While speaking to a group of Pierce County Republicans in February of this year, Republican gubernatorial candidate Dave Reichert declared that “marriage is between a man and a woman,” expressing a stance on gay marriage we haven’t seen from him since he proved himself as an anti-gay bigot in Congress.
What’s a little bit wild here is that Reichert went out of his way to provide this homophobic answer, as he delivered the line in the context of a larger transphobic rant spurred by a series of questions from Dawn Land, who ran an unsuccessful campaign to gather signatures to repeal a law that helps stabilize homeless youth and connect them with the care they need to survive.
At the meeting, Land asked how Reichert defines “a woman,” and then she asked whether he supports gender-affirming care and allowing trans kids to play on sports teams that align with their gender identity, though she didn’t quite use that language. Here’s the full video of his chat with the Pierce County Republicans:
In response to those questions, Reichert said, “Number one, my wife is a woman and I am a man. You’re a woman and I’m a man. There’s only man and woman. I was raised with that as a Christian. And marriage is between a man and a woman.”
The audience clapped after that line, and he briefly paused to receive the adulation. He then thanked the people in attendance before moving on to say, “I don’t believe that transgender men should be competing against girls and women in sports.”
Then he got lost in the sauce a bit, appearing to confuse the parents’ rights initiative that Democrats in the State Legislature adopted this year with Land’s failed bid to repeal 5599, before concluding his discursive ramble with some information about his great-grandchild’s excitement to attend “a private school for Christians.”
In a statement, Reichert said, “Let me make this very clear. I will not take any steps as Governor to restrict same-sex marriage. Every individual has the right to decide who they choose to marry. People have free will—it’s their body, their life, their belief system.”
So he says! But his statements tell us a few other things about the man who currently leads the fundraising race on the Republican side.
The first thing they tell us is that Reichert does not believe that trans people exist. His comments about “transgender men” competing against “girls and women” simply underline that belief while adding insult to injury. Moreover, his support for Land’s failed initiative shows us that he takes his science lessons from the Bible rather than from the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Psychiatric Association, all of whom support gender-affirming care.
The other thing they tell us is that Riechert is out of step with the 72% of Washingtonians who support marriage equality, an issue that’s long since settled in Washington state but that remains under threat to this day. And the fact that he bent over backwards to deliver the old-school anti-gay-marriage line gives us a sense of just how deep homophobia runs in this man who is doing all he can to present himself as the “moderate” Republican choice.
On social media and in a fundraising email, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bob Ferguson attacked Riechert for his answers, but he focused solely on Reichert’s homophobic statements. When asked why he didn’t mention the anti-trans statements on those platforms, someone from the campaign said Ferguson was focusing on one message at a time and planned to hit Reichert on many of his right-wing positions throughout the campaign.
In a statement, Ferguson said, “I have a long record of protecting the civil rights of transgender individuals in our state. Congressman Reichert denies their existence.”
In an email, Washington State Democratic Party Chair Shasti Conrad said, “Washington state has no place for hate. As one of the first states to codify the equal right to marry for any two consenting adults, we cannot allow hate to take root in the Governor’s seat. This is just another example of how out of touch Dave Reichert is with today’s Washingtonians and should be disqualifying. Our state’s economic prosperity and cultural fabric are made richer by the deep and meaningful contributions of our LGBTQIA+ family members, coworkers, friends, and neighbors. We must have a Governor who understands the full worth of all of our communities and is committed to ensuring that their rights and bodies are protected under the law.”
Obama, Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden all said: “Marriage is between a man and a woman”….then, they evolved.
Reichert said it too. He too evolved and said in Today’s Seattle Times article: “every induvial the right to decide who they choose to marry” and that he would not restrict same sex marriage in Washington
This is just a smear campaign by Big Money Corporate Bob Ferguson who is falling behind in the polls.
Republicans are horrible people.
But… but… but… he captured the Green River Killer!
@2 so are progressives and I’d rather have an ineffectual R governor than a P who will accelerate many of the poor programs of the current administration.
Well then why don’t you move to Nebraska, refugee dear? You seem like the sort of mediocre person who would be perfectly content there, and m sure they’d love you. You obviously don’t even know what the word “horrible” means, and you’d be satisfied with a non Jesus-y version of Mike Pence as Governor.
I’m embarrassed for Republicans. I really am. But you people are the burden we must bear….
Exciting candidate for Governor! AG Bob Ferguson has grassroots support! He stands firm on his campaign and will not be convinced with money from corporate PACs and large corporations. Check out his recent post! https://www.facebook.com/100044447168858/posts/pfbid0WYQoSspAzcLa3FVYHCMbz3qSrYyiJGTLcAsXxaEAPBuHFJL22mazDtgCr4y8VGFGl/?mibextid=cr9u03
@2 Agreed!
