US: Republican Representative claims paedophilia is a ‘sexual orientation’
A debate on charter schools in Raleigh, North Carolina, was marred Tuesday after a Republican Representative suggested that an amendment to prevent discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation might be used to protect paedophiles.
After Democrat Representative Susan Fisher proposed an amendment to law on charter schools to prohibit schools āfrom discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identityā, Represenative Paul Stam questioned the definition of sexual orientation.
He handed out a sheet listing 30 definitions under the title of āsexual orientationsā, including paedophilia and bestiality. He commented: āSexual orientation is not defined anywhereā, and asked for clarification.
āMany, many sexual orientations are not the ones you want to have teaching kids in schools,ā he said. āYou may think you know what you mean by this but you don’t.ā
Legislators at the debate immediately objected to Stamās comments.
āIt’s offensive. Pedophilia is not a sexuality, it is a disease. It is a problem that has to be addressed outside of this body,ā said Democrat Representative Marcus Brandon.
Democrat Representative Tricia Cotham of Mecklenburg County later commented: āThis is shameful. He needs to understand that his words and his actions are offensive and cannot be tolerated.ā
Equality North Carolina Executive Director Chris Sgro told LGBT publication Q-Notes that Stamās comments ārepresent not only an embarrassing display of anti-LGBT rhetoric in North Carolina, but a clear and present reminder of why these protections are so necessary ā in our schools, in our workplaces, and at all level of everyday life in the state we call home.ā
This is by no means the first time that comments have been made claiming homosexuality is equivalent to paedophilia.
