Want to know how bad the USA midterms were for non-right wing Americans? Look no further than Colorado. It looks a beautiful place, one of my best friends went to university there back in 2000 and only has positive things to say about the city. I’m so confused then as they’ve just elected Gordon ‘Dr. Chaps’ Klingenschmitt.
Who, I hear you ask, and quite rightly. This is the man that tried to perform an exorcist on President Obama last year. No, really, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5–Xjgja7Q). He’s also an ex-Navy Chaplin who was who was discharged after he refused to follow an order not to promote an extremist religious agenda. This is someone who should be qualifying for free mental health care, not someone who should be elected to office.
He’s also accused Obama of causing cancer, not through chemicals approved by the FDA, oh no, directly causing cancer. In his book, released in 2012, called ‘The Demons of Barack H. Obama’ he accuses Obama of practically every crime he can think of, including this fun quote, “Demonic spirits of denigration (acting through Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton): “We oppose religious values that encourage the freedom enjoyed in sexual purity, because we find sexual purity too oppressive. Instead we promote the demonic oppression caused by homosexual immorality, because we find sin to be liberating, and religion to be despised.”
When asked about LGBT equality Klingenschmitt responded with “If they’re not going to get eternal benefits in Heaven, why should we give them government rewards here on this earth? I don’t think we should.” Equality is a government reward now? Wow. He doesn’t stop with that though; his approach to transgender rights is increased spankings.
When the Maine Supreme Court approved a law allowing a transgender schoolchild to use the right bathroom for her gender he decided that of course this girl would want to expose herself to other girls, it’s where his mind goes to, “little girls should not be exposed to little boy parts! Talk about mental health problems!” I’m aware of who needs help here, Mr. Klingenschmitt, why would a girl want to flash her privates at other girls? Why is that the first thing you think of? What’s going on in your mind?
The little girl was one of twins, “for one of them to suddenly start dressing like a girl, it’s not just a choice, but it’s a demonic spirit. It’s easy to say that one of those two boys is possessed by a demon. And really what the parents ought to do is take that boy to an exorcist, take that boy to a minister. Or at least, discipline the boy. Maybe give him a spanking.”
Clearly this is someone who you can’t have a rational debate with, but I feel I should say this anyway. Being transgender is not about choice, it’s who you are. Even if it was a choice matter, no-one would choose to be trans when presented with other options, imagine the sales pitch ‘come be part of the group with the least rights, highest suicide rate and some of the lowest job prospects in the whole of the USA!’ People don’t choose to be trans, I didn’t, it just happens to some people.
Thanks to people like Klingenschmitt LGBT people and transgender folks in particular, still have a long way to go before they get the same rights as the majority. Colorado, you’ve made an interesting choice here, siding with less freedom for citizens and increased intolerance, let’s see how this goes for you.
Ugh. Colorado Springs why? I have to hope that the campaign focused on him being a vet (not what he did) and that got the vote of the air force base in that district.