The Helena Record reports:
The Montana Legislature’s Democratic Party leaders on Friday called for a Republican state senator to be removed from her interim committee assignment, after the Missoulian newspaper quoted her as denigrating LGBTQ people and suggesting their feelings of fear are “normal consequences associated with the choices they made.”
“Sen. Manzella’s remarks are nothing short of offensive, dangerous and unacceptable,” House Minority Leader Kim Abbott, D-Helena, and Senate Minority Leader Jill Cohenour, D-East Helena, wrote in a letter sent to Senate President Mark Blasdel, R-Kalispell.
They continued, “LGBTQ Montanans have always been valued members of our communities, and they deserve the basic dignity and respect owed to everyone in our state — the most basic of which is to be able to live their lives without fear of violence.”
Helena’s NBC News affiliate reports:
A Republican state senator’s comment that appeared to condone violence against gay couples in Montana should be clarified and, if necessary, retracted, her gay colleagues at the Legislature said Friday.
But Sen. Theresa Manzella, R-Hamilton, told MTN News that her statement at a Wednesday night rally in Clinton was reported out of context, and that she wasn’t condoning or encouraging violence against gay Montanans. “I did not say anything about violence or hate,” she said.
Sen. Diane Sands, D-Missoula, told MTN News Friday that if Manzella is not justifying violence against gays, she should retract the statement. “I think it’s a very damn thin line between condoning violence or inciting violence, against people you don’t agree with,” Sands said.
As I noted yesterday, Manzella, is not only viciously anti-LGBT, she’s a full-on anti-vax, horse paste, stolen election, Lindell acolyte, QAnon nutbag.
On her Facebook page, Manzella is today posting pro-Rittenhouse and anti-LGBT memes.
Sen. Theresa Manzella, R-Hamilton, had been speaking at a Wednesday event in Clinton when she made the comments. https://t.co/ElRg9axQSD
— Missoulian (@missoulian) November 20, 2021
So I heard that Sen. Manzella claims I took her “normal consequences” quote out of context.
Here is that whole section verbatim:
“Your decision to be perverse does not trump my right to be righteous. That is clear. We believe these truths to be self evident that we are…
— Skylar Rispens (@skylar_rispens) November 19, 2021
…endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights. What does it mean to have an inalienable right? It means that it is so much a part of you that it cannot be separated from you. It is given to you by a higher authority and it cannot be separated from you…
— Skylar Rispens (@skylar_rispens) November 19, 2021
…you can’t even give it away. We have a 234 years of winning precedent set by our Constitution and First Amendment that proves we will not lose this case. Now, they like to play the protected class card and they’re the minority and they’re discriminated against…
— Skylar Rispens (@skylar_rispens) November 19, 2021
…and they’re scared to walk down the street hand in hand. I’ve got to tell you, I think those are normal consequences associated with the choices they made. We don’t prevent them from doing that. Besides being a minority my rights and your rights are given to me and you as…
— Skylar Rispens (@skylar_rispens) November 19, 2021
…individuals by God and protected by the Constitution and the smallest minority on earth is the individual. And those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities.”
— Skylar Rispens (@skylar_rispens) November 19, 2021
hi all, this event is in Clinton tomorrow and features Montana State Sen. Theresa Manzella. her email is [email protected] pic.twitter.com/wwbRiQgMZZ
— Kate Whittle (@kettlemt) November 16, 2021
Here’s Theresa Manzella at a rally supporting some #January6th #insurrectionists.@EllieHill can the @MTSenateDems and @MTSenateGOP get together and censure her? This is despicable and treasonous. #mtpol https://t.co/YskjZZdVPa
— KV Montana (@kvaughan521) September 28, 2021
Montana State Rep Theresa Manzella made the case for the state legislature to call themselves back into session, write new legislation, and conduct a full-forensic audit.https://t.co/6TPMVZ2zMw
— ???America First Patriot ??? (@margisiems) August 13, 2021