The nephew of a Missouri congresswoman who sobbed whereas pleading together with her colleagues to vote in opposition to homosexual marriage has condemned his aunt for bigotry, saying: ‘I do not need my final identify to be related to hate.’
Vicky Hartzler, a Republican, cried within the Capitol on Thursday whereas talking in opposition to the homosexual marriage invoice which the Home finally handed.
The 62-year-old was in tears, her voice quavering, as she instructed the Home: ‘I hope and pray that my colleagues will discover the braveness to hitch me in opposing this misguided, and this harmful invoice.’
On Friday, Hartzler’s nephew Andrew Hartzler mentioned she was misguided, and must study tolerance and acceptance.
He got here out to her in February, regardless of her lengthy historical past of rejecting LGBTQ rights, and her determination in 2019 to sponsor an occasion organized by proponents of conversion remedy.
Andrew Hartzler, 23, filmed a TikTok on Friday which went viral with 154,000 views as of Friday night, noting: ‘So, regardless of my popping out to my aunt this previous February, I assume she’s nonetheless as a lot of a homophobe.’
GOP Rep. Vicky Hartzler broke down and cried on the Home ground Thursday in opposition to the homosexual marriage invoice the Home handed
Andrew Hartzler printed a TikTok criticizing his aunt on Friday which has gone viral, with 154,000 views
He instructed BuzzFeed Information he wasn’t shocked by her efficiency on Thursday.
‘At first I simply thought that it was an outdated video as a result of that form of rhetoric is sort of widespread from my aunt,’ he mentioned.
‘However I noticed that it was from at present and what she was speaking about, and, yeah, I wasn’t actually shocked.’
He mentioned he thought it was ‘bizarre’ that she was crying, however was certain her emotion was actual.
‘I do not assume that was a efficiency. Figuring out my aunt, I feel these had been real tears.’
He mentioned he isn’t near his aunt, who invited him to Thanksgiving at her home, however whose invitation he declined, not feeling welcome.
He additionally has a tough relationship along with his deeply conservative dad and mom, however felt that he wanted to reply to his aunt’s rhetoric.
‘I do really feel compelled to talk out after I see this simply to counter these messages,’ he mentioned.
‘I do not need my final identify to be related to hate. I would like it to be related to love.’
Andrew Hartzler mentioned he didn’t need his final identify to be ‘related to hate’
Andrew has been within the highlight earlier than, after he sued the evangelical Oral Roberts College in Tulsa, Oklahoma – a college he didn’t select, however the one one his father mentioned he would pay tuition charges.
Like all college students, Hartzler had signed a pledge on arrival stating: ‘I cannot interact in or try to interact in any illicit, unscriptural sexual acts, which embody any gay exercise and sexual activity with one who shouldn’t be my partner. I cannot be united in marriage aside from the wedding between one man and one lady.’
The president of the college, William Wilson, preached throughout one of many necessary twice-weekly sermons that ‘if a person has sexual relations with a person as one does with a girl, each of them have carried out what’s detestable, they’re put to dying.’
Wilson requested the assembled college students to shut their eyes, bow their heads and lift their hand in the event that they in the event that they wanted ‘therapeutic on this space of sexuality.’
He’s now a part of a federal class motion lawsuit through which plaintiffs are suing the Division of Schooling to cease spiritual colleges from receiving federal funds in the event that they discriminate in opposition to LGBTQ college students. Underneath present regulation, such colleges obtain spiritual exemptions from complying with Title IX anti-discrimination legal guidelines.
In his TikTok from Friday, Andrew Hartzler mentioned his aunt was mistaken to argue that spiritual rights had been curtailed by homosexual marriage.
Hartzler is a part of a category motion swimsuit suing his college over discrimination, arguing they need to not obtain federal funds
Andrew Hartzler mentioned his aunt wanted to respect different folks’s methods of life
‘It is extra such as you need the ability to power your spiritual beliefs onto everybody else, and since you do not have that energy, you’re feeling such as you’re being silenced,’ he mentioned within the TikTok.
‘However you are not. You are simply gonna need to study to coexist with all of us. And I am certain it is not that tough.’
He mentioned he hopes his phrases right here and in his TikTok make his aunt reckon with the affect of her rhetoric.
‘I actually want that she would see how dangerous her phrases are and that she would not use her political energy to proceed instilling spiritual exemptions into civil rights legal guidelines and permitting colleges to actively discriminate in opposition to LGBTQ folks,’ he mentioned.
‘I feel that she’s attempting to play the sufferer when actually she’s the perpetrator of loads of hurt being carried out, and I really feel like she must take duty.’
Vicky Hartzler, an evangelical Christian, ran for Missouri’s Senate seat this 12 months however misplaced a GOP main to Eric Schmitt.
Former President Trump declined to endorse her race, writing on Fact Social: ‘I do not assume she has what it takes to tackle the Radical Left Democrats.’
His aunt on Thursday instructed the Home: ‘That is one more step towards the Democrats purpose of dismantling the standard household, silencing voices of religion and completely undoing our nation’s God-woven basis.
‘That is one more step towards the Democrats purpose of dismantling the standard household, silencing voices of religion and completely undoing our nation’s God woven basis,’ the Missouri Republican mentioned as her voice quivered
Nancy Pelosi celebrates the invoice’s passing with Chuck Schumer and bipartisan members of Congress
Pelosi choked up earlier in asserting the invoice’s passing
‘That is the Democrats’ precedence.
‘Effectively, Mr. Speaker, I will let you know my precedence – defend spiritual liberty, defend folks of religion and defend People who imagine within the true that means of marriage.
‘I hope and pray that my colleagues will discover the braveness to hitch me in opposing this misguided, and this harmful invoice.’
Speaker Nancy Pelosi cried for the other motive after the invoice handed – wiping away tears as she celebrated the invoice’s passing – one of many final payments that can cross below her management.
She had change into choked up earlier, when asserting the invoice’s passing.
‘I used to be emotional, I am sorry,’ she mentioned after banging the gavel a number of instances on the desk.
Thirty-nine Republicans joined all Democrats in voting ‘sure’ on the invoice, sending it to President Biden’s desk on a 258-169 vote.
One different Republican voted ‘current’ and 4 didn’t vote.
Final week, 12 Republicans joined all Democrats to vote for the laws within the Senate, breaking a 60-vote filibuster.
The Respect for Marriage Act requires states to acknowledge any marriage that occurred in one other state and and formally repeals the ‘Protection of Marriage Act’ that acknowledged marriage was between one man and one lady.
The best to same-sex marriage has been authorized in all 50 states for the reason that 2012 ruling Obergefell v. Hodges. The invoice, nevertheless, doesn’t codify Obergefell, that means if the Supreme Court docket overturned that ruling states may outlaw homosexual marriage however must acknowledge married same-sex companions if the ceremony happened in one other state.
The invoice happened in gentle of the Dobbs determination, when Justice Clarence Thomas instructed different substantive due course of opinions – like homosexual marriage or the precise to contraception – might be reconsidered.
Final month a bipartisan group of senators added a non secular freedom modification to the invoice stipulating that nonprofit spiritual organizations wouldn’t have to offer items or companies for a wedding celebration and their stance on marriage wouldn’t impact any federal advantages or tax exemptions.
