Haggard's Law

Haggard's Law “”

The louder and more frequent one's objections to homosexuality are, the more likely one is to be a homosexual.

Haggard's Law is an adage named after Pastor Ted Haggard — despite his not being gay in any way, shape or form. It is used as a purely sarcastic musing that people who strongly object to homosexuality may be likely to engage in homosexual activities, and is based on the numerous public scandals[1][2][3][4] of famous figures who oppose homosexuality and homosexual behavior.

Instances of Haggard's Law are gleefully spread by the media for an audience that revels in such scandalous behavior. [5] Contents [hide]

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1History 2Is Haggard's law true?

o o o   

2.1Penile plethysmography 2.2Implicit measures 2.3Statistics 3Ethical calculus 4Bisexuality?

5Some instances of Haggard's Law

o    

5.1In fiction 6See also 7External links 8Notes 9References

History[edit]

“”

Racists never imagine what it's like to be like the person they hate, homophobes imagine it in graphic detail for hour upon hour.

—Bob Schooley[6][Note 1]

Haggard's Law made its first published appearance in an article[7] written by Dennis DiClaudio of Comedy Central fame and is named after American evangelical preacher Ted Haggard. It was created after and is reference to a scandal[2] involving prostitute and masseur Mike Jones who alleged that Haggard had paid Jones to engage in sex with him for three years and had also purchased and used crystal methamphetamine.[8] Although Haggard denied using methamphetamine or having sex with Mr. Jones, the scandal has caused many evangelicals to view Haggard as extremely hypocritical about his spoken views,[9] as he was known to publicly preach against homosexuality.[10] Original quote by author Dennis DiClaudio:[7] Haggard's Law — The likelihood of a person harboring secret desires to engage in sexual and/or romantic activities with members of the same sex is directly proportional to the frequency and volume of said person's vocalized objections to homosexuality.

The "law" is more generally used to reference hypocrisy in public figures who lead the moral opposition of homosexuality, and then are discovered to have partaken in homosexuality or homosexual behavior.

Is Haggard's law true?[edit] So far, there are no scientific evidences supporting Haggard's law which, therefore, should be taken only as an ironic term describing some hypocritical homophobes. In fact, testing scientifically if there is some truth in Haggard's law is quite hard, because of the following reasons:

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There is no easy way to know with certainty the sexual orientation of a person. Statistical studies which rely on the sexual orientations reported by the subjects are hardly useful, since of course no homophobe would reveal their homosexuality. Methods measuring sexual arousal via biometrics are also problematic, because they measure only a physical response to a stimulus, not sexual orientation, and it is possible that similar physical responses are due to completely different psychological reasons. Probably, the only sure way to know the sexual orientation of a person would be spying on them to see if they actively look for and engage in heterosexual or homosexual activities, but of course that poses both ethical and practical problems.

The scandals behind the history of Haggard's law, although numerous, are statistically irrelevant with respect to the whole number of homophobes, who have never been caught in homosexual activities. Indeed, believing in Haggard's law because of such scandals is an instance of the Toupée fallacy.

Penile plethysmography[edit] In a 1996 study,[11] 64 men were assessed by the "homophobia index" and split into two groups: "homophobic" and "non-homophobic." Then, their arousal by homosexual and heterosexual images were measured via penile plethysmography, a rubber gauge used to measure erectile responses. In the "non-homophobic" group, 66% showed no arousal yet in the "homophobic" group only 20% managed to restrain themselves from getting aroused - and significantly underestimated their own arousal.

However, it should be noted that what was measured as arousal may have been the result of the uncomfortable feelings the homophobic group were feeling on seeing homosexual imagery. As pointed out by the authors of the study: "It is possible that viewing homosexual stimuli causes negative emotions such as anxiety in homophobic men but not in nonhomophobic men. Because anxiety has been shown to enhance arousal and erection, this theory would predict increases in erection in homophobic men. Furthermore, it would indicate that a response to homosexual stimuli is a function of the threat condition rather than sexual arousal per se." Hence, this confounding factor may explain the results more consistently.

