On AR Watch—an online watchdog group dedicated to publicizing corrupt or problematic figures in the Arkansas state legislature—just published a video showing one Arkansas Republican state representative calling trans people "abominations."
The lawmaker said it while speaking on the Arkansas House floor.
GOP Representative Mary Bentley—while arguing for the adoption of a bill to ban gender-affirming treatments for all trans youth in the state of Arkansas—quoted a Bible passage suggesting trans people are unholy.
"A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor man put on any woman's garments. For all who do so are an abomination."
Bentley's hypocrisy was called out immediately.
Bentley and her Republican colleagues were able to get the bill, nicknamed the "Arkansas Save Adolescents From Experimentation (SAFE) Act," passed and made law through an override of the governor's veto.
When the clip was posted, Twitter exploded with condemnation of Bentley's hurtful, intolerant parochial speech.
Arkansas' constitution nor the United States Constitution establish a theocracy. Bentley's Evangelical Christian views and Bible references have no place in determining state law.
A few dusted off some biblical knowledge of their own.
On AR Watch went on to explain the slew of other anti-LGBTQ+ legislative efforts spearheaded or backed by Bentley.
"Soon after she filed HB1749, which would require teachers to call students by the name on their birth certificates. Bently claimed this wasn't an attack on Trans kids, but what else would it be? HB1749 failed, but four other anti-trans bills passed and have been signed into law."
"Recently in a legislative committee meeting, Bently and other Watchlist members, raked University of Arkansas officials over the coals for Chancellor Joseph Steinmetz's recommendation to remove to move Fulbrights statute from Old Main. Bently claimed that efforts of inclusion are divisive and lead to exclusion."
"She cited Christianity, but was unable to pinpoint exactly how Christians had been excluded."
With the GOP carrying an overwhelming majority in the Arkansas state legislature, it's difficult to see any way to slow down Bentley and her equally intolerant colleagues use of their Evangelical Christian beliefs to bully LGBTQ+ people.
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