BY: DM
Published 1 day ago
New York Republican Congressman Mike Lawler surprised folks on Oct. 2 when he posted a Facebook statement urging respect toward LGBTQIA+ people. His comments came during a period of intense political tension over transgender rights.
Republicans nationwide have pushed for a wave of anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation. These efforts include bans on gender-affirming medical care for minors and restrictions preventing trans youth from participating in school sports. According to the Trans Legislation Tracker, dozens of bills aim to ban trans girls from sports, limit access to gender-affirming health care, and prohibit teachers from using gender-affirming pronouns in classrooms.
Lawler says he stands by his support for the LGBTQIA+ community and urges others in his party to do the same. Here’s what he said.
Mike Lawler says trans people are “not an enemy or a threat.”
Lawler took to Facebook to share his thoughts on the growing anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric in the U.S., and he did not mince words. “We are blessed to have two thriving LGBTQIA+ centers that support people every day. Let me be clear: LGBTQIA+ people, and especially our transgender community members, are not an enemy or a threat,” Lawler wrote. “We should never allow rhetoric to paint them as dangerous simply for being who they are. It is time to take the temperature down. LGBTQIA+ people are our equals and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.”
The 40-year-old congressman, who represents New York’s 17th District and chairs the Rockland County GOP, suggested we should “resolve our differences with civil debate and a free exchange of ideas.”
Mike Lawler’s record on LGBTQIA+ issues is complicated.
Activists in Rockland County had long urged him to speak out. Brooke Malloy, director of the Rockland County Pride Center, told The Advocate that she and other board members personally asked Lawler to affirm trans people’s humanity. “We said, ‘Mike, do this. Do this for his kid. Just say it. Why can’t you say it?’” Malloy told the lawmaker. “‘Why would that be so provocative — to say that trans people are human or that LGBTQIA+ people deserve the same rights as everybody else?’ But in this day and age, it is a provocative statement.”
Malloy also revealed that Lawler had quietly supported the Pride Center during the pandemic by dropping off supplies. “He hasn’t said anything pro-LGBTQIA+ since this administration took office. He didn’t show up to Pride this year… So to see him post this — it was the lowest bar possible,” Malloy said. “He already understands that LGBTQIA+ people are full human beings.”
In a statement to The Advocate, a spokesperson for Lawler confirmed that the congressman has a history of supporting the LGBTQIA+ community. His office cited bipartisan work on health and equality, noting that Lawler is a co-sponsor of HIV/AIDS funding legislation and has “repeatedly expressed his support for marriage equality.” Earlier this year, Lawler also co-signed a bipartisan letter urging the Department of Health and Human Services to preserve the LGBTQIA+ “Press 3” suicide hotline service.
Do you think Mike Lawler’s statement marks real progress or just political optics? Comment below!
