The Republican demonstration of transgender people reached a new level on Friday when Florida Rep. Webster Barnaby (R) compared the group to “mutants” during a speech in the nation’s capital Monday.
The congressman – who represents the city of Deltona, 30 minutes from Daytona Beach – made the comments while discussing Florida. BILL BILL 1521which criminalizes the use of public bathrooms for transgender people.
According to the Tallahassee DemocratBarnaby called himself a “proud Christian conservative Republican” before equating transgender citizens with characters from the Marvel comic book saga “X-Men.”
Taking the mic after some transgender Floridians blasted the bill, the legislator told his colleagues, “We have people living among us right now on planet Earth who like to present themselves as if they were mutants from another planet.”
He went on to call transgender people “demons and imps who come and parade before us and pretend you’re part of the world.”
The bill was then approved by the Florida Commerce Committee and will now be voted on by the entire House of Representatives. A Senate version of the bill must be approved by the Fiscal Policy Committee before the chamber’s vote.
After Barnaby’s comments, Kissimmee, Florida, politician Rep. Kristen Arrington (D) stepped in to celebrate transgender activists in the audience for their “courage.”
Wilfred Lee via Associated Press
“Also to tell you that I see you, hear you, know you and love you,” Arrington said. “Obviously, I’m still a little bit blown away by my last comment here and really want you to know that there are a lot of people out there who understand and support you.”
HB1521 is one of 10 anti-LGBTQ laws being considered in the Sunshine State. Florida has voted to continue its ban on gender-affirming treatments for transgender youth and public drag performances.
Last year, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed the state’s “Don’t Talk Gay” bill into law, banning discussion of gender and sexuality for Florida students in kindergarten through third grade.