Implicit measures[edit] Studies that rely on implicit measures both to gauge a subject's same-sex attractions as well as their level of homophobia do give credence to the suspicion that there is something to Haggard's law. [12]

Statistics[edit] By a 2011 survey, 33% of the USA population believes that "homosexuality is a way of life that should not be accepted by society".[13] On the other hand, another 2011 report estimates that about 8.2% of Americans have engaged in same-sex sexual behaviour.[14] On the basis of said polls, no more than 24.8% (8.2 / 33) of those 33% of American homophobes — i.e. one in four active gay bashers — could be a closeted homosexual. This means that a literal interpretation of Haggard's Law (e.g. 'homophobe perfectly implies homosexual') fails in at least 75.2% of cases.

However, this conclusion is flawed, as the 8.2% figure only considers those who have admitted to same-sex sexual activity.

Ethical calculus[edit] It's entirely possible to be raised to believe that homosexuality is evil yet still turn out to be homosexual. There are many ways for the human mind to rationalize this away, where everyone else is a "sinner" but you are unique, or some other cognitive dissonance. But one way to justify "sinning" is to remove more "sin" than you cause, sort of like how every third house fire fighters save they get to light one up for funzies. So if a politician or preacher manages to convince other people to avoid or give up homosexuality, then surely they have made the world "less sinful" and are thus still "good", right?

Bisexuality?[edit]

Haggard's Law could sometimes be a bit of a misnomer as the newly-outed may not only be attracted to their own sex, but "swing both ways." Haggard himself insists that he can still "exclusively have sex with my wife and be permanently satisfied." [15]

Some instances of Haggard's Law[edit] 

Ken Adkins, a notoriously anti-homosexual pastor who made the news for attacking the victims of the Orlando shooting, was arrested in August 2016 for not merely being gay, but having molested a young boy who was a member of his church. Ironically, one of his chosen lines of attack seems to have been that all gay and trans people were paedophiles, as he was banned by court order from using the phrase "child molester" without proof after numerous attacks on a local school board member via social media.[16][17]

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Gary Aldridge, pastor at Thorington Road Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, was found dead of autoerotic asphyxiation while wearing two complete rubber wetsuits, including a face mask, diving gloves and slippers, rubberized underwear, and a head mask, reportedly with one dildo in the anus covered with a condom. You read that correctly. [18][19]

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Bob Allen, anti-gay Florida politician.[20]

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Ernest Angley, internationally known televangelist, sued for sexual abuse by a former pastor, and caught on tape admitting to a homosexual encounter.[21]

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Roy Ashburn, Californian anti-gay politician caught on a DUI after picking a man up at a gay bar.[22]

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Larry Craig was a Republican Senator from Council, Idaho who is not gay and never has been gay. He is best known for his hardcore theocratic bent and for pleading guilty to "lewd conduct" in an airport restroom. [23][24] He is totally not gay.

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Rodrigo Duterte, president of the Philippines and homophobe, says he "cured himself" of homosexuality.[25]

Official photo of Mark Foley. "What, me? That kid? Naw, never!

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Mark Foley is a former United States Representative (R-FL). He is famous for validating Haggard's Law after he sent sexually explicit emails to young male congressional workers. Rep. Foley resigned from Congress when his particular scandal broke. [26] The irony was that Foley was on House committees to protect children from exploitation and fought against child pornography, as well as promoting causes like sex offender registration and requiring FBI fingerprint/background checks for adult volunteers and employees of child groups like Boy Scouts of America.[27] While being against gay marriage and gay adoption, he had previously donated to LGBT causes and was endorsed by the Log Cabin Republicans.[28] He has since come "out" and is now selling real estate in Palm Beach.[29]

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Wes Goodman, Republican state legislator for Ohio, resigned after being caught having sex with a man in his office. [30]

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Marc Goodwin, sent to prison for murdering a gay man in a homophobic attack, later became one of the first two men to receive a gay marriage in a British prison. [31]

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Ted Haggard, duh

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Dennis Hastert, possibly, although the target of his affections appear to have been students on his high school wrestling team.

