Name: Full interview: Lt. Gov. Robinson explains LGBT 'filth' comments
Uploaded: 2021-10-08T20:06:04-0400
Duration: 697069
Description: Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson explains his feelings toward homosexuality and whether information about it should be shared in schools.

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Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson explains his feelings toward homosexuality and whether information about it should be shared in schools.

I just wanted to start. Obviously you're familiar with the recording and what we're calling about. The first question is, what was the intention of the words you use that have upset some people. Uh, my intention was to relay this message and this message only. And that is this what we have been seen across the board in our public schools. The information that I've seen from parents, teachers and students that's being shared about these particular issues. Uh, these very personal and uh quite frankly, very private issues being shared with Children cannot be tolerated in our schools. And there are many, many, many parents across the state and there are many teachers across the state and many elected officials who are going to continue to speak up against it in that portion of that recording where you're addressing the congregation at the church Lieutenant Governor, you say the words, transgenderism, homosexuality or any of that filth. And yes, I call it filth. When you say philp, what are you referring to? I am referring to when you take those things and introduce them to Children. Those are adult topics that should stay in an adult place. They have no business around Children. If there are parents out there that want to introduce these things to their Children, they are welcome to do that. And I'll fight for their freedom to be able to do that in their homes. But in our public schools, it has no place and let me make this point point. We spend almost half of our state budget on education and right now our Children can't read on a great level, There is no time and no place where any of this should be introduced into the classroom, the classroom, as it stands right now, the major mission in our classrooms right now is to teach our Children how to read how to write and how to do arithmetic and teach them the things that they need to go on and make successful careers and successful lives. And I would submit to you that none of that that is being talked to them in that area will help them to do that for the folks in the transgender and the gay community's, those north Carolinians to make it clear for them transgender homosexuality is that filth To me it is against the tenants of my religion, but we do not live in a theocracy and I do not have the right to tell anyone what they practice in their home. I will fight for someone's practice to practice those things in the privacy of their homes or in their person. But when it comes to our public schools, it is absolutely off limits. Where do you stand? Lieutenant Governor on LGBTQ rights? You know, I've said this several times, I do not think that we should be bigoted against people who are transgender or bigoted against those who are homosexuals, homosexuals respect starts when you go into the public and you can have respect for people who have differences of opinion from you, even if those differences of opinion, our uh, different from your deeply held religious beliefs and I have no problem doing that whatsoever. But again, this issue as, as it is being raised right now, I believe is an attempt to intimidate people into not speaking up against it being introduced into the classroom. Um, folks in the transgender, um, gay communities are felt that we're hearing from so far have felt hurt by the words you said. What would you say to those people? I would tell them that I'm sorry if they feel that way, I'm sorry that they feel contrary to the way I feel, uh, in a spiritual aspect, but I can assure you as an elected official, I have their, their interest and their freedom in mind as I serve in this capacity. Since you are the lieutenant governor, you, you mentioned in your leadership capacity just now since you are lieutenant governor. Um, do you feel like those personal beliefs you have when you share them, as you did at that church there, that they have weight, that they do speak for the state when I speak in front of a church, I'm not speaking in front of a church as lieutenant governor. I'm speaking as a person who believes in the tenants of my faith and those tenants come before anything. I've said this in many forms. The person that I'm ultimately going to answer have to answer to is not anyone in any community across the state, The person I'm ultimately going to have to answer to the entity is my God, when I see him and I intend to have, and I intend to be able to give him a good account when I do that. Um, Mr Robinson, when when people, uh, here heard those words, what came to mind for a lot of people was, um, the battle around House Bill two here in north Carolina. I'm sure you're aware of. What are your feelings on an HB two where the state did take a bit of an economic and reputational hit. Do you, what are your thoughts on HB 2? Do you believe it? It should come back to North Carolina? The so called bathroom bill is it speaks, I think was just common sense legislation. I think that you should have to go in the bathroom. You're assigned gender a gender if anybody has a problem with that. I'm sorry, but that's how I feel about that issue. I don't understand why it was such a big issue. I don't understand why people made such a big deal out of it. My thoughts on that have been clear from the very