Pima County, Arizona Supervisor Matt Heinz (D) is reacting to a video posted online purportedly showing gay stuff on a Zoom call.
The video was uploaded by self-described journalist Stephanie Hamill, a Turning Point USA “ambassador” and advisor to the National Diversity Coalition for Donald Trump. The clip reveals Heinz on a Zoom call for a supervisors’ meeting from a cruise ship where he was vacationing.
About two hours into the meeting, a man in a black speedo and tank top walks into view. Heinz notices the interruption and cuts off his video for a moment. When he returns, the man is gone.
It was MAGA conspiracy catnip.
Never Miss a Beat
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights.
Hamill’s Twitter headline shrieked: “Man in Panties Makes appearance in Arizona Democrat’s government work video.”
Without mentioning the supervisor was on vacation and calling into work from a cruise ship, Hamill described Heinz as “the only supervisor to not show up in person for the meeting,” and intimated nefarious activity: “Clearly he had more important things going on….”
Man in Panties Makes appearance in Arizona Democrat’s government work video.
Matt Heinz is a Pima County Supervisor.
Apparently he was the only supervisor to not show up in person for the meeting.
Clearly he had more important things going on…🙄
pic.twitter.com/XHSVNQGstl— Stephanie Hamill (@STEPHMHAMILL) January 12, 2023
Among funny/awkward Zoom moments since the start of the pandemic, Heinz’s would be up there. It took right-wing trolls to drain the fun away.
“Half-naked man wearing female underwear” droned the far-right Daily Caller in an article.
“He should be fired from public office,” glummed one commenter.
Despite being on vacation and starring in a fairly drole Zoom mishap, even Heinz just seemed exhausted by the right-wing attention.
“As a public official, I’m pretty used to getting like, you know, targeted and having all sorts of often incorrect stuff said about me – fine,” Heinz told The Advocate when reached for comment.
“But leave my friend alone. He was in a swimsuit. He accidentally walked into the frame for like not even three seconds, was not naked, is clearly an adult, and is not a sex worker – not that there’s anything wrong with that – but it’s just been a really strange reaction.”
Writer Matthew Rettenmund summed up the vibe nicely in a comment with advice for Hamill: “In ‘panties’? You need to get out more.”