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Eddie Long was the senior clergyman at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, a 25,000 member megachurch in Lithonia, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. In what has become an almost timelessly classic Christian story line, in September 2010 the homophobic minister was accused of coercing young men into sexual activity. Several plaintiffs brought suit against the heretofore triumphant exponent of the prosperity gospel. Describing Long as a 'monster' in an interview with WAGA-TV in Atlanta, one of Long's victims alleged that he offered "holy scripture to justify and support the sexual activity." [32]

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Pastor Matt Makela, a married father of five, reportedly routinely argued gay people should sublimate their same-sex desires—while he was simultaneously chatting up guys on Grindr.[33]

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Possibly Omar Mateen, the 2016 Orlando nightclub gunman. Multiple media outlets have reported that he had a gay dating app on his phone, and was a regular patron of the gay nightclub he later attacked.[34]

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Jonathan Merritt, son of James Merritt, former leader of the Southern Baptist Convention.[35][36]

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Matt Moore, who claimed to be ex-gay thanks to religion, was found using gay hook up services.[37]

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Matthew Dennis "Denny" Patterson, pastor of Nolensville Road Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, was arrested in 2018 for molesting multiple children, mostly boys, over the course of his 20 year ministry.[38]

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Possibly Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church, according to former church member Lauren Drain.[39]

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Barry Poyner, a church leader and university professor at Truman State University in northeastern Missouri, was charged with patronizing prostitution after allegedly trying to solicit an 18-year-old man on Grindr with offers of an Arby’s gift card and gas money. [40][41][42]

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Timothy Lee Reddin, anti-gay pastor from Turner Street Baptist Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas, was arrested in August 2018 for soliciting what he thought was a 14year-old boy for sex online.[43][44]

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George Rekers is a Southern Baptist minister and typical religious right activist who has written numerous books about the evils of homosexuality. Rekers has long been affiliated with James Dobson and the Family Research Council, as well as appearing as an "expert" witness in several court cases espousing how homosexuals aren't fit to raise children, and so should be prohibited from adoption.[45][46] He also testified on behalf of the Boy Scouts of America in support of their gay ban. When a judge was suspicious of Rekers' testimony, describing it as "extremely suspect" and said that Rekers "was there primarily to promote his own personal ideology", Rekers went on a tantrum describing the trial as "utterly corrupt". [45] In

May of 2010, he was spotted returning to Miami International Airport with a young Hispanic gentleman hired "to carry his bags". Like all baggage assistants, the young man had been hired from a website entitled "Rentboy.com".[47] Much hilarity ensued, of course, with Rekers even admitting he had hired the boy from the escort website—while still insisting he had only hired him for "baggage handling".[Note 2] At UCLA in the early 1970s, Rekers ran "The Sissy Boy Experiment", a reparative therapy program. The program came under intense media scrutiny following the suicide of Kirk Murphy, whose parents enrolled him in the program when he was five years old. Murphy suffered physical abuse as part of the plan to cure him of his feminine behavior. Murphy's family blames the program for his depression and eventual suicide. [48][49] 

Bill Sanderson, a family values conservative Christian Republican lawmaker from Kenton, Tennessee, resigned his seat on the same day it was revealed that he was allegedly using the online dating service Grindr to hook up with gay men. [50][51]

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Gaylard Williams, (possibly[52] former) pastor of Praise Cathedral Church of God in Seymour, Indiana, arrested for battery after soliciting gay sex at a park. After he was arrested, police discovered a gay porn DVD in his vehicle.[53]

In fiction[edit] 

The 1999 film American Beauty .

See also[edit]  

Association fallacy Psychological projection

External links[edit]    

TV Tropes: Armoured Closet Gay Days since the last prominent homophobe was caught in a gay sex scandal Ted Haggard is Completely Heterosexual Why Do All These Homosexuals Keep Sucking My Cock?

Notes[edit] 1.

2.

Jump up↑ Though, results may vary depending on context.

Jump up↑ To "handle" his "junk", perhaps?

References[edit] 1.

