Pat Robertson dies during Pride month & Gay Twitter™ has thoughts

Ding, dong, Pat Robertson, the extreme right-wing religious broadcaster, noted homophobe and hate-monger, and founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network, is dead.

Robertson's passing was confirmed in an email blast sent out by his broadcasting network earlier today, day eight of Pride month. He was 93 years old. No cause of death was given.

Shortly after the news broke, "Rest in Hell" and "RIP BOZO" began trending on Twitter. But before we get to those tweets, we’d like to draw attention to a portion of Robertson's New York Times obituary:

He suggested, for example, that Americans’ sinfulness had brought on the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States, and that the earthquake that devastated Haiti in 2010 was divine retribution for a promise that Haitians had made to serve the Devil in return for his help in securing the country's independence from France in 1804.

He said that liberal Protestants embodied "the spirit of the Antichrist" and that feminism drove women to witchcraft. He called for the assassination of President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela. He maintained that his prayers had averted hurricanes.

In December 2020, amid intensifying efforts by President Donald J. Trump and his supporters to overturn the election, Mr. Robertson told viewers of his television show, "The 700 Club," that a lawsuit filed by the Texas attorney general challenging results in four states was a "miracle."

"They’re going to the Supreme Court to say, ‘This election was rigged and you’ve got to overturn it,’" Mr. Robertson said, citing unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud. He declared that "God himself" would intervene.

Barely two weeks later, he changed course. "The president still lives in an alternate reality," he said, adding: "I think it would be well to say, ‘You’ve had your day and it's time to move on.’"

Oof. Try to live your life in way that this is not how your obituary reads after you die.

In addition to what was mentioned in that NYT obit, Robertson called transgender people "frauds", compared LGBTQ+ people to murderers, rapists, thieves, and Nazis, said gay men were deliberately spreading HIV, and, after the Pulse massacre in Orlando said, "The best thing to do is to sit on the sidelines and let [LGBTQ rights advocates and Muslims] kill themselves." And that was just in recent years. We could go on (and on), but we think you probably get the point.

Now, onto the tweets…

Pat Robertson is dead. "Rest in Hell" and "RIP Bozo" trend as his awful sentiments on AIDS, gays, etc., helped condemn many to death, delayed action on researching anti-HIV drugs, etc. He, Jerry Falwell, Ronald Reagan, Jim Baker, etc., were cruel people. pic.twitter.com/Jj1QeUXx5v

I was wondering why 'RIP BOZO' and 'Rest in Hell' were trending… and now I know.Happy Thursday everyone! https://t.co/uAjNDoR9kM

pat robertson in 2013 saying gay men wear a spiky ring that cuts your finger when you shake their hands so they can purposely give you HIV https://t.co/M4Kr2smZCr pic.twitter.com/A9SDkZkvnK

Pat Robertson spent the majority of his life demonizing the LGBTQ+ community. He laughed when gay men died. Much of today's spite is direct fallout from his decades-old rhetoric. He prayed that the Queer community would die.And now he's dead.Happy Pride. Hate will never win. pic.twitter.com/ruuEKhyBnH

"Rest in hell, bozo" is trending again online, and I’d be lying if I said I found it distasteful. This guy earned it. pic.twitter.com/Vr20a9RyC5

Pat Robertson in hell, watching loving gay couples not cause hurricanes for the rest of eternity pic.twitter.com/BWGYQfQcPP

Pat Robertson has died. He said gay people caused hurricanes and wore special rings which spread AIDS, and that gay marriage was worse than murder. He's survived by this poster on the wall of Mike Pence's bedroom pic.twitter.com/Shf5NThGZk

Some very happy news to start your day. Pat Robertson has died. This guy was a virulent racist and homophobe. He literally cheered on aids for killing gay people. Rest in hell ! pic.twitter.com/JSqLtW7YKK

Pat Robertson: I want to live!!Gays during Pride month: pic.twitter.com/PF2oFLTSPl

Live your life in such a way that "Rest In Hell" doesn't trend when you die.