You're delusional. This is not some gay rights activist brutalizing a humble priest minding his own business, it's a pissed off teenager snapping and wigging out on a sign-waving moron. Hardly a "massive hit" to the reputation of the gay rights movement.
trinick might have been overexaggerating a little bit about it being a "massive hit", but I understand what he means.
In any situation where two people with opposing views come together, the first person to come to violence immediately loses credibility.
And whether they're representative of the community behind their view or not, their actions tarnish that view and the reputation of those who share it.
And of course, when the other person retains their cool and handles the situation calmly, it makes them and their view look better, regardless of what their view is.
Getting in a fight or acting unacceptably is a perfect way to demean the public perception of the point you stand for.
