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Joe Harding, a Republican who serves in the Florida House of Representatives and best known as the architect behind Florida's highly controversial "Don't Say Gay" bill, found himself making headlines for a different reason after his house in Ocala, Florida was hit by a tornado that touched down over the weekend.
The house suffered damage but Harding's family members were not hurt. Harding was not home at the time of the incident.
According to The National Weather Service, the storm had estimated wind speeds of 110 mph. The tornado wreaked havoc on the ground for about 35 minutes, causing at least $12.3 million in property damage in Marion County, according to county property appraiser Jimmy Cowan.
Harding, meanwhile, said he and his family have "so much to be thankful for" expressing relief neither he nor his family were dealt any harm by the violent storm.
Writing on Facebook, he said:
“This message is for those impacted by the tornadoes today in Ocala. Please stay out from under trees, there are many hanging limbs that are often referred to as ‘Widow Makers.'"
“Today was a tough day for all of us. We have so much to be thankful for, material things can be replaced, human life cannot.”
But for many who've criticized Harding in recent weeks since the "Don't Say Gay" bill became a hot topic in the political arena, the tornado might as well have been a case of divine intervention.
The GQP sponsor/author of Florida\u2019s homophobic bigoted Don\u2019t Say Gay Or Trans Bill named Joe Harding has had his home destroyed by a tornado in Ocala.\n\nThat\u2019s called Karma. Good.— Ricky Davila \ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Ricky Davila \ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1647319829
God sent an F-U tornado to punish Joe Harding's homophobia with homelessness. The tornado took his home, his eyebrows, and created a fabulous rainbow that Joe did not appreciate.https://twitter.com/LanceUSA70/status/1503703347894923267\u00a0\u2026— Raymond-19 (@Raymond-19) 1647369795
Couldn\u2019t happen to a nicer person. \n\nNo, I lied: almost anybody else is nicer\u2026https://twitter.com/aliasvaughn/status/1503476109534535691\u00a0\u2026— Aaron Walker (@Aaron Walker) 1647316574
The last few years have been some of Karma's best.https://twitter.com/aliasvaughn/status/1503476109534535691\u00a0\u2026— PrincessFluffyFluff \ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\udf3b (@PrincessFluffyFluff \ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\udf3b\ud83c\udf3b) 1647337351
God don't like ugly, Joe.https://twitter.com/aliasvaughn/status/1503476109534535691\u00a0\u2026— Heidi Hafeken Not So Angry Jersey Girl (@Heidi Hafeken Not So Angry Jersey Girl) 1647348660
I just snort laughed so loudly I woke up my dog and my partner https://twitter.com/DianaDemarest/status/1503484807388577803\u00a0\u2026— Wolf \ud83d\udc3a (@Wolf \ud83d\udc3a) 1647347497
The sponsor of the recent homophobic law in Florida had his house hit by a tornado. My aim is getting better!https://floridapolitics.com/archives/508124-joe-hardings-home-among-those-damaged-by-ocala-tornado/\u00a0\u2026— God (@God) 1647352127
Florida GOP Rep. Joe Harding the author of the \u2018Don\u2019t Say Gay\u2019 bill. The controversial legislation which was passed by the Florida Senate last week. Well over the weekend his house in Ocala was hit by a tornado. I wonder if it looked like this.pic.twitter.com/IhZldV7rtS— Major Tom to Ground Control (@Major Tom to Ground Control) 1647368773
imagine writing a bigoted amendment to a bigoted bill that would require schools to out students to their parents and then having your house DAMAGED BY A FUCKING TORNADO IN FLORIDA. if that's not a sign you're in the wrong idk what ishttps://floridapolitics.com/archives/508124-joe-hardings-home-among-those-damaged-by-ocala-tornado/\u00a0\u2026— zo\u00eb!! (@zo\u00eb!!) 1647317491
Florida’s Republican-sponsored Parental Rights in Education bill, or H.B. 1557, was recently passed by the state's House of Representatives and Senate. The bill, colloquially known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, aims to “reinforce the fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding the upbringing and control of their children in a specified manner.”
The bill wants to prohibit “a school district from encouraging classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a specified manner” and authorizes parents to “bring an action against a school district to obtain a declaratory judgment that a school district procedure or practice violates certain provisions of law.”
Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has thrown his support behind the legislation, indicating that he will sign it into law.