Oklahoma lawmaker accused of bigotry after saying transgender people ‘have mental illness’ – KOCO Oklahoma City

April 15, 2021 News Editor

The debate over a bill that seeks to ban transgender girls from all-girls sports is growing even more contentious.A lawmaker, who was key in moving that bill forward, is facing growing accusations of bigotry for comments he made by email and to our cameras. All of this happened as we wait to see when that bill will get a vote in the house.These most recent comments came in an email that Rep. JJ Humphrey sent to a person who was urging him to vote no on this bill. His thoughts in particular were so important because he was the committee chair that agreed to hear this bill.In an email exchange, a person told Humphrey that he was a bigot for supporting Senate Bill 2, which would bar transgender girls from participating in girls and women’s sports teams.In response, Humphrey said in part, “I understand transgender people have mental illness,” and that, “your insanity certainly is scary.”Humphrey reiterated that during an interview Thursday with KOCO 5.“I want to tell your audience there is no transgender. There is male and there is female. And transgender would be a mental health issue,” Humphrey said. “So those people that say I’m bigoted, I will say you’re insane and you’re doing the people wrong by doing that.”Freedom Oklahoma Director Allie Shinn is pushing back on those comments.“That’s a long-debunked myth,” Shinn said. “Being transgender is not a result of being mentally ill. Being gay or lesbian or bisexual is not a result of being mentally ill. And the science is clear on this and has been clear on this in decades.”In recent years, the WHO and the American Psychiatric Association have dropped being transgender or having “gender identity disorder” from their lists of disorders.Humphrey’s comments illustrate an intensifying debate here at home and across the country, as other state legislatures consider similar bills.The Florida House passed a similar bill Wednesday, and this week the NCAA put states on notice that it could pull championships from states that it says aren’t free of discrimination.“This is not a level of representation that transgender Oklahomans deserve, that any Oklahomans deserve. Rep. Humphrey has made it routinely clear that he is there to serve himself and his own ego,” Shinn said.“If anyone wants to get mad, get mad, I don’t care. Guess what: men are men, women are women, end of story, science backs me, logic backs me. Anybody wants to say I’m a bigot, go ahead, you’re wrong,” Humphrey said.It’s unclear when the Oklahoma House will hear SB 2. It likely has to be heard by the end of next week and then would have to pass the state Senate before going to the governor.

OKLAHOMA CITY —

The debate over a bill that seeks to ban transgender girls from all-girls sports is growing even more contentious.

A lawmaker, who was key in moving that bill forward, is facing growing accusations of bigotry for comments he made by email and to our cameras. All of this happened as we wait to see when that bill will get a vote in the house.

These most recent comments came in an email that Rep. JJ Humphrey sent to a person who was urging him to vote no on this bill. His thoughts in particular were so important because he was the committee chair that agreed to hear this bill.

In an email exchange, a person told Humphrey that he was a bigot for supporting Senate Bill 2, which would bar transgender girls from participating in girls and women’s sports teams.

In response, Humphrey said in part, “I understand transgender people have mental illness,” and that, “your insanity certainly is scary.”

Humphrey reiterated that during an interview Thursday with KOCO 5.

“I want to tell your audience there is no transgender. There is male and there is female. And transgender would be a mental health issue,” Humphrey said. “So those people that say I’m bigoted, I will say you’re insane and you’re doing the people wrong by doing that.”

Freedom Oklahoma Director Allie Shinn is pushing back on those comments.

“That’s a long-debunked myth,” Shinn said. “Being transgender is not a result of being mentally ill. Being gay or lesbian or bisexual is not a result of being mentally ill. And the science is clear on this and has been clear on this in decades.”

In recent years, the WHO and the American Psychiatric Association have dropped being transgender or having “gender identity disorder” from their lists of disorders.

Humphrey’s comments illustrate an intensifying debate here at home and across the country, as other state legislatures consider similar bills.

The Florida House passed a similar bill Wednesday, and this week the NCAA put states on notice that it could pull championships from states that it says aren’t free of discrimination.

“This is not a level of representation that transgender Oklahomans deserve, that any Oklahomans deserve. Rep. Humphrey has made it routinely clear that he is there to serve himself and his own ego,” Shinn said.

“If anyone wants to get mad, get mad, I don’t care. Guess what: men are men, women are women, end of story, science backs me, logic backs me. Anybody wants to say I’m a bigot, go ahead, you’re wrong,” Humphrey said.

It’s unclear when the Oklahoma House will hear SB 2. It likely has to be heard by the end of next week and then would have to pass the state Senate before going to the governor.