Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene lashed out at Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg once again during an appearance in Michigan.
This time, Greene accused Buttigieg of trying to "emasculate the way we drive" in a bizarre rally speech in which she suggested there is nothing more American than “the roar of a V8 engine under the hood of a Ford Mustang or Chevy Camaro and incredible feel of all that horsepower."
Greene went on to suggest Buttigieg and his fellow Democrats "want to emasculate the way we drive" and force people "to rely on electric vehicles after they shut down your great Michigan auto industry.”
You can hear what Greene said in the video below.
\u201cGreene: Democrats like Pete Buttigieg want to emasculate the way we drive\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1664657186
Greene's remarks appear to reference recent remarks Buttigieg made about California’s ban on selling gasoline-fueled cars, which is scheduled to go into effect in 2035.
Earlier this year, Buttigieg moved to Traverse City, Michigan, the hometown of his husband, educator and activist Chasten Buttigieg. He recently indicated that he's "really interested" in California's ban on new gas-powered vehicles in favor of electric ones, saying that it is imperative "that this happens quickly enough to help us beat climate change."
Republicans have attacked his proposals for supporting environmentally friendly transportation methods.
\u201cBiden Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says he's "really interested" in California's ban on new gas-powered vehicles:\n\n"We've gotta make sure that this happens quickly enough to help us beat climate change."\u201d— RNC Research (@RNC Research) 1662857312
Greene was swiftly ridiculed for attacks and suggestion that driving is a gender-specific activity.
\u201cWhat does this even mean (other than some veiled homophobia)? \nWhen did driving become masculine?\u201d— Victoria Brownworth (@Victoria Brownworth) 1664676190
\u201c\u201cGay democrats want to make your cars homosexual\u201d is a real talking point\u201d— Alexander (@Alexander) 1664674247
\u201cIt's clips like this that make me realize that this cannot be won with reasonable discourse.\u201d— Andyroo (@Andyroo) 1664679524
\u201c"car engine porn"? The biggest \u2744\ufe0fs always trying to project alpha energy.\u201d— Black Mamba (@Black Mamba) 1664716425
\u201c\ud83e\udd2c Somebody needs to hold them accountable for being a horrible human being.\u201d— Ember (@Ember) 1664664674
\u201cGood ol' Marge unencumbered by the facts as usual; GM is investing 6.5 billion in Lansing to build EV's and adding 4000 jobs and that's just GM alone, but we live in a post-truth apocalypse so carry on I guess...\u201d— John Lippoenen (@John Lippoenen) 1664665512
\u201cOnly the GOP thinks what you drive makes you a man. They certainly don\u2019t value being a decent husband or father.\u201d— Jay Maynard (@Jay Maynard) 1664670491
\u201cThe penis option wasn't available on my Mazda. Must be on American models only.\u201d— theresa I'm not a nice person. Not sorry! (@theresa I'm not a nice person. Not sorry!) 1664675113
Buttigieg has regularly been the target of homophobic attacks from members of the Republican Party, most notably from Greene, who is one of the more vocally anti-LGBTQ+ members of Congress.
In March, she was criticized after she launched into an attack against Buttigieg and his husband Chasten, demanding they “stay out of our girls' bathrooms" and suggested that they are both sexual predators.
Colorado Republican Representative Lauren Boebert, who has often been compared to Greene for employing similar rhetoric, criticized Buttigieg for taking parental leave amid a global supply-chain crisis, saying he was "not working" because he was "trying to figure out how to chestfeed."
Gendered pejoratives have historically been directed at gay men, and their use is often linked to sexism and bias against a sexual orientation and practices that have long challenged established cisgender heterosexual norms.
