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West Virginia GOP Lawmaker Compares LGBTQ People to KKK, TerroristsÂ
West Virginia GOP Lawmaker Compares LGBTQ People to KKK, TerroristsÂ
Democrats in West Virginia have called for Eric Porterfield's resignation after his anti-LGBTQ remarks, including saying 'fa--ot' in committee.Â
Democrats in West Virginia have called for Republican Delegate Eric Porterfield to resign after he made several homophobic statements, calling gay people a "terrorist group" and likening LGBTQ people to the Ku Klux Klan. Even after he was called out for saying "fa--ot" during committee while defending alt-right gay button-pusher Milo Yiannopoulos as having been unfairly persecuted by LGBTQ people, Porterfield made more homophobic remarks on Friday, according to the Charleston Gazette-Mail.
"The LGBTQ is a modern-day version of the Ku Klux Klan, without wearing hoods with their antics of hate," Porterfield doubled down and told a reporter Friday after his first remarks blew up.
Porterfield's original statement occurred last Wednesday during a rant in favor of House Bill 2699, which would allow for discrimination against LGBTQ people in West Virginia cities where discrimination is currently criminalized.
"The LGBT is the most socialist group in this country," Porterfield originally said. "They do not protect gays. There are many gays they persecute if they do not line up with their social ideology."
He then invoked Yiannopoulos as proof of how LGBTQ people discriminate against others.
"This is the name of his tour, this is not what I named his tour, but he was on what he referred to as the 'Dangerous Faggot Tour' and the LGBT stormed that building and did $200,000 worth of damage because he didn't line up with their ideology. We cannot allow discriminatory bigots to determine how our citizens are going to live," Porterfield said.
"As legislators, I don't think it's our job to legislate behavior...This is discrimination against the first amendment and religious liberty, and the LGBT is the most socialist group and they don't protect gays," Porterfield continued.
During his more recent remarks, Porterfield called the LGBTQ community a "terrorist group" and claimed he was being "persecuted" in the form of threats on Facebook and in emails because of his anti-gay remarks.
\u201cLast night and today, members of the LGBTQ have exercised hate crimes and threatened my safety. We have reported this to the Capitol Police in Charleston and I would like all of my friends to pray for the... https://t.co/a1lIhpGCkw\u201d— Eric Porterfield (@Eric Porterfield) 1549657634
\u201cI believe my enemies just re-elected me in 2020. My campaign was very clear, that I would stand for the 1st amendment, religious liberty, pro-life, pro family, the second amendment, right to work and promote... https://t.co/dITvrXDMzV\u201d— Eric Porterfield (@Eric Porterfield) 1549574003
Democrats have responded to Porterfield's statements by sending a letter calling for GOP leadership to denounce him and stating that he has no place holding a role in public office.
"West Virginia has no room for someone who expresses such hate, let alone room for him to hold a public office where he is supposed to represent the people of West Virginia," the state Democratic Party chairwoman, Belinda Biafore said in a statement.
"His hate-filled remarks and actions speak volumes, and so does the Republican Party's silence," she said, according to the Charleston Gazette-Mail.