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Jump up↑ Florida State Representative Accused of Offering to Perform Oral Sex Claims Innocence, archived from the original at Fox News, July 27, 2007. ↑ Jump up to:2.0 2.1 Haggard admits 'sexual immorality', apologizes, archived from the original at MSNBC, November 5, 2006.

Jump up↑ US anti-gay rights senator Roy Ashburn comes out, BBC News, March 8, 2010.

Jump up↑ Former GOP Chief Pleads Guilty To Deviant Conduct, archived from the original at WLKY, June 12, 2008.

Jump up↑ In How We Lie to Ourselves, author and philosopher Alain de Botton explains on YouTube: We grow censorious and deeply disapproving of certain kinds of behavior and people.

What we don't admit is that we're so full of condemnation only because we need to ward off awareness that a part of us, in fact, really likes the condemned element.

We attack certain sexual tastes as 'utterly deviant!' and 'beyond the pale!' — precisely because we half-know that we share them somewhere inside ourselves.

So we're delighted when particular people are arrested or shamed in the press — 'what they did was utterly awful!', we insist — our outrage shielding us from any risk of spotting the connection between them and us.

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Jump up↑https://twitter.com/Rschooley/status/465275691961823232 ↑ Jump up to:7.0 7.1 ""Haggard's Law," Please Add It to Your Lexicon", Indecision Forever Jump up↑ Haggard Admits Buying Meth From Gay Escort, CBS News, November 2, 2006 Jump up↑ William Crawley, The Rise and Fall of Ted Haggard, BBC News, November 5, 2006 Jump up↑ Pastor will shut down controversial kids camp, Seattle Times Jump up↑ Adams; Wright; Lohr (1996). "Is homophobia associated with homosexual arousal?". Journal of Abnormal Psychology 105 (3): 4405. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8772014.

Jump up↑ Psychology Today: Are Homophobic People Really Gay and Not Accepting It? Jump up↑ [1] Do you think homosexuality is a way of life that should be accepted by society? (Worldwide 2011)

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Jump up↑ [2] "How many people are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender?". Williams Institute, University of California School of Law. Jump up↑ Ted Haggard Says He's Bisexual, CBS Jump up↑ Controversial pastor and activist Kenneth Adkins charged with child molestation in Brunswick Jump up↑ Controversial Georgia pastor, political activist arrested for child molestation Jump up↑ One Dildo, Two Wetsuits, One Dead Fundie Jump up↑ Dead Reverend's Rubber Fetish; Autopsy: Pastor found in wet suits after autoerotic mishap. The Smoking Gun, 8 October 2007.

Jump up↑ Florida state Rep. Bob Allen guilty in bathroom-sex case, Orlando Sentinel Jump up↑ The Rev. Ernest Angley admitted sexual encounter. ohio.com, 19 January 2019.

Jump up↑ US anti-gay rights senator Roy Ashburn comes out, BBC News Jump up↑ Thank those who kept Idaho part of round Earth Jim Fisher January 9, 2006 Lewiston Morning Tribune Jump up↑ Sen. Larry Craig Denies Wrongdoing, Leaves Romney Campaign After June Arrest Fox News Monday, August 27, 2007 Jump up↑ Homophobic Philippines President Says He 'Cured' Himself of Being GayJacob Ogles May 31, 2019 Advocate Jump up↑ Foley Quits In Page Scandal And a page means an underage boy or near underage boy, it doesn't mean a leaf in a book.

Jump up↑ Smith, R. Jeffrey "Foley Built Career as Protector of Children" in the Washington Post on 1 October 2006 Jump up↑ Nichols, John. "The Problem With the Mark Foley Problem" in The Nation on 6 October 2006 Jump up↑ Wagner, James "Ex-congressman Mark Foley helping Nationals find spring training home in Palm Beach County"in the Washington Post on 15 February 2014.

Jump up↑ Christian 'Family Values' Conservative Resigns After Sex in the Office With Another Man. dailykos.com, 16 November 2017.

Jump up↑ Convicted murderers become first gay couple to marry in prison. The Guardian, 28 March 2015.

