Presidential long shot Michele Bachmann on Friday again avoided commenting on anti-gay bullying, tried to joke her way out answering Jay Leno’s question about reparative therapy, and spoke at a gathering of Republicans while protestors staged a flash mob, dancing to Madonna’s “Like A Prayer.”
All in a day’s work.
VIA: OC WEEKLYMichele Bachmann
Early in the day, at a rally in Costa Mesa, Calif., Alex Limon said he came to the Bachmann rally for one reason — to ask the candidate what she intends to do about anti-gay bullying in her Minnesota congressional district.
“That’s not a federal issue,” Bachmann said, before moving on to the shake the hand of the next person waiting to speak to her, reported CBS News.
Limon’s question was sparked by a recent New York Times report about a Minnesota school system that’s largely located in Bachmann’s congressional district that’s become a flashpoint for a controversy about how to discuss homosexuality with students.
The Anoka-Hennepin school district in Bachmann’s Minnesota district is currently target of two lawsuits and a federal civil rights investigation over allegations of ant-gay bullying.
In dismissing Limon’s question as to whether anti-gay bullying is a “federal issue,” Bachmann appeared unaware, or uniformed of pending legislation including the Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA) and the Safe Schools Improvement Act aimed at addressing bullying of LGBT students in schools, the recent White House conference on bullying, or the upcoming second annual bullying prevention summit in Washington, hosted by the U.S. Department of Education.
Later in the day, appearing on NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” host Jay Leno asked Bachmann to answer critic’s claim that the counseling centers owned by Bachmann and her husband Marcus regularly engage in gay-to-straight reparative therapy.
Bachmann tried to escape the question joking that when she first heard it, it was “pray the grey away,” referring to someone having a midlife crisis. The joke fell flat. Watch:
Afterward, while Bachmann spoke inside the California Republican Party Fall Convention, a flash mob organized by the Courage Campaign gathered outside to dance in protest of her past anti-gay remarks.
Watch:
On Thursday, Tammy Aaberg — whose son Justin committed suicide in July 2010 — delivered petitions containing more than 130,000 signatures from around the country, calling on Bachmann to condemn harassment of LGBT students.
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Everything is bigger in Texas – even the homophobia
Yes, it is a Federal issue bitch.
When someone commits suicide from bullying, it *is* and always will be *everyone’s* issue
Well Bitch maybe we should turn every single person in AMERICA on you. And Bully you. Then will it be a federal Issue? Stupid Cunt . Get the fuck out of America you ignorant ass close minded idiot
What an idiotic thing to say. We are in trouble come next election.
How dare she, putting this issue kids face as if it’s not an important problem. I hope she doesn’t get elected in some important position or whatever, cause she honestly disgusts me. Kids get bullied everyday because of these issues, and it’s arrogently wrong to look the other way when they are basically the next generation.
sweeping things under the rug is one of the more subtler expressions of bigotry……
Hate crimes ARE a federal issue.
Hmm, I wish I would of been in the flash mob! Lol these subjects are gonna keep comin up and she can’t talk her way out of a wet paper bag when comes to lgbtq questions i don’t think she’s gonna get the nomination. Like the hpv vaccine sayin some woman told me it gave her daughter mental retardation. Wtf?! You can’t just say whatever you want when your runnin for president crazy lady!
I can’t stand this lady.
…and thats why she won’t be president! Dumbass…
Wicked creature.. Lilith.
I hope the flash mob follows the idiot
pfffft
maybe if she gets enough rope, she just might hang herself. …we can hope, right?
Is teen suicide due to bullying and harassment a federal issue, or doesn’t she care about that either?
It’s everyones issue B****.
NO IT’S NOT A FEDERAL ISSUE AND I’M GOING TO SUPPORT HER IN THIS AND THIS IS WHY. Bullying is between groups of people, and thus needs to be handled on such a scale, mainly with programs implemented by LOCAL school districts. Just like the Supreme Court is not small claims court, The federal gov. is NOT something you use for your personal issues. It is to protect us all from unconstitutional laws and provide defense for the country. Now if some idiot wants to mince my words and try and knee jerkingly say “I’m for bullying”, be my guest. But don’t come crying to me when the debt bubble finally bursts and troops are still in Iraq 20 years from now.
This is a federal issue and Julian you’re a Douche Bag….
So Julian, when the school district does NOTHING to stop the bullying and ten or more kids commit suicide in a year because of it, I guess you think we should just let that happen, huh?
And when the bullying that is not being stopped infringes on another student’s civil right to a free and public education, yes it is federal issue.
i guess when the class action law suit which is brewing in minnesota occurs and has the potential to bankrupt the school district due to its inaction in this issue, then it will be an issue. but by then, michelle bachmann and her ilk will have fled the place and will be as responsible for this as the pope is for the steady stream of molesters in positions of power in the catholic church.
Ok, i think everyone needs to calm down. This is such a serious issue, and it affects people in a strong way. Julian, did you read the article in question? Have you been paying attention to the campaign? Do you understand what bills are being pushed right now with legislature? I’m sorry, but Bachman had no right to publicly say that it is not a federal issue when there are so many federal pushes to make it a priority. It is not a tabled effort right now it is actually a high pri discussion on many tongues in important chairs and she was really stupid about it. In fact she went on the Jay Leno show and made another comment about Queer rights that was just unintelligent to say the least and I was in complete support of her at the beginning of her campaign but now I have to say that I would not wipe my ass with her. She is quick to speak, she does not support the queer community and she does not pay mind to important issues such as bullying which, i’m sorry, is being talked of as a federal issue and if you read the article is trying to get passed in a couple of bills. Thank you. Douche bag…. ;)
I’m sure if a pretty straight girl was bullied into suicide, (eg; Megan Meier), the press would be all over it and make it into a law against bullying. Oh wait, it already has. and the epidemic of suicides earlier in the year only produced a campaign to stop bullying, but no federal laws or bills made into effect. ugh..
“The Anoka-Hennepin school district in Bachmann’s Minnesota district is currently target of two lawsuits and a federal civil rights investigation over allegations of ant-gay bullying.”
As usual, Michele has trouble with US law. It is indeed a FEDERAL ISSUE. She’s so busy being addicted to her specific brand of mythology tho, that she is totally ignoring the full implication of this for her VERY OWN DISTRICT.
In addition, I find it hard to believe her gay husband can sleep at night knowing what she says publicly about this issue.
she really thinks she can push us back as second class citizens like Anita Bryant did back in the 70s, not going to happen. Gay people have too much influence now. If you push us we’ll push harder back and quite frankly the bigots are becoming a smaller and smaller group only to rise occasionally to prick us with their needles.