GOP Congressional Candidate Vernon Jones Says No Comparison Between Black, Gay Civil Rights

Republican Georgian congressional candidate and former President Donald Trump darling Vernon Jones said Thursday there is no comparison between the Black civil rights movement and the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights. Jones made the comments during an interview on Steve Bannon's War Room podcast.

"Civil rights and gay rights?" Jones said in response to a question from the former Trump advisor Bannon. "Let me tell you, civil rights for Blacks and gay rights for gays are two different things."

"They say it's the same thing," Bannon interjected.

"But it's not the same thing," Jones responded. "Because you know what? I don't know what you are unless you tell me what you are if you're gay. But when I walk into that room, you can tell that I'm Black. I'm Black from cradle to grave. Let's not get that confused."

Jones also blamed white liberals for what he described as a deliberate assault on the Black family.

"They're targeting the Black family," Jones said. "You know, they don't want a Black male in the home now. They're literally now saying 'you know what, there's blended genders. There's no male anymore. there's no female anymore."

Jones grew more animated as he continued.

"But they can actually change, you know, you can go from being straight to being gay to being transgender and all these other genders," Jones continued. "But when you're Black, I don't have a choice. I don't have a choice. So to compare the two, when did gays come over here on ships?"

"Does that rub you the wrong way?" Bannon asked.

"It rubs me the wrong way," Jones responded. "It rubs a lot in the African-American community that way."

Jones had originally launched a bid to be Georgia's next governor but in February he announced he had decided to drop out of the race after a meeting with Trump, The Hill reports. The former president has endorsed former Republican Sen. David Perdue for governor.

Bannon garnered controversy in February when he praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for his anti-LGBTQ+ policies. The former Trump advisor still faces legal threats relating to his association and work with former President Donald Trump. He has been charged with contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with the January 6 committee.