Earlier this week we reported on freshman Delegate Eric Porterfield (R-Mercer), a GOP lawmaker in West Virginia, who was called on to resign after protesting an LGBTQ non-discrimination amendment by declaring gays “bigoted” and citing the persecution of Milo Yiannopoulos' (while reciting aloud the name of his “Dangerous Faggots Tour”) as proof that “LGBT is the most socialist group in this country. They do not protect gays.”
Porterfield has doubled down on his hateful remarks.
In an interview with news station WVVA, Porterfield was asked what he would do if his “adorable daughter” or “precious son” were to come out to him as gay.
Porterfield, proudly donning a MAGA hat, suggested he would drown them.
Said Porterfield: “Well, I'll address my daughter first, as I would take her for a pedicure, I'd take her to get her nails done, and see if she could swim. If it was my son, I would probably take him hunting, I would take him fishing, then I'd see if he could swim. I just want to make sure they could swim.”
“What do you mean you would see if they could swim?” asked the reporter.
“I just want to see if they could swim,” said Porterfield, with a knowing grin that he means something else entirely.
“What do you mean?” said the reporter, giggling nervously.
“That's just it. I'd take them out to do activities.”
In an interview with the New York Daily News, Porterfield said he stood by all his remarks.
Said Porterfield: “I stand by my statements; I double down on my statements. [The gay community] is the closest thing to political terrorism in this country. If you don't agree with them or give them their way, they'll intimidate you, threaten you and bully you. They want people's freedom to be restricted.”
Porterfield's rant earlier in the week came after a delegate tried to add an amendment to House Bill 2699 that would have prohibited cities from adding nondiscrimination ordinances that protect sexual orientation and gender identity.
Said Porterfield: “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.”
He went on to cite the persecution of alt-right white supremacist homocon troll Yiannopoulos: “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 F…….. 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.”
The West Virginia Republican Party this week released a statement denouncing Porterfield.
It reads: “As West Virginians, we are taught to respect one another, love our neighbors, and when we disagree to seek understanding of our fellow Mountaineers. In recent days, Delegate Eric Porterfield has made comments that are hateful, hurtful, and do not reflect the values of our country, our state, and the Republican Party. These comments are unacceptable and we denounce them. They have no place in America. We may disagree on policy, politics, and the direction of our state, but we can disagree civilly and respectfully because intolerant and hateful views hold us back, divide us, and hurt our state.”
GOP Chairwoman Melody Potter condemned Porterfield's remarks, saying: “In recent days, Delegate Eric Porterfield has made comments that are hateful, hurtful, and do not reflect the values of our country, our state, and the Republican Party. These comments are unacceptable and we denounce them. They have no place in America.”