The GOP proudly invokes the name of Jesus, while becoming evermore corrupt and immoral.
@5 no I’m going to stay here and continue to advocate, support and vote to make WA a great place to live for everyone. For us that means fighting over reach by progressives and their endless tax increases as they seek to have the government control more and more of our lives. If a Ferguson administration paired with supermajorities in the legislature doesn’t worry you and Mr Vel DuRay you haven’t been paying close enough attention.
@2 and @5 Catalina Vel-DuRay, @6 Taylors, and @8 pat L +4 for the WIN!!!
@9 District13refugee: A Third Reichert Regime worries me infinitely more than a Ferguson Administration.
If rabid batshit RWNJ pro-Trumpist neofascism doesn’t worry you then you have your head up your butt.
Where will you be if RepubliKKKans cut off your bootstraps, gut the very programs that you rely on for income and healthcare, and strip you of your right to vote?
Yes, raindrop, Reichert would protect us from the epidemic of men transitioning to women so that they have less competition in sports.
Are you so detached from humanity and your identity as a person that you believe that anyone would actually do that? People transition for a multitude of reasons – none of which is anyone’s business but theirs – but the person who transitions to give themselves an advantage in sports is as big a unicorn as the woman who decides in the third trimester to get an abortion on a whim or the whole post-birth abortion nonsense.
You Republicans will believe anything. I think that’s because your mothers traumatized you during potty training. It’s not natural for a woman to be a Republican.
Refugee dear, give me ten reasons why Mr. Vel-DuRay and I should fear a Supermajority and a Governor Ferguson. For as much as you people fret over it, Democratic administration of the State of Washington seems to be a success story. Really, the only thing I would like to see changed is our tax structure – we need an income tax to relieve our stupidly high sales tax.
@9 – let’s be clear, you want to “vote to make WA a great place to live for everyone.”
Unless they are trans… or gay…
You write this as if it’s some new revelation, but, regardless, you can’t assume Reichert has the nomination at this point. I would not be surprised to see Semi Bird get the endorsement of the state GOP, which would be the biggest gift Ferguson ever could receive.
Raindrop dear, you’re starting to sound like one of those survival food ads they play on the radio. You’re tedious enough without becoming paranoic.
I don’t have a bubble – I actually engage with people as part of my job, and also have a social life, both here and in Eastern Washington. I know what’s “going on”: 95% of Americans just want to be left alone to do their thing, without a bunch of bigoted nosey parkers like you wringing their hands over the choices they make.
@11 Catalina, every iteration of an income tax that has been proposed has never contemplated relief of sales or property taxes. It’s always new revenue for the state to do with as they please. At this point though it seems an income tax is unlikely as the SC has left the legislature with the only option of amending the state constitution and I don’t think the legislature has the votes to do that nor will the voters approve it. I didn’t say fear of a Ferguson administration, just worry. The last few years have given us the WA cares program, the climate commitment act, the capital gains tax, looming increased energy costs and rationing (the Seattle Times had a great article the other day about how the NW region simply does not have enough power right now to meet our growth needs much less electrify everything). The point is, in a one party system (regardless of party) there is no one to be the devils advocate. Everyone just drinks the kool aid and pretends these are great policies when most of them are deeply flawed and ultimately hurting middle class residents like you and me. That should worry you.
@12 someone’s been reading too much state sponsored propaganda. There is zero chance of whatever it is you think will happen becoming reality in WA state.
Where did he deny the existence of trans people?
Bob Ferguson has made Washington more dangerous for the LGBTQ+ community. Crime is way up and hate crimes up even more.
Ferguson may pander like no other Washington politicians, but in the end, it’s just ineffective pandering.
Washington Needs Change.
Elect Mark Mullet (D)
or
Elect Dave Reichert (R)
@18
Sure, if the GOP in Washington had Dan Evans type candidates, they would be a very viable party.
But in the last 30 years they have given us a multitude of creepy choices e g. Ellen Craswell (RIP), Culp, and many others who would make a normal person run for cover.
And speaking of one party states, since Idaho has gone fully anti-abortion, Washington is getting hundreds of women refugees who are here seeking medical care. Guess who gets to pay for them?
OK then Raindrop dear: What is “going on” that I need to leave my “bubble” to know about?
But I’ll say this – I think it’s you, people who are in a bubble, what with your pearl-clutching about transpeople, post-birth abortions, supposed crime, the evil represented by Bob Ferguson, and all the other things that apparently make you want to hide under the bed.
