Ohio’s homophobic Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted says he is neither racist nor xenophobic, despite sending out a racist and xenophobic tweet last week.
On Friday, Husted tweeted an article about disgraced former CDC director Robert Redfield, saying he personally believed the coronavirus had “escaped” from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
“So it looks like it was the Wuhan virus after all?” Husted wrote.
Health officials and Asian Americans have long urged people not to stigmatize people of Asian descent by using the term “Wuhan virus” or “China virus” to describe the coronavirus.
Related: A Call To The LGBTQ Community To Help #StopAsianHate
Of course, Husted knows that. We all know that. This has been widely debated for a year now. But he still chose to use the term racist. And the fact that he’s chosen to do it right as the nation sees an increase in anti-Asian hate crimes makes it all the more disgusting.
Husted was met with a barrage of negative reviews.
Asian Americans are being killed for rhetoric like this. You represent my state. Do better.
– Dr. Tara C. Smith (@aetiology) March 26, 2021
pic.twitter.com/qAsp0RP6z2
– jonathan (@milllhaven) March 26, 2021
We’re trying to reduce Asian American violence, John. You are doing the opposite here.
– MommaOgress (@FracturCritical) March 26, 2021
Pretend you are better and delete this.
– Ross (@huzzahcoffee) March 26, 2021
Thanks for showing your true colors ?
– Ohio Warren Dems (@PersistOhio) March 26, 2021
After being bombarded with replies calling him for stoking anti-Asian sentiment, Husted wrote a follow-up tweet saying his remarks were meant to be criticism of the Chinese government.
“To be clear, the above tweet only referred to the Chinese GOVERNMENT,” he wrote. “An oppressive government that imprisons believers, silences dissidents and the media, manipulates its currency and steals our technology.”
“Would anyone be shocked to learn that they also lied about a communicable disease that caused a pandemic?”
Would anyone be shocked to learn that they also lied about a communicable disease that caused a pandemic?
– Jon Husted (@JonHusted) March 27, 2021
But it’s not just Asians that Husted seems to hate. He doesn’t really, really, really like LGBTQ people. Go figure it out.
Husted holds a D rating with watchdog group Equality Ohio for his positions on same-sex marriage and gay adoption, which he opposes.
Just to add a little rudeness to it all, Husted himself was adopted as a child. But he doesn’t think other children should be allowed to have families if those families are LGBTQ.
Graham Gremore is editor and editor at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
