Bill O’Reilly on the March 15 edition of Westwood One’s The Radio Factor:
O’REILLY: You know, the Founding Fathers didn’t write anything into the Constitution about gay marriage. Because back then, if you were gay, they hung you.
So — you couldn’t get married ’cause they put you in the rack. You know, if you were runnin’ around wearing a chartreuse hat, you were in lots of trouble. So, we didn’t even have to worry about these people gettin’ married because if they come out of their closet in the log cabin — somebody’ll shoot them in the head. So, there really wasn’t an issue back in the Founding Fathers.
Here’s my challenge to any wingers, or to O’Reilly himself. Prove it. Show me a story where people were summarily shot or hung in the late 18th century for being openly gay. We have a rich history. There are books and stories. Certainly, there should be dozens of stories about this happening . . . IF it happened. So how about some proof?
And by the way, they wore fucking powdered wigs back then. The men! The straight men! Does O’Reilly really think someone would be "in trouble" for wearing a chartreuse hat? Once again, Bill, prove it or shut the fuck up.