"Congressional hearing turns into a homophobic circus," says Teachers' Union Leader Randi Weingarten
Last week's House hearing on pandemic-related school closures took an unexpected turn when Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene launched a personal attack on American Federation of Teachers president, Randi Weingarten. The outspoken congresswoman repeatedly referred to Weingarten's sexual orientation, making it clear that the 65-year-old union leader is married to a woman and the rabbi of the world's largest LGBTQ synagogue.
In an interview with Yahoo News, Weingarten described Greene's behavior as "very homophobic" and accused her of attempting to dehumanize her. The exchange has also resulted in a flood of "vile" emails, many of them homophobic or antisemitic.
The hearing was conducted by a subcommittee of the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee that is tasked with investigating the nation's response to the coronavirus pandemic. Weingarten was the sole witness at the hearing, and the topic at hand was whether the AFT unduly influenced Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines on school reopenings.
Republicans disagreed, but none with more vehemence than Greene, a hard-right congresswoman with a penchant for controversy. She said Weingarten should not have had any say in the reopening guidelines because she's "not a medical doctor, not a biological mother and, really, not a teacher, either."
Kleinbaum has two daughters from a previous marriage, as Weingarten noted, but that did not appear to satisfy Greene, who has made gender and race issues a centerpiece of her legislative career.
"Let me tell you, I am a mother, and all three of my children were directly affected by the school closures — by your recommendations — which is something that you can't understand," Greene said.
Weingarten responded by saying that Greene's behavior was unacceptable and that she was attempting to dehumanize her. She also accused Greene of being a political activist rather than a teacher, mother or medical doctor.
The exchange between the two women has sparked outrage on social media, with many people condemning Greene's behavior as homophobic and discriminatory. Weingarten has been forced to travel with a security guard since November of last year when former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called her "the most dangerous person in the world."
As the hearing came to an end, Greene returned to her claim that Weingarten is not a true mother. "People like you need to admit that you're just a political activist, not a teacher, not a mother, not a medical doctor," she said at the conclusion of her diatribe.
Democrats unsuccessfully attempted to have her attacks on Weingarten stricken from the Congressional Record, but Wenstrup said House rules would not permit him to do so.
In conclusion, it's clear that last week's House hearing was nothing more than a homophobic circus. Randi Weingarten deserves our support and admiration for standing up to bigotry and discrimination. It's time for all of us to come together and fight against hate in all its forms.
