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Florida Republican state Representative Webster Barnaby has come under fire for his remarks during a recent speech at the state capital, where he likened transgender people to “mutants" from X-Men.
Speaking about the Florida House Bill 1521, which seeks to criminalize the use of public bathrooms by transgender people, Barnaby stated that there are “people that live among us today on planet Earth that are happy to display themselves as if they were mutants from another planet.”
Barnaby, who represents the city of Deltona, also called transgender people “demons and imps who come and parade before us and pretend that you are part of this world.”
You can hear his remarks in the video below.
\u201cFlorida Republican Rep. Webster Barnaby directly compared trans people to mutants in X-Men and called the trans people, including children, present in the room "demons and imps."\n\nThis was during debate for HB1421 that would criminalize trans people using bathrooms.\u201d— Alejandra Caraballo (@Alejandra Caraballo) 1681161065
Barnaby's comments have been widely criticized by activists and politicians, with many calling out the demonization of transgender people.
Democratic state Representative Kristen Arrington, who represents Kissimmee, spoke up in support of transgender activists, celebrating their "bravery" and assuring them that there are many who understand and support them.
She said:
“Also to tell that I see you, hear you, understand and love you. 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.”
Many have condemned Barnaby's remarks and expressed their support for the transgender community.
\u201c@Esqueer_ @Marston4ca42 Not a just a bigot, but apparently totally missed the point of X-Men as well.\u201d— Alejandra Caraballo (@Alejandra Caraballo) 1681161065
\u201c@Esqueer_ I know everybody is making fun of him because he got X-Men all wrong. But I think it\u2019s just depressing. That he - of all people - would talk about other human beings in such a dehumanizing way..\u201d— Alejandra Caraballo (@Alejandra Caraballo) 1681161065
\u201c@Esqueer_ He\u2019s like, \u201cI am a comic book villain. I admit this openly. Trans people are the heroes. I hate them.\u201d\u201d— Alejandra Caraballo (@Alejandra Caraballo) 1681161065
\u201c@Esqueer_ Something something seperation of church and state?\u201d— Alejandra Caraballo (@Alejandra Caraballo) 1681161065
\u201c@Esqueer_ Bro knows that the x-men are the heroes right? Anyone wana tell him?\u201d— Alejandra Caraballo (@Alejandra Caraballo) 1681161065
\u201c@Esqueer_ Mutants aren\u2019t from space either\u2026 they\u2019re from earth\u2026 so not only is he a bigot he\u2019s a bigot who knows nothing about X-Men.\u201d— Alejandra Caraballo (@Alejandra Caraballo) 1681161065
\u201c@Esqueer_ Someone missed the point of the X-Men movies. Can we now hear from Trump about how Lex Luthor was misunderstood?\u201d— Alejandra Caraballo (@Alejandra Caraballo) 1681161065
\u201c@Esqueer_ So he literally gets the thesis of X-Men for the first 30 seconds, and then it almost feels like he might be becoming a little self aware--right up until he screams "Earth" and tells us without telling us that he'd literally be the villain in all of those movies.\u201d— Alejandra Caraballo (@Alejandra Caraballo) 1681161065
HB1521 has now been approved by Florida’s Commerce Committee and is headed for a vote by the entire House. It seeks to criminalize the use of public bathrooms by transgender people, an issue that has been heavily debated in recent years.
Last month, transgender Florida State University senior Kaleb Hobson-Garcia addressed the Florida legislature to speak out against the measure.
Dressed in a suit and sporting a full beard, Hobson-Garcia challenged lawmakers, asking whether they would like him to use the women's restroom if the bill passed. He argued the bill is "rooted in trans misogyny" and "a hatred of trans women" and non-passing trans people.
According to Hobson-Garcia, the passing of the bill would endanger his safety and potentially lead to hostile confrontations both inside and outside of restrooms.