- Footage has leaked of North Carolina Lt. Gov. calling homosexuality "filth."
- As a result, lawmakers are calling for his resignation.
- The White House press secretary has also condemned the comments, calling them "repugnant."
State senators are calling for the resignation of a Lieutenant Governor after a video surfaced on social media of him espousing homophobic views.
The videos show Mark Robinson of North Carolina saying "there's no reason anybody anywhere in America should be telling any child about transgenderism, homosexuality — any of that filth."
Now, North Carolina Democratic state senators Jeff Jackson and Wiley Nickel have called for Robinson to resign in light of his remarks.
The video, released by Right Wing Watch – an organization "dedicated to monitoring and exposing the activities and rhetoric of right-wing activists and organizations in order to expose their extreme agenda," according to its website – shows Robinson speaking at Asbury Baptist Church in Seagrove, North Carolina, in June 2021.
-Sen. Jeff Jackson (@JeffJacksonNC) October 7, 2021
He said that the teaching of LGBTQ facts, including homosexuality and transgenderism, is "child abuse".
"I'm saying this now, and I've been saying it, and I don't care who likes it -- those issues have no place in the school. There's no reason anybody anywhere in America should be telling any child about transgenderism, homosexuality -- any of that filth. And yes, I called it filth, and if you don't like it that I called it filth -- come see me and I'll explain it to you," the lieutenant governor said in the video.
"Topics surrounding transgenderism and homosexuality should be discussed at home and not in public education," his office said in a statement to CNN.
Senator Jackson has said that these comments are "open discrimination" and "it is completely unacceptable," calling for Robinson's resignation.
-Sen. Jeff Jackson (@JeffJacksonNC) October 7, 2021
Senator Nickel described Robinson as a "disgrace and an embarrassment" to North Carolina, adding to the calls for the Lieutenant Governor's resignation.
"I stand with the LGBTQ Community and hope you will join me in condemning this hate speech from the most senior Republican elected official in our state," Nickel added.
-Senator Wiley Nickel (@wileynickel) October 8, 2021
White House Press secretary Andrew Bates also added to the condemnation of the comments according to the Charlotte Observer, saying "These words are repugnant and offensive. 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."