Jump up↑ Alleged Victim Calls Pastor Eddie Long a "Monster" Jump up↑ Dan Tracer, EXCLUSIVE: Grindr Screenshots Reveal Antigay Pastor Is A Top Who Likes To Cuddle.queerty.com, 18 May 2015.

Jump up↑ Camilla Domonoske, Reports: Gunman Had Visited Nightclub Before, Used Gay Dating Apps. npr.org. 14 June 2016. Retrieved on 14 June 2016.

Jump up↑ Prominent Antigay Evangelical Blogger Outed as Gay, The Advocate Jump up↑ Jonathan Merritt: Come Out Jump up↑ Matt Moore, 'Ex-Gay' Christian Advocate, Exposed On Grindr, Huffington Post Jump up↑ Nashville pastor molested at least 8 children during 20 years as church leader, police say. www.tennessean.com, 30 March 2018.

Jump up↑ Westboro Baptist Church Founder Fred Phelps May Be Gay, Suggests Former Member Lauren Drain, HuffPo Jump up↑ Tim Fitzsimons, Professor charged with soliciting 'student' — with an Arby's card. NBC News, 18 December 2019.

Jump up↑ John Riley, Anti-gay college professor and church leader accused of soliciting men on Grindr. metroweekly.com, 17 December 2019.

Jump up↑ Evan Hurst, Y'Ain't Ever Had Romance Until You've Met Barry, The Arby's Church DILF. Wonkette, 20 December 2019.

Jump up↑ Anti-Gay Pastor Arrested For Attempting To Molest A Child. mavenroundtable.io, 12 August 2018.

Jump up↑ Pastor who hates gay people busted for soliciting gay minor for gay sex…again. queerty.com, 8 August 2018. ↑ Jump up to:45.0 45.1 Bob Egelko, Arkansas judge OKs foster care / Gay parents pose no obstacle to kids' growth, court finds.sfgate.com, 1 January 2005.

Jump up↑ Robyn E. Blumner, Making a loving home for two brothers. Tampa Bay Times, 29 November 2008.

Jump up↑ Christian right leader George Rekers takes vacation with "rent boy" Miami New Times, 6 May 2010.

Jump up↑ Therapy to change 'feminine' boy created a troubled man, family says.Anderson Cooper's report on the Sissy Boy Experiment.

Jump up↑ Jim Burroway, What Are Little Boys Made Of? Box Turtle Bulletin's analysis of the experiment.

Jump up↑ Steven Hale, 'Family Values' Lawmaker Resigns Ahead of Report on Gay Hookups. Nashville Scene, 25 July 2019.

Jump up↑ Hemant Mehta, Anti-LGBTQ TN Lawmaker Was Allegedly Using Grindr to Meet Men; He Just Resigned. The Friendly Atheist at pathos.com, 24 July 2019.

Jump up↑ Travis Gettys, Anti-LGBT Pastor Arrested for Grabbing Man’s Genitals at Indiana Park. alternet.org, 20 December 2014.

Jump up↑ Anti-Gay Pastor Gaylard Williams Offers Priceless Responses After Getting Arrested for Groping Unwilling Man. friendlyatheist.patheos.com, 22 December 2014.

Articles on RationalWiki about Eponymous laws

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Badger's Law - Borel's Law - Danth's Law - Feminist internet laws - Gore's Law - Haig's Law - Internet law - List of Poe's Law examples - Littlewood's law - Loi de Poe - Murphy's Law - Nazi analogies - PIDOOMA - Poe's Law - Rove's Law - Whale.to 波尔法则

https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Haggard%27s_Law

Deputado do PSL-SP que atacou colega transexual assume ser gay Douglas Garcia contou que vinha sendo ameaçado por pessoas com quem tinha se relacionado Sérgio Roxo e Tiago Aguiar 05/04/2019 - 16:40 / Atualizado em 05/04/2019 - 18:04

O deputado estadual Douglas Garcia Foto: Assembleia Legislativa de SP SÃO PAULO — Um dia depois de dizer que tiraria a tapa uma transexual que estivesse num banheiro feminino, o deputado estadual Douglas Garcia, do PSL, assumiu ser gay nesta sexta-feira, durante uma sessão da Assembleia Legislativa de São Paulo. Quem fez o anúncio em nome de Garcia foi a deputada estadual Janaina Paschoal, sua colega de partido.