@21 you won’t get any argument from me on what an utter disaster the R’s are around here and nationally. I don’t think Reichart fits that mold but the goal of having him instead of Ferguson isn’t to push forward some crazy R agenda as @12 believes its to slow the other crazy coming from the Progressives. As noted above some of the policies they have created recently are doing nothing but adding cost upon cost upon cost to taxpayers for marginal benefit. The whole reason the initiatives are on the ballot this year is because the current state government has become tone def to voters. They’ve already rolled back their public safety changes because they were such a disaster and I’m pretty confident the CCA and WA Cares are going to get repealed but if we had a reasonable counterbalance to the progressive majority those pieces of legislation would either have never passed to begin with or would have been much much better. The fact voters have to resort to initiatives is a sign that the government is not working for us.
@23
I share your concern about gobs and gobs of money spent on programs when it’s impossible to get an unbiased evaluation of how effectively the funds are being spent.
@12 Of course, if you discount all those willing to suffer as long as they hate suffer more, “everyone” is a vanishingly small group.
Refugee dear, are you saying that “progressive” ideas need to be throttled because the GOP cannot put forward any policy ideas or candidates that are more attractive to the voting public than what they have to offer? That seems to me to go against the “marketplace of ideas” that the Conservatives claim to hold dear.
As far as the initiative process is concerned, anyone who is being honest will admit that it is too many times used by special interests to mislead voters.
Guess I won’t be voting for Reichert then.
@26 well the R’s are a disaster and we can’t control that but do you honestly think we have a marketplace of ideas now? I sure don’t. All I see are taxes being proposed to pay for special interest programs that have marginal benefits to those they are purported to help. In the absence of an actual debate the best one can hope for is dysfunction to slow down the bad ideas.
I agree with you about initiatives generally but in the case of the ones this year they were each generated in backlash to actions taken by the legislature. The fact they are likely to pass indicates the government is completely tuned out to what people want/need. Both wa cares and the cca were voted down by the people but the progressives pushed them through anyway. Pretty arrogant.
But again, refugee dear, those progressives you decry were elected by the people. Can’t you make the connection here? They elect them because there is no reasonable alternative. The GOP of Dan Evans is dead. In it’s place are the Loren Culps, Joe Kents, Tiffany Smiley’s, Semi Birds, and noted Former Sears Men’s Clothing Model Dave Reichert.
Even if Reichert were to be elected, the supermajority that you dread would be able to override any veto. So what’s the point? And you that along the line, he’s bend over for the bible-addled nitwits and sociopathic corporate types, which helps no one in the state.
I have long advocated for a strong conservative loyal oppositions, but that doesn’t exist anymore. That’s not to say that there’s not principled and intelligent conservatives out there, but no one wants to stand up.
Oh dear. I really must fetch my pince-nez from my reticule and proof my posts before I post comments. That second paragraph should read…
“And you can bet that along the line, he’ll bend over for the bible-addled nitwits and sociopathic corporate types, which helps no one in the state.”
Also, there’s an unfortunate “it’s” in the first paragraph.
Mrs. Vel-DuRay regrets the error.
“Let me
make this
very clear. I will not
take any steps as Governor
to restrict same-sex marriage.”
Not until I’m elected!
Then, all you LGBTQs etc
you’ll soon feel the Wrath of
MY Judgemental (& Retriubuition-seeking!)
KING of the Patriarchy (cum Gawd!) on your myriad Wickednesses
@6
your plea
for Repeal of
“Citizens United”
is well & Duly noted
noted
Former
Sears Men’s Cloth-
ing Model Dave Reichert
omg –
in his Undies?!
more myth busting
(from tS’s very own Goldy):
MythBusters: Dave Reichert
Did Not Catch the Green River Killer
https://www.thestranger.com/blogs/2010/10/12/5127209/mythbusters-dave-reichert-did-not-catch-the-green-river-killer
“If there is ever a political figure who is purely the figment our local media’s imagination, it is the silver-haired sheriff, Rep. Dave Reichert, a man whose entire political career is built upon the fiction that he single-handedly brought to justice Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer.
But as Michael Hood explains in blunt detail in a re-post of his excellent series on the subject that first ran in 2006 on HA and BlatherWatch, Reichert’s oft repeated tale is total bullshit….”
More on the silver-haired
silver-tongued fakair:
https://blatherwatch.blogs.com/talk_radio/2010/10/the-dave-reichert-story-a-noun-a-verb-and-the-green-river-killer.html
Those who are defending Reichert on marriage equality by comparing him to Obama, HRC and Biden overlook the fact that the latter three explicitly renounced their former opposition — and have never raised any doubt about their change of mind since then. Simply saying you “won’t oppose” something if elected is not the same thing as affirming it, especially if you then turn around and give your core supporters reason to believe you didn’t really mean it.
I’m not saying Reichert would actively seek to overturn marriage equality as governor, but his election would certainly encourage and empower activists who have that aim. It would quite possibly become one more issue we thought was settled but now have to spend time, energy and money re-litigating. If LGBTQ rights matter to you at all, you shouldn’t take that chance.