Senator Lanza Bashes Brooklyn Museum for Intolerant & Hateful Exhibit, Calls for Resignation of Museum Director Arnold Lehman

Senator Andrew Lanza today called out the taxpayer funded Brooklyn Museum for its decision to, once again, exhibit material extremely offensive to Christians. Lanza also called for the resignation of the museum’s Director, Arnold Lehman.

This Friday, November 18, just in time for the holidays, the Brooklyn Museum will open “HIDE/SEEK,” a disgusting exhibit that includes a four-minute video which depicts  a bloodied, crucified Jesus Christ with ants crawling over His face and into His eyes.

“This kind of bigotry and hatred has no place in American society,” said Senator Lanza. “Good people must stand against hatred whenever they see it, lest it take root and become more pervasive. The Holocaust and other genocide throughout history began with little evil baby steps of hatred like this. People of good conscious and faith must come together and stamp out this evil baby step of hatred from the Brooklyn Museum.”

Senator Lanza is also calling on all the good people of New York City to boycott this museum, which has clearly demonstrated a lack of tolerance and decency.

“Just because bigots can avail themselves of free speech protections, doesn’t mean that the rest of us can’t exercise our rights to boycott and oppose those would spew hatred,” said Lanza.

 “It is outrageous for an institution that accepts funding from city, state and federal governments to display content that is so blatantly disrespectful and offensive to Christians during the holiday season,” said Senator Andrew Lanza. “Taxpayers shouldn't have to pay for hatred and ignorance.”

Senator Lanza believes that the actions of the Museum are analogous to a hate crime. He is calling for all public funding of the museum to be withdrawn.

“Taxpayer-funded institutions such as the Brooklyn Museum should uphold common standards of decency,” said Senator Lanza. “In this tough economy, New York families expect better from recipients of taxpayer funds.”

Lanza calls upon the Brooklyn Museum to dismantle this exhibit immediately and reevaluate its current leadership. He also called for the immediate resignation of Museum Director Arnold Lehman. “Any person who believes that this sort of depraved, hateful attack on another person’s faith can be legitimately called “art” should not be directing one of our city’s museums.”

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