PUBLICIDADE

— Ele tomou uma decisão, e como ele está um pouco abalado, pediu para eu fazer essa comunicação por ele. Porque hoje, depois de 25 anos, ele conseguiu conversar com os pais e dizer que é homossexual — disse a parlamentar, na tribuna.

Na sequência, emocionado, o deputado, ainda do plenário, complementou ao microfone:

— Não diminui em nada as bandeiras que eu venho defendendo aqui na Assembleia Legislativa contra a ideologia de gênero — afirmou Garcia.

A declaração ofensiva de Garcia, parlamentar de primeiro mandato, havia sido dada após o discurso da deputada estadual do PSOL Erica Malunguinho, a primeira transexual eleita para ocupar uma cadeira no Parlamento paulista. Malunguinho havia criticado um projeto de lei do deputado Altair Morais (PRB-SP) que "estabelece o sexo biológico como o único critério para definição do gênero de competidores em partidas esportivas oficiais no estado".

Ao GLOBO, o deputado disse que começou a receber dezenas de ameaças nas redes sociais após o episódio com Malunguinho, e que já vinha cogitando assumir ser gay desde que foi eleito em outubro do ano passado.

PUBLICIDADE

— Ameaçaram levar minha orientação sexual a público. Então eu me antecedi — disse ele, sem se estender sobre qual tipo de ameaça estaria sofrendo.

O parlamentar classifica como "fake news" as acusações de que seu discurso prega o ódio aos transsexuais e aos homossexuais.

— Acabaram passando uma imagem tão distorcida que pessoas com quem eu já tinha me relacionado começaram a procurar dar publicidade da minha vida privada. Queriam me colocar como se eu fosse um gay enrustido que até então estava se segurando e, por isso, saia xingando todo mundo. Não tem nada a ver. E sempre bati e vou continuar batendo na militância LGBT. Continuo sendo radicalmente contra o movimento LGBT, mas agora com mais credibilidade ainda.

Na sessão de quinta-feira da Assembleia, o deputado PSL havia elogiado o projeto de Altair Morais que estabelece o sexo biológico como o único critério para definição do gênero de competidores esportivos.

PUBLICIDADE

— Eu gostaria aqui de parabenizar o projeto de lei do deputado Altair Moraes. É um projeto de lei muito eficiente. Se por acaso dentro do banheiro uma mulher, em que a minha irmã ou a minha mãe, estiver utilizando, e entrar um homem que se sente mulher, ou que pode ter alegando o que ele quiser

e colocado o que quiser, porém eu não estou nem aí, eu vou tirar primeiro no tapa e depois chamar a polícia para ir levar.

Garcia, de 25 anos, é vice-presidente do movimento Direita São Paulo. Durante a campanha, disse que gostaria de se eleger deputado estadual, entre outros motivos, para criar um "um projeto de lei que proíba qualquer repasse de dinheiro público para a agenda LGBT". Em sua página no Facebook conta ter estado na linha de frente da organização das marchas contra a lei de Migração, pela revogação do estatuto do desarmamento, em defesa da família pela vida dos policiais militares.

Também se orgulha de ter apresentado na Câmara Municipal o projeto escola sem partido e infância sem pornografia.

PUBLICIDADE

Morador de uma favela na Zona Sul da capital paulista, o deputado se elegeu com 74.351 votos no ano passado. Nesta sexta-feira, após assumir ser gay em plenário, postou no Twitter que vai lutar pela posse de arma para combater a homofobia. "Como meu primeiro tuíte, agora que todo mundo sabe que eu sou gay, minha primeira medida contra a homofobia é pedir ao nosso presidente Jair Bolsonaro facilitar o porte de armas de fogo."

https://oglobo.globo.com/brasil/deputado-do-psl-sp-que-atacou-colega-transexual-assumeser-gay-23576606

Marcos Feliciano is not gay