Last week marked the first time the Speaker of the House was ousted in American history when Kevin McCarthy was voted out of his position by Democrats and eight Republicans. Now, North Carolina Congressman Patrick McHenry is the temporary speaker and will preside over congress until a speaker is selected.
The lawmaker, however, has a history of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments dating back to his first year in office. Just this week, former lobbyist Jimmy Williams came forward on social media claiming McHenry banned him from the congressional office because of his sexual orientation.
The tweet read:
“Hey, Mr. Acting Speaker, remember when I was your lobbyist from @realtors? You banned me from your office because I was gay. I’ve never forgotten. Ever. Now that you’re the Acting Speaker, you should answer for what you did to me aka blatant homophobia.”
Williams called for the House Ethics Committee to investigate into the “blatant homophobia” displayed by the current speaker, but McHenry’s history with controversial opinions regarding the LGBTQ+ community is, at a minimum, extensive.
After McHenry was elected in 2005, he voiced his opposition to same-sex marriage stating it was an “organized effort by the radical left and their allies in Hollywood and academia to destroy our traditional American culture.” He also put out a statement after the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled gay couples are entitled to the same rights as straight couples, despite not being a representative from that state.
“First Massachusetts and today, New Jersey, have shown us all why we desperately need a federal constitutional amendment protecting traditional marriage and we need it now,” he said. “A few liberal judges in these two states have abused their positions of trust by legislating from the bench. This is another attempt to destroy the institution that is the cornerstone of civilization and family life – marriage.”
These sentiments appear to have remained constant through almost two decades as just last year, McHenry with 168 other Republicans voted against The Respect of Marriage Act, which protects same-sex and interracial marriage. Most recently, McHenry voted for a bill that would bar transgender women and girls from playing on the team for their gender identity. He also voted against the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the Equality Act and the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
However, the calls for damnation for all LGBTQ+ people may be coming from “inside the house” as Qnotes’ former editor Matt Comer reported on rumors in 2010 regarding McHenry’s sexuality. The allegations initially came from anti-LGBTQ+ activists Peter LaBarbera and Mike Rodgers, who claimed McHenry’s marriage, which happened months after the Qnotes article appeared, was a sham.
From the joint statement:
“McHenry is getting married in June, but that does not settle the question, as there is a history of ‘closeted’ homosexuals entering into sham marriages to cover up their illicit lifestyle,” according to LaBarbera.
To date, there is no evidence McHenry has ever addressed the allegations. In addition to his residence in Washington, D.C., public records show he also maintains a home with his wife in the greater metropolitan Charlotte area in Denver, North Carolina, located in Lincoln County.