Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene has made multiple hate comments previously against religion and the LGBTQ community and is known for her QAnon views. Photo / Getty Images
Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene has made multiple hate comments previously against religion and the LGBTQ community and is known for her QAnon views. Photo / Getty Images
Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is at the centre of yet another controversy in the United States today after hanging a "sickening" sign outside the office of a Democratic colleague.
Greene, a far-right conspiracy theorist, was elected to represent Georgia's 14th congressional district last year. Since then, she has becomean increasingly prominent voice within the Republican Party, gaining attention for her extreme views.
The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives recently voted to strip Greene of her committee assignments due to those views, including: her past support for QAnon, which believes a cabal of Satan-worshipping paedophiles secretly controls the world; her belief that mass shootings were staged by the government to build support for gun control measures; her claim there was never "any evidence" that a plane hit the Pentagon on 9/11; and her support for executing high-profile Democrats.
Our neighbor, @RepMarieNewman, wants to pass the so-called "Equality" Act to destroy women’s rights and religious freedoms.
Newman is a prominent supporter of the Equality Act, proposed legislation which would outlaw discrimination against people based on their gender identity or sexual orientation. The Congresswoman's daughter, Evie, is transgender.
Republicans argue the bill would force religious organisations to violate their beliefs.
On Tuesday, Newman delivered a speech on the floor of the House explaining her support for the legislation.
"I rise today on behalf of the millions of Americans who continue to be denied housing, education, public services and much, much more because they identify as members of the LGBTQ community," she said.
Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene has made multiple hate comments previously against religion and the LGBTQ community and is known for her QAnon views. Photo / Getty Images
"Americans like my own daughter, who years ago, bravely came out to her parents as transgender. I knew from that day on my daughter would be living in a nation where, in most of its states, she could be discriminated against merely because of who she is.
"And yet, it was still the happiest day of my life, and my daughter has found her authentic self. As any mother would, I swore that I would fight to ensure this country changes for the better.
"Without the Equality Act, this nation will never live up to its principles of freedom and equality. The right time to pass this act was decades ago. The second-best time is now.
"I'm voting yes on the Equality Act for Evie Newman, my daughter, and the strongest, bravest person I know."
Her voice wavered with emotion as she delivered that last line.
Without the Equality Act, millions of Americans like my daughter can be denied housing, education, and more simply because they identify as transgender.
I’m voting to pass the Equality Act for my daughter - the strongest, bravest person I know. pic.twitter.com/vnt6yeDQOh
Greene made a motion to adjourn the House in an attempt to stop it from considering the bill, saying it would give members of Congress a chance to "rethink destroying women's rights, women's sport and religious freedom".
That motion failed, and the Equality Act is almost certain to pass in the House.
It actually got passed in the last Congress as well, but the Republican-controlled Senate never took it up, meaning the bill expired and never became law. Then-president Donald Trump would have vetoed it anyway.
Now, the House must pass the Equality Act again before it can reach the Senate. This time, President Joe Biden supports the bill, but the numbers are still unlikely to be there in the Senate, which is split 50/50 between Republicans and Democrats.
Back to Newman and Greene. The two politicians share a hallway in Congress – their offices are directly opposite one another.
Following Greene's attempt to foil the Equality Act, Newman put up a transgender flag in the hallway, saying Greene "can look at it every time she opens her door".
Greene retaliated yesterday by putting up a sign reading: "There are TWO genders: MALE and FEMALE. Trust the Science!"
"Thought we'd put up ours so she can look at it every time she opens her door," she said, echoing Newman's words.
In another tweet, Greene reacted to footage of Newman's speech. She referred to Newman's daughter as her "biological son".
"As mothers, we all love and support our children. But your biological son does NOT belong in my daughters' bathrooms, locker rooms and sports teams," Greene said.
Our neighbor, @RepMTG, tried to block the Equality Act because she believes prohibiting discrimination against trans Americans is “disgusting, immoral, and evil.”
Thought we’d put up our Transgender flag so she can look at it every time she opens her door 😉🏳️⚧️ pic.twitter.com/dV8FatQFnx
"I just wanted to make a statement so that she sees LGBTQ+ people. And so, the symbolism was simply to put the flag out there so she has to see our community every day," she told the CNN morning show New Day.
"I'm immensely proud of my daughter, and that's all anyone is asking for, is to be treated as anyone else. And that's what I want Representative Greene to see."
Newman said Greene was "welcome" to put up her "goofy" sign and she had "no interest" in engaging in a "tit-for-tat".
"Several Republican colleagues have reached out to me to express their concern over her hateful comments. And so this was a bipartisan reaction to her nastiness, her disrespect and her, quite frankly, loose touch with reality," she said.
"So here's what I would say, is that I made my statement. I feel good she is seeing that flag every day and seeing LGBTQ folks.
"Whatever she chooses to do going forward, it was never meant to be a tit-for-tat or a game or anything. I just needed to make that statement to her."
Some members of Congress have publicly rebuked Greene. One of them is her Republican colleague Adam Kinzinger.
"This is sad and I'm sorry this happened," said Kinzinger, who has been heavily critical of Greene and her various conspiracy theories since she arrived in Congress.
Kinzinger was also one of only 10 House Republicans to support Donald Trump's second impeachment.
"Representative Newman's daughter is transgender, and this video and tweet represents the hate and fame-driven politics of self-promotion at all evil costs," he said.
"This garbage must end in order to restore our Republican Party."
Democratic Congressman Sean Casten called Greene's sign "sickening, pathetic" and "unimaginably cruel".
