Virginia GOP Congressman rails against gay marriage, transgender shelter access in House floor speech
Bob Good says everything that "plagues our society" is due to "failure to follow God's...rules for and definition of marriage and family."
A Republican Congressman’s remarks railing against gay marriage and transgender people’s ability to access shelters on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives has sparked a backlash against him on social media.
U.S. Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) made the comments during debate over the Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act of 2021, a piece of legislation that funds emergency shelters and support services for domestic violence survivors.
“Nearly everything that plagues our society can be attributed to a failure to follow God’s law and his rules for and definition of marriage and family,” Good said in his speech.
Good attacked the bill’s provisions, which prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in shelters and support services, and require that shelters that offer sex-segregated or sex-specific programming provide “comparable services to individuals who cannot be provided with the sex-segregated or sex-specific programming.” Good claimed that such provisions would “coerce faith-based providers… to violate their deeply held beliefs or stop their work altogether.”
In a statement to the British newspaper The Independent, Good said he opposed the bill because it would require faith-based providers of shelter or support services to “accept views on sexual orientation and gender identity that violate their deeply held beliefs.”
“I believe in God’s definition of marriage without apology, and I will continue to oppose any effort to further undermine timeless truths regarding gender and life,” Good said in the statement. “Democrats would rather a Christian shelter not serve victims, than continue to hold religious views that do not align with their agenda.”
See also: Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin criticized for opposing marriage equality
Good was dragged on Twitter by left-wing critics.
“Not only is this completely false Rep. Bob Good, this is grossly insulting to all survivors and victims of domestic abuse,” the Secular Coalition for America tweeted.
Not only is this completely false @RepBobGood, this is grossly insulting to all survivors and victims of domestic abuse. https://t.co/4eKrbmNcs5
— Secular Coalition for America (@seculardotorg) October 26, 2021
“Every day America grows closer to The Handmaid’s Tale,” lamented one Twitter user.
Every day America grows closer to The Handmaid’s Tale.
— pat schwenk (@patschwenk2) October 26, 2021
Author Hemant Mehta tweeted that it was “especially ironic” that Good had previously worked as an associate athletic director for development for Liberty University.
“That’s Liberty U., the school known for following God’s rules… and for repeatedly ignoring/dismissing claims of sexual assault by female students,” Mehta tweeted.
This is especially ironic since Bob Good previously worked as a fundraiser for Liberty University’s athletics program.
That's Liberty U., the school known for following God's rules… and for repeatedly ignoring/dismissing claims of sexual assault by female students. https://t.co/KRrYTeIAoZ
— Hemant Mehta (@hemantmehta) October 26, 2021
Former U.S. Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-Va.), whom Good defeated in a special convention rather than a traditional primary — citing Riggleman’s decision to officiate the wedding of two gay campaign volunteers to paint the then-congressman as insufficiently conservative — got the last word, simply tweeting: “What plagues our society are idiots.”
What plagues our society are idiots https://t.co/T3QNYXb3qj
— Denver Riggleman (@RepRiggleman) October 26, 2021
See also:
What Virginia’s elections mean for the LGBTQ community
Conservatives fume over Twix video featuring non-binary child
Florida teacher receives death threats after taking students to gay bar on field trip
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