American Federation of Academics (AFT) President Randi Weingarten has fired again at Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene for launching a “vile” and “homophobic” assault on her standing as a stepmom.
Throughout a listening to of the Home Choose Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on Wednesday, Greene mentioned that Weingarten was “not a mom” whereas questioning her {qualifications}. The AFT president mentioned she was “a mom by marriage,” whereas stating that her spouse was together with her on the listening to.
The congresswoman mentioned “I see” after Weingarten defined her standing, earlier than going to argue that she didn’t have a legitimate declare to motherhood as a result of she was not “a organic mom.”
Throughout an MSNBC interview on Friday, Weingarten, who mentioned that she had been “attacked and villainized” all through her profession “for simply making an attempt to face up for folks,” denounced Greene for launching what she referred to as a “pathetic” assault meant to “undermine” households and LGBTQ+ folks.
![Woman Grilled by MTG Denounces 'Homophobic' Insult](https://i0.wp.com/d.newsweek.com/en/full/2228895/woman-grilled-mtg-denounces-homophobic-insult.png?resize=790%2C527&ssl=1)
Jim Vondruska/Getty; Kevin Dietsch/Getty
“What she did, it is simply this dehumanization that you simply see autocrats do, and also you see individuals who do not wish to remedy issues do,” Weingarten mentioned. “What’s unlucky is that it is so venal and so imply … I can take it, I am a public determine.”
“It is only a matter of the undermining of individuals—the undermining of trans youngsters, the undermining of the opposite,” she continued. “I felt like I used to be taking one for the staff. However the vile, homophobic nature of it was pathetic. And the undermining of households was pathetic.”
“It is simply this dehumanization that you simply see autocrats do… and what’s unlucky is that it is so venal and so imply… It is only a matter of the undermining of individuals, the undermining of trans youngsters, the undermining of the opposite” – @rweingarten w/ @NicolleDWallace pic.twitter.com/xxggMcUBle
— Deadline White Home (@DeadlineWH) April 28, 2023
Greene’s feedback on Weingarten’s standing as a mom prompted some pushback in the course of the subcommittee listening to and an avalanche of shock afterward.
Consultant Robert Garcia, a California Democrat, mentioned that Greene’s remarks had been “unacceptable” in the course of the listening to, whereas thanking Weingarten for being “an awesome dad or mum” and telling her, “you’re a mom.”
Democratic Consultant Maxwell Frost of Florida additionally lashed out at Greene throughout a Home listening to on Friday, whereas calling out Republicans for failing to sentence her remarks.
“I rise at this time as a proud adoptee,” mentioned Frost. “A son with two loving dad and mom who offered me with all of the love and help a baby may ask for. However but, I heard on this chamber, just a few days in the past, somebody saying my dad and mom aren’t actual dad and mom.”
“Let me be clear—I’m their baby, they’re my dad and mom,” he added. “For bigoted, close-minded causes, sure of us have determined that individuals who undertake their youngsters are lesser than.”
Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL) slams Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) for her current feedback placing down those that will not be organic dad and mom:
“Sure of us have determined that individuals who undertake their youngsters are lesser than. However make no mistake… you’re a dad or mum.” pic.twitter.com/Sw2eVE80xa
— The Recount (@therecount) April 28, 2023
Fellow adoptee Michael Steele, former chair of the Republican Nationwide Committee who endorsed President Joe Biden within the 2020 election, denounced Greene’s remarks whereas showing throughout the identical MSNBC phase as Weingarten on Friday.
“Ladies and men come into parenting in a complete lot of various methods,” mentioned Steele. “It simply struck such a uncooked nerve for me, to assume {that a} Marjorie Taylor Greene may take a look at my mom and say she’s not a mom?
“Nicely, it’s good to shut the you understand what up and step again, as a result of motherhood is one thing that comes from the center,” he continued.
Greene has beforehand claimed that adoptive dad and mom will not be “actual” dad and mom. Following final 12 months’s Supreme Court docket determination to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Georgia Republican mentioned that “conventional household values are being destroyed” as a result of notion that “faux” dad and mom are equal to “the organic mother and organic dad.”
Newsweek has reached out through e-mail to the workplace of Greene for remark.