beginning and I don't wish to revisit that. Again, I think that that is an issue. I think that citizens themselves, businesses themselves can come to a consensus and make that decision. I don't believe the government even needs to get involved with that. You touched on this maybe a second ago. But in school we do teach about different races and cultures how different people live. Uh what what are your thoughts on why sexuality homosexuality is different and should not be included. Homosexuality I don't believe should be included because homosexuality is not a culture. Homosexuality is a sexual uh is a sexual uh preference and sexual preferences I don't believe need to be discussed in our in our schools. It does nothing uh to further the minds of our young people as I stated before uh education as it stands right now is having a hard time with the primary mission. Its primary mission in this state which is to teach our Children to read. We don't need any extra baggage and we certainly don't need to be teaching these adult thing things to Children in our schools. In the end at the N. C. Family values coalition. Their anniversary celebration took place recently. There was also a moment where you spoke there sir where you used the term homosexuality garbage people who will hear that. And then here the filth comment. What did you mean when you were talking then about homosexuality garbage? That that phrase again when we are trying to introduce these things to Children, it is wrong now if you want to introduce it to your own Children that is that's fine. You have that right. But to take Children that we tell that you have to attend public school and then take those Children into the public school and then force these things on them against their parents. Will, that is absolutely not right. And it should not be done. And we will not be intimidated into being silent on this issue. And and getting back to how this has affected uh, those communities to transgender and home and gay communities. Would you now that you see how they are receiving your words, would you have said it differently? Would you have taken the words of filth away? The word garbage away? Absolutely not. Absolutely not. When I see Children in this state having this stuff forced on it is time for strong words and a strong response. Again, we are not going to be intimidated from backing down on this issue. And as I see it, that's what this is. This is an attempt to intimidate us to to back down. Just as I see the attempts from the Attorney General of the United States uh to intimidate parents about speaking up at school board meetings, we will not be intimidated. We will not back down. We will not change our language and we will continue to stand up strong for the parents, teachers and students of this state. The Governor called what you said of Orange, uh Senator Jackson called for you to step down. I wanted to give you the opportunity sir to, to respond to those comments. Well, as far as being abhorrent. The Governor made good uh, make contact with some folks over the issue of school board members being threatened in the classroom. But the governor has yet to speak up about the problem of systemic violence that plagues our schools right now. So what the governor says to me makes no difference whatsoever. Jeff Jackson is in the same vein. This is a man who either does not have enough respect or enough courage to speak to me in person on the Senate floor. So what he says to me makes little or no difference to me. You mentioned earlier about the need for strong language around around this. Do you feel that some of the strong language like the word filth? Could that cause people or empower people to act against people in these communities? I mean, you have a very high position. People listen to what you say. Could, could this encourage people to act against those communities? Let me ask you this, Do you think that celebrities or uh politicians volunteering to pay the bail of those who have committed acts of mayhem and writing on the street could quite possibly encouraged that in the future. Look, I am tired of folks on the right being demonized for our speech. While folks on the left Burn beat rob loot take over entire cities and get a pass. The language that I used. I'm not ashamed of it. I would use it in the future because again, it is time for parents in this state to take a strong stand for their Children and for their education and I intend to do that and and just to reiterate, sir, before that should go, the the word filth, the word trash is that in reference to those communities, that is in reference to introducing it to two young Children in the classroom. Is there anything else, first of all? Thank you again for your time. I do appreciate it. Is there anything else that you wanted to add that? That I didn't ask? Not really. Just other than the fact that again, I reiterate the fact that I believe that this is simply another attempt to silence voices on the right. It will not happen in this office. It will not happen with me. And I certainly encourage the parents, teachers and students out there who support us to keep speaking up, keep speaking out and do not be intimidated. Do you feel there's more people, a lot of people, maybe more people than people might under realize that feel the same way. Absolutely. All right. Lieutenant Governor, thank you for your time

Adam Owens

Matthew Burns

Full interview: Lt. Gov. Robinson explains LGBT 'filth' comments

Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson

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Full interview: Lt. Gov. Robinson explains LGBT 'filth' comments

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