"I know where you live! If you don't stop your AIDS activism it will be stopped for you!"

[Bluebear]

Ben Cooper believes his work in promoting the legal recognition of gay unions in Australia is the cause of several threats against his life.

===

Lismore, Australia - A LOCAL gay activist has been the target of anonymous death threats at his Lismore home. Ben Cooper, 20, has received four letters since October 30, the latest on Monday. One letter read: "I know where you live. If you don't stop carrying on with your AIDS activism it will be stopped for you." Another threatened: "You are going to die at the hands of Jesus," and was signed "A Proud National voter and Christian."

Mr Cooper contacted the police on Tuesday and went to the media yesterday in an attempt to highlight the issue. It needs to be exposed. "Any homophobia in the community needs to be exposed," he said.

Mr Cooper said when he received the first letter he was shocked and intimidated. "I can't understand such extreme hatred. This area is known for being an alternative region and you just don't expect it," he said. Since receiving the threats Mr Cooper says he has been more cautious and has not spent time outside his home unnecessarily. "It has affected my social life to some extent, I feel like I'm looking over my shoulder all the time," he said.

Mr Cooper took the letters to the Lismore police station. He was told if he received another letter to put gloves on before handling it and to bring it to police for fingerprinting. Mr Cooper says he has no idea who is writing the letters, but that he was probably being targeted because of his public profile as a gay activist in the past two years.

Last year, he organised a gay marriage ceremony in Spinks Park and in August this year was involved in a street march in support of gay marriage. Mr Cooper also made comments in the media recently about Regeneration, a group based at the Lismore Baptist Church made up of a board of church ministers aiming to help gay people become heterosexual. He claimed in an article in The Northern Star the group was using a US-based anti-gay website to recruit gay men and women to the group.

http://www.northernstar.com.au/localnews/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3755349&thesection=localnews&thesubsection=&thesecondsubsection=

[mitchtv]

1. Jesus the homicidal maniac

Christians,are worshipers of Satan if you listen to this bunch

[SalmonChantedEvening]

2. Proud, yet anonymous when he threatens people.

Typical.

Ben, you are a good and brave soul, and I salute you.

[kimmylavin]

4. Good point.

He forgot to add "bigoted coward".

[MrSlayer]

3. LOL! "You are going to die at the hands of Jesus."

Jesus Dahmer? Jesus Wayne Gacy?

These guys really don't get it.

[Duncan Grant]

5. Or the "Jesus" Gallagos, "Jesus" Richard Ramirez or "Jesus" Joseph Kallinger.

You're a creepy guy, Slayer and I'm not quite sure what point you're trying to make or how it relates to the original post. :freak:

[MrSlayer]

6. Creepy?

Creepy like Boris the Spider or creepy like Gomez Adams? I must admit that I am not all together "ookie" though.

The point I am trying to make is that the nutcase who threatened the gay activist used the phrase in my subject line and I was wondering to which Jesus he was referring. I found the statement to be funny because it's so ridiculous. The whole concept of Jesus Christ committing murder is hilariously ludicrous.

[spoony]

7. Your point made perfect sense to me

I must speak Creepy too? :shrug: