Rep says gays ‘worthy of death’ in GOP policy meeting

By Rob Howard
Associate Editor

Freshman US Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA) in a GOP policy meeting last Thursday quoted Bible verses that say the penalty for homosexuality should be death, and urged fellow lawmakers to vote against legislation that would protect LGBT workers.

The provision that Allen objected to was made a part of a $37.4 billion water and energy infrastructure bill by an amendment sponsored by openly gay Democratic Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney. Maloney’s amendment, which was the subject of huge controversy earlier in the month, would have protected LGBT workers of government contractors.

In an earlier bill, Maloney’s amendment would have voided a provision inserted in the defense authorization bill by Oklahoma GOP Rep. Steve Russell that undercut President Obama’s executive order protecting LGBT workers of government contractors. That measure passed by Republicans, since it provided broad ‘religious freedom’ exemptions for religious and religiously affiliated organizations that receive federal contracts, according to Towleroad.com.

During a vote, GOP leadership held voting open while leaders, including Oklahoma’s Tom Cole, tried to get GOP members who supported the LGBT rights measure to change their vote. They were ultimately successful, but the chaos surrounding the vote led to Speaker Paul Ryan issuing new procedures that require amendments to be made in writing to be considered. That was not the case before Ryan’s action.

Maloney has promised to propose his amendment for every spending bill that comes up. He proposed it for the water and energy bill, and it passed with the support of over 40 GOP representatives. That success was the target of Rep. Allen.

Allen “quoted Bible verses and told his fellow Republicans that they are ‘going to hell’ if they vote for a vital spending bill later that morning because of an attached amendment that would protect LGBT workers,” according to TheNewCivilRightsMovement.com.

"A good number of members were furious," one Republican told Politico. "There was some Scripture that was read and the like. ... Nothing good was going to happen to those that supported [the LGBT provision]. A good number of members were furious."

Several moderate Republicans who supported Maloney’s amendment walked out of the meeting in protest, according to many media reports.

The water and energy bill failed on a House vote, with opposition by both conservative Republicans for the LGBT provisions, and by liberal Democrats because the bill included provisions that would have barred federal money from being spent on a program that federal agencies use to calculate the ‘climate benefits’ of regulations. Only six Democrats voted for the legislation.

After media reports of Rep. Allen’s comments that LGBT people are “worthy of death,” the Human Rights Campaign issued a statement calling on leadership to condemn Allen’s remarks.

HRC Senior Vice President of Policy and Political Affairs JoDee Winterhof issued the following statement:

"House Speaker Paul Ryan and the other members of the House Republican Leadership have a responsibility to immediately condemn Representative Allen's vile and dangerous remarks this morning at an official meeting of the House Republican Conference, during which he said LGBT people are 'worthy of death.' At a time when LGBT people face staggering rates of discrimination, harassment and violence, Representative Allen's comments spread hate that does real harm. Representative Allen should apologize or be censured -- and Republican leaders must make clear that they will not tolerate lawmakers who sow hatred and violence against LGBT people."

The Gayly – May 31, 2016 @ 2 p.m. Copyright 2016 by The Gayly.