During recent hearings on Florida House Bill 1421, which would ban sex reassignment surgery for minors, Representative Webster Barnaby (R) had strong words against transgender people, saying he feels like he is watching "an X-Men movie," since "it's like we have mutants living among us" and flat out refers to those testifying in opposition to HB 1421 "demons and imps."
"Florida Republican Rep. Webster Barnaby directly compared trans people to mutants in X-Men and called the trans people, including children, present in the room "demons and imps." This was during debate for HB1421 that would criminalize trans people using bathrooms," described transgender activist and attorney Alejandra Caraballo on Twitter.
Florida Republican Rep. Webster Barnaby directly compared trans people to mutants in X-Men and called the trans people, including children, present in the room "demons and imps."
This was during debate for HB1421 that would criminalize trans people using bathrooms. pic.twitter.com/y5VsCKeAfJ
— Alejandra Caraballo (@Esqueer_) April 10, 2023
The clip begins with Rep. Barnaby saying, "it's like I'm watching an X-Men movie" because "mutants are living among us."
"I'm looking at society today and it's like I'm watching an X-Men movie. When you watch the X-Men movies from Marvel Comics, it's like we have mutants living among us on planet Earth. And some people don't like it, but that's a fact. We have people that live among us today on planet Earth that are happy to display themselves as if they were mutants from another planet," said Rep. Barnaby.
Rep. Barnaby invoked religion, "God created men, male, and woman, female." Additionally, he said there is "so much darkness" and "so much evil in our world today," yet he is "not afraid to address it."
"This is planet Earth! Where God created men, male, and women, female. I'm a proud Christian, conservative Republican. I'm not on the fence. Not on the fence. There is so much darkness in our world today, so much evil in our world today. And so many people who are afraid to address the evil, the dysphoria, the dysfunction. I'm not afraid to address the dysphoria or dysfunction," Barnaby continued.
At this point, Barnaby compares transgender individuals to "demons and imps" who pretend they "are part of this world."
"The Lord rebuke you, Satan, and all of your demons and all of your imps who parade before us... That's right, I called you demons and imps, who come and parade before us pretending you are part of this world," said Barnaby
Barnaby concludes "with [his] righteous indignation stirred" that he will "not put up with it" no matter how much pressure will be placed upon him because "I'll win every time."
"So I'm saying with my righteous indignation stirred, I am sick and tired of this. I am not going to put up with it. You can test me and try to take me on, but I promise you, I'll will every time," Barnaby concluded.
Such strong words even as Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) battles to have AHCA Secretary Jason Weida testify in favor of removing Medicaid coverage for gender dysphoria treatments.
