Politics

Gay MAGA lawmaker accused of pedophilia by fellow Republicans because he supports marriage equality

Missouri Rep. Chris Sander campaign photo
Photo: Campaign Photo

A gay Missouri Republican continues to be the target of vitriol from his own party because he supports marriage equality, with one GOP leader accusing him of promoting pedophilia.

State Rep. Chris Sander (R), who represents Jackson County, faced a censure vote for the second time in a month because he has been vying to amend the state constitution’s definition of marriage to a union of “two individuals” rather than “a man and a woman.”

“The mere fact that you want to change the wording from ‘one man and one woman’ to ‘two individuals’ is an abomination to mankind and to God himself,” said Teresa McBride, vice chair of the Jackson County Republican Party, in an email obtained by the Kansas City Star.

“The term ‘two individuals’ could be defined and interpreted in many different ways and open the door for pedophiles to legally rape and physically harm children. That is disgusting and promoting an agenda as such, is an abomination to our country.”

Sander, who describes himself as a “MAGA Republican and President Trump campaign advocate” introduced the amendment to bring Missouri into line with federal law, which recognizes same-sex unions.

The Jackson County GOP voted in February not to censure Sander after Jackson County GOP committee member Dave Thomas proposed a resolution to do so.

Thomas, a missionary at the International House of Prayer in Grandview, describes himself as “a passionate lover of God” and an advocate for “Government on earth as it is in Heaven.” Thomas claims, “Only the Nations who believe Jesus is Lord are truly blessed.”

At the time, the Jackson County GOP chair, Mark Anthony Jones, called the resolution “dead on arrival” and said censuring was not within the committee’s scope of duties.

According to Sander, following that first failed censure vote, party members agreed to form a committee to consider censuring the Republican lawmaker or other punitive options in the future.

The second resolution to censure Sander, also put forth by Thomas, was voted down on Monday.

In a text to the Kansas City Star, Sander said the committee does not represent the beliefs of the majority of the party.

“The Jackson County GOP censure and the Missouri Republican Party platform represent a small minority of leadership who conflict with our US Constitution. The committee members do not like gay Republicans.”

While the committee voted not to censure Sander, they did agree to a petition that individual members can sign. They also created a new committee to look into revising the petition before voting on it. Thomas reportedly has also filed another petition proposing that the Jackson County GOP allow any party member to be censured for supporting marriage equality.

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