In a recent interview on conservative radio show Faith & Liberty, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minnesota) warned that the gay community ultimately wants to "abolish age-of-consent laws, which means we will do away with statutory-rape laws so that adults will be able to freely prey on little children sexually. That's the deviance that we're seeing embraced in our culture today."
Of course, Bachmann offered absolutely no evidence whatsoever to support her claim, most likely because there is none. It's an outright lie. A supposed inherent link between homosexuality and pedophilia has been disproven time and again. Consequently, the canard that gay people -- gay men, specifically -- wish to sexually exploit children, which was once commonly held in America, has, more recently, been reduced to fodder for far-right homophobes. Granted, Bachmann certainly falls into that demographic, but the scope of her influence far outreaches that of an average private citizen.
In the same interview Bachmann went on to state that the gay community also wishes to legalize polygamy and enact "hate-speech laws across the United States" in order to bring about the "rise of tyranny."
This latest incident isn't Bachmann's first foray into the arena of blatant homophobia. She's been peddling inflammatory myths about the gay community and representing those myths as indisputable truths throughout her stint as a congresswoman, all the while insisting that her message "is to spread goodness and joy and wholeness and healing."
In the marketplace of shameless fear-mongering, Michele Bachmann can certainly hold her own amongst the usual cast of right-wing characters. However, a great deal of Bachmann's rhetoric is typically irresponsible and borders on slander. For instance, in another recent interview Bachmann implied that unaccompanied minors fleeing the violence in Central America, who have come in large numbers to the Southern U.S. border, will be allowed into the country by President Obama so they can be put into foster care and used for "medical experimentation." How much longer will Bachmann be allowed to make such wild, completely unfounded accusations with impunity?
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm all for individuals being able to freely express an opinion. And I understand that it's important to play to your audience. But these are no mere opinions, and Bachmann is no mere individual. And this latest incident isn't Bachmann's first foray into the arena of blatant homophobia. What Bachmann is doing is presenting an erroneous and incendiary scenario as truth. We've heard it before, but what makes this instance all the more disturbing is the simple fact that Bachmann isn't some washed-up 1950s-beauty-pageant contestant, nor is she some huckster televangelist. Bachmann is a member of the Congress of the United States. She has the power to introduce bills and resolutions, and to vote on whether or not they should be enacted into law. When Bachmann was sworn in for her fourth and current term in Congress, she stated on her website, "It is a true honor to represent the citizens of Central Minnesota in the United States Congress." Given her opinion of the gay community, I don't believe Bachmann is genuinely capable of fulfilling that duty, nor does she have any inclination to do so. After all, Bachmann must be aware that a segment of the population of Central Minnesota is made up of gays and lesbians. Otherwise, Bachmann & Associates, the counseling center founded by Bachmann's husband, Marcus, wouldn't have considered it necessary to offer conversion "therapy" to its clients. And Bachmann has campaigned tirelessly against same-sex marriage in Minnesota throughout her political career.
Bachmann has hinted that she will not seek reelection at the end of her current term in Congress. She has also vaguely hinted at another run for the U.S. presidency. I don't think there is even the slightest chance that Bachmann could be elected to run the country. History has proven that. Regardless, I believe she should be expelled from Congress. Our system of government was created to be "of the people, by the people and for the people." The "people" includes the LGBT community, and government officials such as Michele Bachmann are not only not for us; they are pathologically against us. Personally, I don't believe my tax dollars should be used to pay the salary of someone who wants to convince the world that my ultimate desire is to be able to legally molest children.