Florida Rep. Webster Barnaby apologizes for calling trans people ‘demons’ and ‘mutants’
A Republican lawmaker in Florida has apologized for referring to transgender people as “demons” and “mutants” during a state legislative hearing.
State Rep. Webster Barnaby made the comments Monday during a House Commerce Committee hearing on the Private Spaces Act, which would prevent transgender men and women from using a bathroom that doesn’t correspond to their “biological sex.”
“We have people that live among us today on planet Earth that are happy to display themselves as if they were mutants from another planet,” Barnaby said, according to the Tallahassee Democrat.
“This is the planet Earth where God created men male and women female. I’m a proud Christian conservative Republican. I’m not on the fence, not on the fence,” Barnaby continued after a number of transgender people testified before the panel.
He then spoke directly to them, saying, “That’s right, I called you demons and imps who come and parade before us and pretend that you are part of this world.”
The backlash was immediate and furious, leading to Barnaby’s mea culpa.
“I would like to apologize to the trans community for referring to you as demons,” said Barnaby, who represents Deltona, the most populous city in Volusia County.
Among those criticizing Barnaby were other lawmakers and the sheriff in his district.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood accused Barnaby of putting “another target on their backs.”
“While we have Neo Nazis and other hate groups invading our area and targeting people for their faith, their ethnicity and their sexuality, our own state representative @websterbarnaby wants to put another target on their backs,” Chitwood said on Twitter.
Rep. Kristen Arrington, a Democrat from Kissimmee, spoke after Barnaby and lauded the transgender people who testified for their “bravery.”
“Also to tell that I see you, hear you, understand and love you,” Arrington said, the Tallahassee Democrat reported.
“Definitely, I’m still a little bit thrown off from the last comments here and just really want to let you all know that there are many here that understand and support you,” she said.
Posting later on Twitter, Arrington called Barnaby’s comments “disgusting and unacceptable.”
“I have not been this upset or almost speechless since being a member of the Florida House. I walked out of this committee during Rep Barnaby’s bill presentations,” she wrote.
Republican Rep. Chase Tramont, who sponsored the bill, tried to separate himself from Barnaby’s remarks.
“I’m also a Christian man, and I just want to say to some of the folks in here who shared their testimony, I appreciated you coming up. You’re not an evil being. I believe that you’re fearfully and wonderfully made,” Tramont said.
“And I want you to live your life as well. There’s no easy way to go about addressing legislation. There’s no easy way to make everybody happy on all sides. There just isn’t,” the Port Orange lawmaker said.
The committee passed the legislation, advancing it to the state House.
The Private Spaces Act is one of a number of measures in the Florida legislature focusing on transgender people.
The Senate is working on a bill that would make it a felony to provide gender-affirming care to minors and block state funds from being used to cover such care for adults.
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