Democrats Call For Sanctions Against GOP Montana State Senator Who Justified Violence Against LGBTQs

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.