Ron Perlman has lashed out at Florida governor Ron DeSantis, calling him a “piece of s***” and a “Nazi” for signing the controversial Parental Rights in Education bill.
Florida’s Republican-controlled state legislature passed the widely criticised measure – which has been nicknamed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill – on 8 March after six hours of debate.
The bill forbids instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. It has been met with a huge backlash from critics who argue it risks marginalising LGBTQ+ people.
Republican governor DeSantis signed the bill into law on Monday 28 March.
“Good morning Governor DeSantis, Ron here,” the Hellboy and Sons of Anarchy actor can be heard saying in a video tweeted on Tuesday (29 March).
“Don’t say gay? Don’t say?” he continues. “As the first two words in a sentence spoken by a political leader of a state in the United States of America. Don’t say? Don’t f***ing say you f***ing Nazi pig? Say! First amendment. Read about it. Then run for office. You piece of s***.”
Before signing the bill, DeSantis said: “We will make sure parents can send their kids to school to get an education, not an indoctrination.”
His move was criticised by US President Joe Biden, who said: “Our LGBTQI+ youth deserve to be affirmed and accepted just as they are.”
This is not the first time Perlman has hit out at a Republican politician.
Earlier this month, Perlman criticised Texas senator Ted Cruz for questioning Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman and the first former public defender to stand before the Senate Judiciary Committee as a Supreme Court justice nominee, on critical race theory.
