Christian Broadcasting Network founder Pat Robertson claimed recently on his televangelism show that members of the gay community wear special rings designed to spread AIDS by cutting others.

“You shake hands, and the ring’s got a little thing where you cut your finger,” he said on 700 Club. “Really. It’s that kind of vicious stuff, which would be the equivalent of murder.”

If you’re wondering why there hasn’t been more controversy over such an offensive claim, it’s because CBN has spent the past two weeks trying to wipe the remark from the Internet.

After editing the clip out of the show, the network used a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown notice to get the original version pulled from YouTube, Vimeo, and Dailymotion, according to Right Wing Watch.

The watchdog organization filed a counterclaim with YouTube, claiming Fair Use, and the video’s since been restored. You can watch it below.

This is how ignorance breeds hate:

Photo via Daniel Oines/Flickr