Louisiana Representative Mike Johnson, the new speaker of the House of Representatives, is one of the most conservative lawmakers in Congress, and his positions on LGBTQ rights, abortion rights, and democracy have drawn significant attention since he was officially elected by his colleagues.
Johnson’s voting record includes opposing the Respect for Marriage Act and the Equality Act, and introducing a federal version of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” bill in Louisiana, but his history of opposing LGBTQ rights extends far beyond his time on Capitol Hill.
“Homosexuals do not meet the criteria for a suspect class under the equal protection clause because they are neither disadvantaged nor identified on the basis of immutable characteristics, as all are capable of changing their abnormal lifestyles,” Johnson wrote in The Times, a local newspaper in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Johnson also likened marriage equality to marrying pets, and he argued “polygamists, polyamorists, pedophiles, and others will be next in line to claim equal protection.”
Johnson’s political extremism has been evident in other areas. Aiding Donald Trump in his quest to overturn the 2020 election, Johnson led an amicus brief to toss votes in four swing states that had backed Joe Biden.
In electing Mike Johnson as Speaker, House Republicans have empowered a figure with far-right ideology, anti-democratic principles, and LGBTQ hate.
Read the GLAAD statement on the election of Mike Johnson here.
A Trumper is the 3rd in line after President Biden and VP Harris
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