A North Carolina state representative has said that HIV treatment should not be funded by the taxpayer for people who live “perverted lifestyles.”
In an interview earlier this week, Rep. Larry Brown (R-Forsyth, N.C.) told the Winston-Salem Journal that the government should not spend money to treat adults with HIV or AIDS who “caused it by the way they live.”
Brown was asked by the newspaper to discuss his goals for the new legislative session:
He began by discussing his support for a constitutional amendment limiting marriage to a union between one man and one woman, which would forestall any efforts to allow same-sex marriage.
He went on to say he thinks the government shouldn’t spend money to treat HIV among people “living in perverted lifestyles.”
“I’m not opposed to helping a child born with HIV or something, but I don’t condone spending taxpayers’ money to help people living in perverted lifestyles,” said Brown.
Last October, the Journal reported that Brown sent a derogatory email to House Majority Leader Paul Stam regarding the presentation of a legislative leadership award given to then-Speaker Joe Hackney by Equality North Carolina.
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
Brown wrote, “I hope all the queers are thrilled to see him. I am sure there will be a couple legislative fruit loops there in the audience.”
The HRC blasted Brown’s comments, calling them “hateful rhetoric’ and “extremely dangerous.”
“Hysterical, judgmental and inaccurate statements like Brown’s create an environment that prevents many from getting tested and seeking treatment, thereby furthering the spread of HIV and AIDS,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese.
