Floridians see far too much bigotry on display in their state Capitol. It’s often thinly veiled or cloaked in lies, such as repeated allegations that gay, lesbian and transgender people “groom” others or need state-issued control through new laws like the “Safety in Private Spaces Act.”
But it’s rare to see a raw display of hatred from a member of the Legislature.
At a hearing Tuesday on a bill (HB 1521) that would force transgender people to only use bathrooms corresponding with the gender they were assigned at birth, Republican Rep. Webster Barnaby of Deltona spewed two minutes of hate and abuse and heaped shame on himself and the institution. After several transgender people and family members offered testimony — some angry, some sorrowful, all heartfelt — Barnaby said this (published in its entirety):
