A North Carolina pastor sparked outrage in his community after a video of a sermon in which he appeared to defend men who rape women wearing shorts went viral on social media.
Reverend Bobby Leonard, of the Bible Baptist Tabernacle Church in Union, criticized women who go into public places wearing shorts, rather than pants, in a sermon that has spread across social media in recent days, drawing substantial backlash.
"If you dress like that and you get raped, and I'm on the jury, he's going to go free....A man's a man," Leonard said.
The sermon is from last summer, local news station WSOC-TV in Charlotte reported, but resurfaced online in recent days. The clip has stirred a strong reaction on social media and among members of the local community.
"Yes, a man is a man--not an animal. And HE is responsible for controlling himself. This pastor needs to resign," Christian journalist Julie Roys posted to X, formerly Twitter.
Video of his remarks shared by Roys had been viewed more than 3 million times by Friday morning.
Pastor laments women wearing shorts, then says: "If you dress like that & you get raped & I'm on the jury, he's going to go free...because a man's a man."
— Julie Roys (@reachjulieroys) February 21, 2024
Yes, a man is a man--not an animal. And HE is responsible for controlling himself. This pastor needs to resign.... pic.twitter.com/IMWgylx1uk
According to local news station WBTV in Charlotte, Jason King, a resident of Monroe, said during a protest outside of the church: "We don't let people stand around in Union County in the pulpits and say something like this. That is wrong. You can't stand there and teach the word of God and claim that you believe it's OK for people to go around raping people for what they wear."
Following the controversy, the church displayed a message on its sign that read: "I am sorry for any hurt, I was wrong – Pastor Leonard," reported WSOC.
Many others took to social media to share their thoughts about his comments.
"Flee this church. Take your daughters out of there," wrote Fred Wellman, the former executive director of the Lincoln Project.
Writer Melissa Peltier added: "Excuse me, but my two ANIMALS have more self control than that. They both understand instantly what NO means."
"What do we keep saying? It's never "protecting children" or 'parental rights,'" posted Brandon Wolf, the national press secretary for the Human Rights Campaign. "Right wing extremists want control. Over what you wear, how you look, what you read, who you are. They demand assimilation to their regressive worldview. Or else."
"This is disgusting but not surprising. The number of not just clergymen but laymen who think like this is high. I can think of a few real life examples off the top of my head," wrote X user @megkwall.
Newsweek reached out to Bible Baptist Tabernacle Church for comment via its online contact form.
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