "was honest to what he believed" even if most people find his views to be "antiquated."
© 2013 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved.