North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson (R) is again attacking the LGBTQ community, claiming that maggots have more “purpose” than gay people.
Speaking during a sermon at Berean Baptist Church in Winston-Salem on Nov. 14, Robinson claimed that straight people are “superior” to gays, or, more precisely, that relationships between heterosexuals are superior to those between same-sex partners, due to their ability to procreate.
“I can’t stand to turn that TV on and I don’t want my grandkids watching that television because I don’t want to have to explain to my grandkids why two men are kissing,” Robinson said. “And I don’t care what anybody thinks about that. Get mad at me if you want to you. Ain’t no child got no business seeing no two men kiss. If they did, God would have made it that way! He didn’t!”
Robinson, who has become best known for his inflammatory statements on a number of subjects, said he does not believe gay people serve any purpose in society, comparing being gay to cow feces, maggots and flies. But even maggots, he contended serve a “purpose,” according to The Charlotte Observer.
Robinson criticized Right Wing Watch, a project of People for the American Way, saying they would post video of the sermon to attack him. Right Wing Watch eventually did post a video clip of the sermon on its site.
“In America, you have the right to be a homosexual. And as an elected official, I have a duty to protect your constitutional rights, and I will,” Robinson said. “But we in church right now. And we talking about church stuff. And we are talking about God stuff. And I’m asking you… If homosexuality is of God, what purpose does it serve? What does it make? What does it create? It creates nothing.
“Somebody asked me in the classroom one time, this fella was a homosexual [and he] looked at me and said, ‘Oh, so you think your wife and you, you think your heterosexual relationship is superior to my husband and our homosexual relationship?’ Yes! He said, ‘I’d like for you to explain that’ and so I did,” he added.
Robinson said that if you put a gay couple in one room and a straight couple in another room and then wait nine months, there will still be two people in the gay couple’s room, but in the heterosexual couple’s room, there will be a third person, in the form of a child conceived by the couple.
“These people are superior,” Robinson said of the heterosexual couple, ‘because they can do something these people can’t do, because that’s the way God created it to be!”
Related: North Carolina lieutenant governor doubles down on comments calling LGBTQ content “filth”
“I’m tired of this society trying to tell me it’s not so,” Robinson said. “Society has completely purged God from the building and from the equation and because of it, we’re headed down into a rabbit hole that’s gonna lead us to something we can’t even imagine. God destroyed a society because of its morality. And let’s get this straight: In this country, we don’t have a homosexual issue — that’s just a tool of the devil to continue to divide us and lead us into immorality. That’s the problem: we have because we purged God from society. We have a morality problem.”
Robinson has previously argued, in other speeches and sermons at various churches throughout the state, that the LGBTQ movement and left-wing activists have infiltrated schools and seek to indoctrinate youth into believing that homosexuality is acceptable, saying teachings about the existence of homosexuality and transgender issues have no place in schools. He previously called homosexuality and transgenderism “filth” and “garbage,” but has said those comments refer to LGBTQ-themed books in school libraries, not against LGBTQ people themselves.
That said, Robinson often relishes the criticism he receives from LGBTQ advocates and the left as a badge of pride, saying it’s important for conservatives to speak out against things they don’t believe or feel are harmful to society, comparing fights over LGBTQ issues to a “war” that threatens religious freedom.
In his sermon, he also attacked the concept of gender diversity, arguing that there is no such thing as transgender, and that there are only two genders, both of which are fixed from birth and cannot be changed.
“Ain’t but two genders — male and female. … I don’t care how much you cut yourself up, drug yourself up and dress yourself up, you still either one of two things — you either a man or a woman. You might be a cut-up, dressed-up, drugged-up ugly man or woman, but you still a man or a woman, and I don’t care who doesn’t like it.”
Robinson’s comments spurred protests in front of his Raleigh office on Friday afternoon, the evening prior to the Transgender Day of Remembrance, by those angered by his rhetoric. At the rally, organizers read the names of transgender people killed this past year in the United States — three of whom were North Carolina residents.
Gov. Roy Cooper (D) called Robinson’s comments “vile, hateful language” that he uses to “get attention.”
“[It] is not reflective of our welcoming and diverse state, and Republican leaders should condemn these comments for the good of North Carolina,” Cooper said in a statement issued by his press secretary.
Carolina Forward, a pro-LGBTQ progressive organization, criticized Robinson, saying his comments could hurt North Carolina’s economic prospects by scaring away businesses who don’t wish to be associated with a state that pushes hostile policies that could prevent them from attracting or retaining qualified employees, some of whom may by LGBTQ.
“Mark Robinson is a weak and small man who’s full of bluster and bravado,” the group tweeted. “All of us know men like that, as well as what they’re really about inside. All Robinson has is hatred and stirring up the pot. He has nothing constructive to offer, because he’s just not very smart.”
The group followed up in another tweet, writing: “FYI. Every time @markrobinsonNC has a new temper tantrum about how much he loathes gays, lesbians, teachers or whoever, he harms job growth and new business investment in North Carolina. Literally his only job is to encourage investment in NC. And he’s doing the opposite.”
FYI, every time @markrobinsonNC has a new temper tantrum about how much he loathes gays, lesbians, teachers or whoever, he harms job growth and new business investment in North Carolina.
Literally his only job is to encourage investment in NC. And he's doing the opposite. #ncpol https://t.co/hhckzHFnK9
— Carolina Forward (@ForwardCarolina) November 20, 2021
See also:
Gay, bi men in anti-LGBTQ countries at increased risk of suicidal ideation
National equality organizations launch anti-bullying website to support LGBTQ youth and parents
Virginia school board removes ban on LGBTQ books after member suggested burning them
These are challenging times for news organizations. And yet it’s crucial we stay active and provide vital resources and information to both our local readers and the world. So won’t you please take a moment and consider supporting Metro Weekly with a membership? For as little as $5 a month, you can help ensure Metro Weekly magazine and MetroWeekly.com remain free, viable resources as we provide the best, most diverse, culturally-resonant LGBTQ coverage in both the D.C. region and around the world. Memberships come with exclusive perks and discounts, your own personal digital delivery of each week’s magazine (and an archive), access to our Member's Lounge when it launches this fall, and exclusive members-only items like Metro Weekly Membership Mugs and Tote Bags! Check out all our membership levels here and please join us today!
You must be logged in to post a comment.