White House: NC Lt. Gov. Robinson’s anti-LGBTQ comments ‘repugnant’ and ‘spread hate’ – Denver Gazette

October 9, 2021 News Editor

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Biden White House condemned North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson’s comments calling transgenderism and homosexuality “filth.”

“These words are repugnant and offensive,” said Andrew Bates, White House deputy press secretary and a native of North Carolina, in a statement Friday. “The role of a leader is to bring people together and stand up for the dignity and rights of everyone; not to spread hate and undermine their own office.”

Robinson, the state’s highest-ranking Republican, made the comments in June at Asbury Baptist Church in Seagrove. Part of the speech was posted Tuesday at Right Wing Watch’s Twitter account, prompting an outpouring of criticism.

The White House joined a chorus of officials decrying Robinson’s comments but didn’t call for the lieutenant governor to resign, unlike many others, including several Democratic U.S. Senate candidates in the state.

In the now-viral video, Robinson says: “There’s no reason anybody, anywhere in America should be telling children about transgenderism, homosexuality, any of that filth. Yes, I called it filth.”

In the video, Robinson also told the crowd at the church that it’s “child abuse” to force parents to send their children to school, tell them where to send children to school, and then teach their children to hate America and that they’re racist. He added that he doesn’t care who dislikes what he said.

Robinson, a first-term lieutenant governor who rose to fame in a viral video about Second Amendment gun rights, has made a name for himself as an outspoken critic of Critical Race Theory, the Black Lives Matter Movement and the LGTBQ community.

In his speech in June, Robinson also called Black Lives Matters activists “socialist liars and nitwits” who lack truth and God.

“Black lives do not matter to Black Lives Matter,” said Robinson, who is Black. “You know how I know that? Because if they did, you know where they would be instead of being at the police station? They would be down there at the gang hangout, at the drug dealer’s house burning that down. They’d be down at the abortion clinic burning that down if Black lives really mattered.”

Robinson’s statements have led to calls for his resignation, starting with N.C. Sen. Jeff Jackson, a Mecklenburg County Democrat who is running for U.S. Senate. Others include his opponent on the Democratic ticket for U.S. Senator, Erica Smith; his colleague Sen. Wiley Nickel, a Wake County Democrat; and N.C. House Rep. Deb Butler, a Wilmington Democrat.

The Human Rights Campaign, the country’s largest LGBTQ+ rights organization, also called on Robinson to resign. Others like Gov. Roy Cooper and Attorney General Josh Stein, both Democrats, have condemned his statements.

Though North Carolina’s top Republicans have not commented on Robinson’s statements, some Republican political consultants took to Twitter condemning “anti-gay” movements.

Brent Woodcox, Senate Leader Phil Berger’s senior policy counsel, tweeted: “There is no future for a political party that is anti-gay. There just isn’t a large enough constituency in this country for the attitude. The world changed. Some politicians are catching up.”

While the video from June got attention this week, Robinson made similar comments about Critical Race Theory and the LGBTQ community last week at the N.C. Values Coalition 10th anniversary banquet that was streamed live on YouTube.

“When you go down there to that school board meeting because they’re pushing critical race theory and they’re pushing these perverted agendas to teach our children that they’re not really boys or girls or they’re shoving this homosexuality garbage down their throats,” Robinson said, “When you go down there, don’t go down there in your own name and under your own power, and with your own strength. Go down there knowing who is behind you.”

Robinson appeared on Triangle news stations Friday afternoon after the criticism and doubled down on his statements.

Robinson’s spokesman, John Waugh, wrote in a statement to The News & Observer on Friday that Robinson’s statements from June were in the context of educating children and how schools should focus on reading, writing and math.

“Topics surrounding transgenderism and homosexuality should be discussed at home and not in public education,” the statement said. “Our primary focus needs to be helping our students succeed, not on topics that should be discussed at home.”

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(McClatchy Washington reporter Alex Roarty contributed to this report.)

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