Congressman Who Lamented He Could No Longer Call Women ‘Sluts’ Also Attacked LGBTQ People
U.S. Rep. Jason Lewis is a Republican representing Minnesota’s 2nd District, but just a few years ago he was a right wing radio talk show host who repeatedly attacked LGBTQ people, along with same-sex marriage and same-sex couples raising children.
“Lewis promoted extreme opinions about gays and lesbians on his radio show, comparing them to rapists, criminals, and polygamists. He contended that gay rights activists were ‘shredding the Constitution,’ and that same-sex parents ‘could harm the kid,'” as Buzzfeed’s Dominic Holden reports.
While not an attorney, Lewis in 2013 was only too happy to offer legal interpretations, albeit false ones, on the U.S. Constitution. He claimed the 14th Amendment does not require the government to treat people equally. The 14th Amendment, which is known for its Equal Protection Clause, literally states, “No State shall…deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
Not according to Lewis, who wrongly told listeners that the 14th Amendment means “that people who find themselves in similar circumstances must be treated in a similar way.”
It does not.
“When we pass a law against rape, you’re not treating a rapist equal,” Lewis told listeners in 2013, as he explained why he thought same-sex marriage should not be legal. “You must discriminate against all smokers, you must discriminate against all rapists,” he said, putting a unique spin on actual law.
“So if the law says that we’re not going to allow three people to marry, then you’ve got to treat everybody the same way,” Lewis added. “No three people can marry. Same is true for gay marriage. It’s not discrimination. It’s not unconstitutional. The law discriminates all the time. It discriminates against behavior.”
Lewis also told falsely claimed that “the gay rights lobby is playing underhanded to get their will and in the process, they are shredding the Constitution of this country.”
“They want marriage,” he continued. “They want the imprimatur of the state because they are a bit insecure in their own relationships and they want that approval. Which is rather odd because I know a number of gay people and I know a number of gay people who don’t give a whit about gay marriage and they’re the most secure ones. They tell me, ‘Ah, this whole marriage thing, who cares?’ It is the insecure activists who somehow think they have to get the approval of the straight crowd that is driving this.”
Here’s audio of Lewis from 2013 (first 40 seconds may be silent – forward if necessary):
This is far from Lewis’ only attack on LGBT people.
Last month it was revealed that as a talk radio host, Lewis lamented that Indiana’s anti-gay religious freedom law “doesn’t go far in enough in allowing discrimination,” against LGBT people. Rep. Lewis also had been upset he was no longer able to call women “sluts.”
Rep. Lewis is being challenged by Democratic nominee Angie Craig, who happens to be a lesbian, and a mother of four.